Although Lindsay of Pitscottie wrote the most comprehensive account of the battle in his history we must be careful to read it with care. Pitscottie tends to embelish his accounts with anecdotes which bear little resemblance to the truth.The passage begins with Lennox raising his forces in Stirling.

'The king hierand thir wordis send for the Earle of Lennox and spak with him and gaif him

commissioun to raise his leigis as he pleissit to that effect that he sould com to Edinburgh

witht all the powar that he might beand tak the Kingis out of the Douglassis handis

perforce.The Earle of Lennox heirand this charge and commisioun of the King was weill

contentit to obey the samin and to that effect gaderit all that he might in Fyfe Angus

Streerne Stirllingschyre and the haill wastland and come to Stirling witht the number of ten

thowsand men quhair bischope James Bettone mett him witht all the gentillmen of Fyfe and

thais accompaned witht him to the effect foresaid and also the Master of Killmaris come to

him out the wast , Kyle , Carrick, Cunninghame, quhilk was in number 2000 men, and tuk his

wangaird in hand to come fordward to the toun of Edinburgh.

Bot the Earle of Angus knawand this nobill man the Earle of Lennox gadderis and aganis him

witht bischope James Bettoun and the Master of Killmaris and hearand that they war of greit

of number knew weill it was nocht done by the kingis adwyse quhairat he was greatlie

astoneist . Zeist Nochtwithtstanding he tuic sic curage and hardement that he knew weill

thair was no remedie bot ether to do or die, and send incontinent to all his kin and

friendis and in spetiall to the Lorde of Home and Ferniehurst and the laird of Cesfurde,

also he send to the Lord Hamilltoun schawand his enemies the Earle of Lennox was to come

witht ane airmie to tak the king from beseikand him that he could quhilk was ffor his awin

weill; sayand gif that the Earle of Lennox owercome him that the nixt day he wald do siclyde

witht him, thaifor best it war to debait witht baitht thar powaris and strengthis in tyme’

Of this desyre lord Hamilltoun was weire weill contentit and promist to metitt the Earle of

Angus witht all his kin and friendis at Lythtgow.

Bot on the morne efterhend the Earle of Lennox come out of Stirling witht thre great ostis

marchand forwart to Edinburgh thair sett fordwart his porpois and intent quhilk he had taine

in hand at the Kingis command.

Sa schone as the Earle of Angus knew of thair coming he went and schew the King the maner of

how it stude, desyrand his grace gar mak procliemation baitht in Leytht and Edinburgh that

all maner of man betuix sextie and sexten zeiris sould ryse incontienent to follow the King

and debait his grace. They hierand  thir wordis of the earle of Angus and knew the matter

how it stude gaif bot lyttill ansuer agan wnto the Earle of Angus. The Earle seand that the

King was slaw in the matter wist weill thair was nothing bot ether do or die and thairfor

maid him manfullie to the fieldis and caussit his friend Archibald Douglas, provost of

Edinburgh to ring the common bell and put the toun in order and command thame to ryse and

come witht the king in all haist to defend him aganis his enemis and left his brother George

witht the king to cause him ryse and come fordwart for to support him ffor he wald pase

incontienent forward to meit the Lord Hamilltoun quho was abone Lythgow in redynes witht ane

great number of 2000 men , and the Earle of Angus himself  witht the Homes and the Karis

quhilk was in the number of 2000 men. Be this the word come to the toune of Edinburgh that

the Earle of Lennox was withtin ane myle to Lythtgow witht thrie greit ostis to the number

of 12,000 men well furnist witht artaillze, and was porpossit to come to Edinburgh gif he

war not stopit. Then George Douglas heirand his desyrit the King right effectouslie for to

ryse and passé fordwart to help his brother and support him aganis his enemeis schawand how

neirhand they war bot the kingis grace tuik lyttill thocht o the matter an was werry slaw in

his fourtht ryding. Bot at last the post come from the Earle of Angus schawand the baitht

the airmeis was in sight of wther and was purpossit to fight, thairfor prayand the kingis

grace to come fordwart witht the toun of Edinburgh to reskew the Earle of Angs or ellis he

wald be lost be ressone of the number of the wther pairtie. Then the King gart blaw his

trumpetis and lap on horse and gart ring the common bell of Edinburgh commanding al maner of

men , so ischit fourtht of the wast port and all the toun of Edinburgh and Leytht witht him

the number of 3000 men and raid fordwart to the craigis of Costorphin. They had the

artaillze on baitht the sydis lykis it had bane thunder.

The George Douglas cryit on the King beseikand his grace for godis saik to ryde faster that

he might reskew and help his brother. Be this the post come and schew the King that baitht

the fieldis war iunitt and fightand furieouslie witht wther on the wast syde of Lythtgow tua

mylieis be wast the toune and that the Earle of Angus and the Earle of Glencairneis was

zokit togither and the Lord Hamilltounis and the Earle of Lennox in lyke maner and baitht

fightand furieouslie. Then the King raid fast to sie the maner bot incontinent thair mett

him ane post schawand to him that the Earle of Lennox men war fled frome him an he beleift

that he had tind the feild. Bot then the King was werie sorrie and cryit on all his

serwandis and all the wald do for him to ryde to the field and stanche the slaughter, and in

spetiall to saif the Erle of Lennox gif he could be comprehendit allvue. Witht this the

kingis serwandis and sindrie gentillmen passit at the kingis commandement , witht Andro Wood

o Largo quhilk was the kingis commandement and ane of his famellear serwandis and carwer to

him, and at that tyme haisit thair horse allis fast as they might beir thame, to the field

to keip the kingis commandment to saif all frome slaughter and in spetiall the Earle of

Lennox quhom he fand lyand slaine in the deid thraw cruellie be Schir James Hammilltoun that

tyrane efter that he was taine in the field be the laird of Perdiffan and his wappouns taine

fre him. In this meane tyme Schir James Hammiltoun that cruell murtherar gart schut him fre

his takoris and thair slew him withtout Marcie and did so witht all that he might owertak

that day in the field. Their war money market that ay witht his mark. Bot we will returne to

Androw Wode and the kingis serwandis quho raid suoftlie throw the feild to saif all freindis

that thay might  comprehend on lyffe quhill at last they fand the Earle of Glencairne still

fightand witht 30 men leift of all his airmie on lyue wnslaine and fled frome him, bot zeit

was in sic ane strength that his enemis might on nawayis war him sa lang as he had ony men

left on lyue to defend him.

Bot inmedeatlie Androw Wode the Kingis serwand tuik him and saiffit him in brocht him away

on lyue and conwoyit him to ane quyit place quhair nether the Doglassis nor the Hammiltounis

might comprehend hin to do hin skaitht. This beand done the kingis serwandis come throw the

feild and saw the Lord Hammilltoun standard murnand beside the Earle of Lennox, sayand ‘The

wyssist man ‘ the stoutest man the hardiest man that ewer was brede in Scotland was slain

that day’ and tuik his clok of Skarlat and cust it wpoun him in gart watchmen to stand about

him quhill the kingis serwandis come and bureit him. This matter beand finischit and money

slaine and taine on baitht sydis and in spetiall the Earle of Lennox witht money gentillmen

of the Wast land witht him and in lyke wyse the Earle of Glencairne ewill wondit to the deid

and money of his friendis and serwandis slaine and allso sum gentillmen of Fyfe baitht taine

and slaine to wit , the Laird of Lethine slaine witht money wther gentillmen taine. This

cruell and wnhappie feild was striking in the zeir of god Im V XX  zeiris and in the moneht

of September                  

( Pitscottie got the year wrong !)