King James IV, ruled 1488-1513

The last king in the British Isles to personally lead an army into battle, King James IV paid the ultimate price and died at Flodden Field in Northumberland, defeated by Henry VIII's commander the Earl of Surrey.  Partly due to his personal magnetism, thousands of Scots and a disproportionately large percentage of nobles were slaughtered there in September 1513.  Due to the unexpected scale of the catastrophe and the disbelief of the Scottish public, rumours immediately began to spead that the monarch had survived the battle.  Some said he went on pilgrimage secretly to Jerusalem, others that he was kidnapped (and eventually slain) by his dubious vassal the Earl of Home. An even more remarkable legend portrayed him as an Undying King, forever alive but held captive in Fairyland.

  A notably intelligent and successful ruler, James practiced medicine and dentistry, travelled incognito through his realm, was chivalrous to the point of fault, and a determined knight who desperately wanted to go on crusade.  Fascinated by science, warfare, alchemy, the combination of traits meant that he held together a fractious nation, but ensured that the violent forces so precariously balanced in Scotland erupted on his demise. The shadow - reputation and ghost - of King James IV was used as an active player in the violent minority years of his son, King James V, when pro-French and pro-English factions jockeyed for power.