Scotland

• Scotland was a traditional enemy of England and the northern border was a regular area of conflicts and raids
• Edward IV had seized the border towns of Berwick and Dunbar, which the Scots were determined to win back and this increased the possibility of hostility between the two
• The Auld Alliance between France and Scotland, first signed 1295, increased the danger on the border as England could face attacks on both fronts
• Support from France for Scotland was vital as Scotland was financially weaker than England and had a smaller population
• Henry wanted to avoid conflict with Scotland, especially during early years of reign, as he was more concerned with gaining support at home and establishing his dynasty
• Scotland was more inclined to Henry than Richard III, as Richard supported raids into Scotland - this and Henry's need for peace resulted in a three-year truce being signed in July 1486
• The assassination of James III after the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488, fought against rebellious Scottish nobles, made conflict between the two countries less likely as James IV was too young to wage war
• However, the regents ruling Scotland were less friendly to Henry and when Henry supported Brittany, it caused French-Scotland relations to strengthen
• Henry maintained contacts at the Scottish court with Scottish nobility, led by Earl of Angus, who favoured better relations with England
• Henry gave shelter to the Scottish nobles who had been ousted from power and in 1492 aided the successful attempts to overthrow the anti-English regents
• The coup brought the pro-English Earl of Angus back to power and resulted in the signing of a nine-year truce between the two countries in 1493
• James IV came of age in 1495 and wanted to assert himself by going to war against the traditional enemy
• Perkin Warbeck arrived in July 1495 and was welcomed by James by marrying his cousin, Lady Catherine Gordon, and given military support for an invasion of England in September 1496
• Scottish support for Warbeck increased the threat, yet there was no English support and James realised Warbeck was of limited value
• England was now free of other foreign policy difficulties and James was worried that the English parliament had voted funds for an attack on Scotland
• Because of James' fears of damaging Scotland, he didn't use the Cornish rising to his advantage
• Henry offered terms of treaty to James, resulting in the Truce of Ayton being signed in 1497
• Warbeck was executed in 1499
• Peace of Ayton was significant as no peace treaties had been signed between the two countries since 1328
• The Peace extended the earlier truce and was reinforced by the marriage of Henry's eldest daughter, Margaret, to James IV in August 1503
• The marriage brought Henry recognition from another European power and helped to consolidate his position on the throne
• Although this agreement resulted in the avoidance of a full-scale war, it didn't live up to its other name of "The Treaty of Perpetual Peace" and solve the Scottish problem
• Scotland didn't abandon the Auld Alliance and border raids continued
• Also, James' expansion of his navy increased the tensions between both countries
• Henry wasn't able to secure the northern border, just stabilise the situation