A NEW memorial is to be built to honour Braveheart legend Sir William Wallace.

It will be sited at the rear of Provand's Lordship, near Glasgow Cathedral, to mark a battle with the English at the end of the 13th century.

The Battle O' The Braes is believed to have taken place on a steep slope near where the High Street and Rottenrow meet.

It will be the second memorial in the city to Wallace, who was captured in Robroyston in 1305.

He was handed over to King Edward 1 of England who had him hung, drawn and quartered for high treason and crimes again English civilians.

The group behind the monument is The Society of William Wallace which celebrated its 100th anniversary last year.

It is keen to have the memorial in place in time to mark 700 years since the Battle of Bannockburn.

Society vice-convener Gary Stewart, an accounts manager, is hoping it will help attract American and other tourists to the city.

He said: "What we want to do is get the memorial built and drive tourism to Glasgow.

"We wanted it in place by 2014, which is the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, and is when the Commonwealth Games are being held."

Mr Stewart said there is worldwide interest in William Wallace and revealed the society which is named after him has 9000 followers on its Facebook page.

The memorial, which is expected to get the go-ahead from city planners this month, will cost around £9000 to create.

It will be topped by an engraved war helmet, the date 1297, and a sword design identical to the weapon displayed in the National Wallace Monument in Stirling.

It will be surrounded by concrete setts which will be auctioned off and will have the buyer's name inscribed before being put in place.

The events of the Battle O' The Braes are obscure, but around the year 1300, William Wallace, after a success at Ayr, set his sights on Glasgow.

Edward I, the Hammer of the Scots, had appointed Anthony Beck as Bishop of Glasgow and an English force under Earl Percy was stationed there to support the bishop.

Wallace led a force of some 300 men while Percy had 1000 men quartered at or in the Bishop's Castle, near the Cathedral.

Wallace marched up the High Street with part of his force while two of his lieutenants, Adam Wallace of Richardtown (Riccarton) and the Laird of Auchinleck, came by the Drygate.

Percy's troops met Wallace and his men at the Bell o' the Brae (the highest point of the slope of a hill).

Percy was killed and when Auchinleck's men appeared, the English force, not knowing how many men were attacking them, were supposedly thrown into confusion and fled.

They were pursued, so it is said as far as Bothwell Castle.

The battle seemingly lasted minutes rather than hours.

Mr Stewart said: "Very little is known about the Battle O' The Braes because it more of a skirmish involving probably only around 500 English soldiers.

"I don't think most people living in Glasgow know Wallace was in the city or that there is monument to him in Robroyston where he was captured."

The Robroyston monument was erected in 1900 by public subscription and carries the words "We are not here to sue for peace but to fight for the freedom of our country" which is said to be the creed Wallace lived his life by.

vivienne.nicoll@eveningtimes.co.uk