Pinkie Cleugh, battle of, 1547. One of the first decisions taken by Somerset when he became protector for Edward VI in 1547 was to settle the long-running war against Scotland with a decisive blow. The Scots had rejected proposals for a marriage between the young king of England and the infant Mary, queen of Scots, and had formed an alliance with France. The Scottish army, under Huntly and Arran, had a numerical advantage on 10 September when the two sides met at Pinkie Cleugh, east of Edinburgh, near Musselburgh. The Scots had the better of the early exchanges, but superior cavalry and the help of some warships gave Somerset a crushing victory. He went on to occupy Edinburgh but was unable to sustain his position.

J. A. Cannon

pink·ie / ˈpingkē/ (also pink·y) • n. inf. the little finger.