SCOTS' poor skills with medieval weapons lead to the country's worst ever defeat in battle, experts have claimed.

History experts have recreated a key part of the 1513 Battle of Flodden to determine why Scotland suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the English.

They found the Scots were unable to use their new 18ft pikes effectively, as they charged down a hill in the rain. This meant the English, with shorter polearms, could cut them apart. The battle ended with around 10,000 Scots dead, including King James IV and most of the country's nobility.

Battlefield archaeology expert Dr Tony Pollard of Glasgow University recreated the conditions of the battle during a reenactment at the weekend.

Around 20 "pikemen" were made to advance down a hill similar to the one the Scots army would have done in 1513. He found the pikemen bunched up and broke their lines - meaning the weapons would be hopeless against the massed ranks of the English.

James IV, the "Renaissance King", had equipped his army at the last minute with 18ft pikes normally found in continental Europe, which would have been unfamiliar to the Scottish troops.

Dr Pollard said the men would have had little practice with the new weapon: "Your traditional Scottish spear was eight feet long, these were 18ft long. I tried to handle one of them, they're incredibly cumbersome."

The 500-year anniversary of the battle will take place on September 9.