aining ▁point ▁for ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁the ▁Scottish ▁John ▁Rand olph . ▁ ▁While ▁not ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁Scottish ▁victory ▁was ▁im min ently ▁on ▁the ▁horizon , ▁the ▁early ▁winter ▁and ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 3 3 8 ▁were ▁a ▁turning ▁point ▁for ▁the ▁Scottish ▁campaign . ▁Murray ▁in ▁particular ▁was ▁r uth less , ▁and ▁while ▁suffering ▁his ▁own ▁defe ats ▁left ▁such ▁destruction ▁in ▁his ▁w ake ▁that ▁thousands ▁of ▁Scottish ▁civ ili ans ▁were ▁left ▁without ▁food ▁to ▁sust ain ▁themselves , ▁much ▁less ▁to ▁fuel ▁Bal li ol ' s ▁cause . ▁However , ▁it ▁was ▁his ▁dying ▁blow . ▁Early ▁in ▁the ▁year , ▁Murray ▁died ▁of ▁an ▁ill ness , ▁but ▁not ▁before ▁he ▁had , ▁in ▁the ▁words ▁of ▁Michael ▁Brown , ▁" ended ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁Edward ▁III ▁establish ing ▁stable ▁lord ship ▁over ▁southern ▁Scotland ." ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁William ▁Douglas ▁had ▁settled ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁L idd es dale , ▁from ▁which ▁position ▁he ▁har ass ed ▁the ▁al lies ▁of ▁the ▁English . ▁In ▁Spring ▁ 1 3 3 9 , ▁Stewart ▁— ▁sole ▁Guardian ▁after ▁Murray ' s ▁death ▁— ▁brought ▁a ▁large ▁force ▁against ▁the ▁shr inking ▁region ▁under ▁Bal li ol ' s ▁control ▁around ▁Per th ▁and ▁Cup ar . ▁English ▁rein for c ements ▁were ▁held ▁back ▁by ▁Scottish ▁and ▁French ▁ships , ▁and ▁Stewart ▁won ▁the ▁day ▁in ▁August , ▁when ▁his ▁enemies ▁surrender ed . ▁ ▁David ▁II ▁leading ▁Scotland : ▁ 1