Factual error: Princess Isabella was a 13-year-old girl living in France when William Wallace was executed in 1305. She didn't marry Prince Edward until 1308, and the marriage took place in Boulogne, not London.

Factual error: The voice-over at the beginning of the film tells us that Malcolm Wallace was a commoner with his own lands and constant references are made through-out the film to William being a commoner. However this is a common historical myth. Malcolm Wallace was in fact born as a minor noble and became a knight, as was William. They were poor as noble families went but were still infinitely more privileged than the commoners of the day.

Revealing: When the Scott gets shot in the buttocks during Stirling, there's a lot of blood already on his leg as soon as the arrow hits him.

Factual error: In the opening scene of the film a caption at the bottom of the screen tells us it is Scotland 1280 AD and the voice-over tells us the King of Scotland had died without an heir etc. But Alexander III of Scotland did not die until 1286 AD.

Continuity: When Stephen and the other Scot come to join Wallace's army, watch Stephen as the other man speaks first, he has only slight beard stubble. As Stephen speaks and helps himself to food, he has suddenly grown a goatee beard, which stays for the remainder of the film.

Continuity: At the end, when the main executioner bends down, his cloak shifts and you can see he is wearing brown shoes with red rubber soles. These rubber soled shoes are worn today and had not been invented yet.

Factual error: Scots did not wear the kilt until the 17th century. They wore the saffron shirt prior to that (in Braveheart's time).

Continuity: In the scene when Hamish and Wallace are throwing stones, Hamish gets hit on the head. When he falls to the floor his head is bleeding, but in the next shot there is no blood and a very faint cut.

Visible crew/equipment: When Wallace captures the fort of the noble who killed his wife, he pushes said noble down a hill before putting him to the post and slitting his throat. If you watch when the noble is pushed, he rolls over and the cape uncovers the back of his costume. You can see blue pants that look like jeans under his costume.

Continuity: When William comes to take Murron on a horse ride in the rain, he talks to Murron's parents. The camera cuts to Murron a couple of times, ducking under the shelter, and her hair is completely dry. But when she rushes out and jumps onto William's horse, her hair is soaked. Obviously this scene took several takes, and they didn't take the time to dry the actress's hair between each take.

Revealing: William Wallace's footwear (as seen at the end of the movie) has metal eyelets. Either he was ahead of his time or wardrobe wasn't paying attention to detail.

Continuity: Just before Wallace picks up the archer to throw him over the ledge, you can the archer has a tin looking hat around his head with part of his suit covering his head below the hat. In the shot from in front of the ledge when Wallace is throwing him off the cap has now disappeared before he has been thrown. The following shot as he is falling its a bit hard to see his cap but you see it come off.

Factual error: At the battle of Falkirk, the Irish soldiers fighting for Edward change sides at the last moment and go over to fight with the Scots. In reality, there were no Irish troops present at the battle. The only troublemakers amongst the English army were the contingent of Welsh bowmen who showed a reluctance to fight Wallace but this was more out of fear rather than sympathy for the Scots.

Factual error: The title of the Duke of York did not yet exist in the 13th century - it was instituted only later and was normally used only by a younger son of the King.

Continuity: In the prison cell scene, after Princess Isabelle enters the cell and the jailor leaves, the jailor leaves the cell door half closed. The camera moves to William again then back to Princess Isabelle and the door is now fully open.

Continuity: When Wallace throws the first archer over the wall, he comes up to him from the archer's right and picks him up, but in the following shot Wallace is on his left.

Continuity: At Sterling right after the first arrow attack by the English men, you can see Wallace getting up with his shield in front of him. We can see one arrow attached to his shield, however when it cuts he has two arrows attached to the shield.

Factual error: Wallace - Sir William Wallace - was a noble, not a scruffy tribesman as shown in this film. As such, his trial (such as it was) and execution were detailed in the court records of the day and they still exist. He was dragged the three and a half miles from the Tower to Aldgate chained (not tied) to a piece of fencing, not on a wheeled cart, and he was never 'racked', just hanged vertically. He was never offered a chance to recant his beliefs in exchange for a quicker, more merciful death. While hanging, still alive, he was emasculated ('his privy parts cut away') and his genitals burnt on a brazier in front of him. The executioner then slit open his abdomen and disemboweled him, then his chest was cut open and his heart torn out. He was never allowed to speak, was not tied to a flat table and was beheaded after he was dead. The film gets all of this wrong.

Continuity: When Wallace was first seen approaching the deer, he already had the bow and arrow ready, he would just need to draw back and shoot. But in a close up shot of Wallace, he was just taking out an arrow to get it ready.

Continuity: At Falkirk the order in which Longshanks, Robert the Bruce and the English soldier are standing changes from shot to shot. In some shots Bruce is between the soldier and Longshanks and in other shots the soldier is between Longshanks and Bruce without the actors ever moving.