The Truth About the Battle of Bannockburn (1314) and Robert the Bruce (Documentary)
Channel: Celtic History Decoded
Date: 2021-06-21

The Truth About the Battle of Bannockburn and Robert the Bruce - Documentary on the Battle of Bannockburn (1314) and Robert the Bruce - 

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Of all the battles that took place in the British Isles down through the ages, the war cries of the Battle of Bannockburn ring among the loudest. Fought in 1314 between the King of Scotland, Robert I, or Robert the Bruce as he is more commonly known, and King Edward II of England, the battle is one of the most iconic in history. To understand the Battle of Bannockburn however, we need to understand the broader struggle that it took place within: namely, the First Scottish War of Independence, which lasted from 1296 to 1328. 

The First Scottish War of Independence grew out of a succession crisis, after Alexander III of Scotland died in 1286, followed by his heir, Margaret, Maid of Norway, dying in 1290. This vacuum of power sparked a contest for the crown between John Balliol and Robert Bruce, the grandfather of the more famous Robert the Bruce who fought at Bannockburn. This dispute resulted in King Edward I, who ruled England from 1273 to 1307, stepping in to mediate, awarding Balliol the crown in 1292. The crafty English King exploited this appointment however, frequently meddling in Scottish affairs. In 1295, the Scottish nobility, sick of Balliol’s weak leadership and failure to maintain Scotland’s independence, signed the Auld Alliance with France, the arch enemy of England. 

Edward’s response was to invade Scotland, which began when English forces sacked the important Scottish border-town of Berwick, in 1296. In response to Edward’s invasion, a resistance movement led by William Wallace and Andrew de Moray formed, with this movement going on to win important battles, including at Stirling Bridge in 1297. However, the loss at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298 and further defeats resulted in England controlling large parts of Scotland, including taking control of Stirling Castle between 1303 and 1304. Resistance to English rule renewed when Robert the Bruce was crowned King of Scotland in 1306.

By May, King Edward II was marching an army of around 13,000 men to Stirling Castle, the largest army to ever invade Scotland up until that point. The battle that ensued is one of the most famous in Scottish history, although little written sources exist detailing it (Ditchburn and MacDonald, 2014: 162). The Battle of Bannockburn took place between the 23rd and 24th of June, 1314, and was likely fought on ground to the south of Stirling Castle; ground which had been carefully chosen by Bruce. The Bannock and Pelstream burns offered natural barriers to the east, and Bruce’s forces dug concealed pits to impede the charging English cavalry. 

The epic opening exchange of the battle set the tone for the entire episode. Mounted on a horse, Bruce was at the front of his troops. An English knight, Henry de Bohun, spotted the Scottish King, and charged his horse towards Bruce leading with his lance. Just as the English knight reached Bruce, the Scot slipped the lance by twisting his mount of to the side, instantly propelling himself back up and smashing his axe through the English warriors skull, killing his instantly. Energised, the Scottish fighters forced Edward’s cavalry to withdraw. 

Sources:

Brown, D. The declaration of Arbroath: pedigree of a nation? In Barrow, G. (Eds) The Declaration of Arbroath: History, Significance, Setting, Chap 1, pages pp. 1-12. First published in The Declaration of Arbroath: History, Significance, Setting: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (2003) https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/3710/1/arbr...

Castelow, E. The Battle of Bannockburn, Historic UK - https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMa...

DITCHBURN, D., & MACDONALD, C. (2014). Editorial: Bannockburn, World War I and the Referendum. The Scottish Historical Review, 93(237), 161-170. www.jstor.org/stable/43774032

Duncan, A. (1992). The War of the Scots, 1306-23: The Prothero Lecture. Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 2, 125-151.

Grant, A. (2007). The Death of John Comyn: What Was Going On? The Scottish Historical Review, 86(222), 176-224. www.jstor.org/stable/25529980

Oxford Reference – Scottish Wars of Independence - https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/...

Scotland’s History, the BBC - The Battle of Bannockburn, 1314 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/histor... 

Stirling Council, The Battle of Bannockburn - https://www.stirling.gov.uk/tourism-v...

Stirling Council, The First War of Independence: 1296-1328 - https://www.stirling.gov.uk/tourism-v...

Battle of Bannockburn Documentary - Robert the Bruce Documentary

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