King Robert the Bruce of Scotland | Britroyals Name: King Robert the Bruce of Scotland Father: Robert de Brus Mother: Marjory Countess of Carrick Relation to Elizabeth II: 19th great-grandfather House of: Bruce Born: July 11, 1274 at Turnberry Castle, Ayrshire Ascended to the throne: February 10, 1306 aged 31 years Crowned: March 27, 1306 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire Married:(1) Isabella of Mar, 1295 Married:(2) Elizabeth de Burgh, 1302 Children: Marjorie, David, John, Matlida, Margaret plus several illegitimate Died: June 7, 1329, at Cardross, Dumbartonshire, aged 54 years, 10 months, and 26 days Buried at: Dunfermline Abbey (body) and Melrose Abbey (heart) Succeeded by: his son David After Balliol�s abdication in 1296 Scotland was without a monarch for 10 years and ruled remotely by King Edward I of England.

Scots national resistance developed into a war of independence in which William Wallace and then Robert Bruce played a leading role. Wallace won a victory over the English at Stirling Bridge in 1297 and proclaimed himself Guardian of Scotland. The following year Edward invaded Scotland again and defeated William Wallace at Falkirk. Wallace went underground but was captured and in 1305, tried and hung in London. In 1298 Robert Bruce took over the title of Guardian of Scotland and, having killed his rival John Comyn, claimed the throne as the great-great grandson of David I and in 1306 had himself crowned king at Scone as Robert I. Independence was made easier by the death of Edward I as he set out to claim back Scotland. Bruce set about removing the English from Scotland and by early 1314 Stirling was the only castle in English hands. An English army sent to break the siege was routed by Bruce�s smaller Scottish force at Bannockburn in June 1314.

Six year later in 1320 Bruce and the Scottish nobles issued the Declaration of Arbroath asserting Scottish Independence �For as longs as one hundred of us shall remain alive we shall never in any wise consent to submit to the rule of the English, for it is not for glory that we fight � but for freedom alone.�. However, a truce with Edward II of England failed to stop hostilities which continued until Edward II was deposed in 1327. The Treaty of Edinburgh between Robert I and Edward III in 1328 recognised Scotland's independence, ending the 30 years of Wars of Independence. Edward agreed to the marriage of Robert Bruce�s son David to his younger sister Joan daughter of Edward II. Robert Bruce died at his house in Cardross a year later of a serious illness described by some as leprosy.

Timeline for King Robert the Bruce of Scotland Year BBC - Scotland's History - Robert the Bruce, King of Scots Scotland's History Articles Robert the Bruce, King of Scots 1306 – 1329 Robert the Bruce, King of Scots 1306 – 1329 "Let Scotland's warcraft be this: footsoldiers, mountains and marshy ground; and let her woods, her bow and spear serve for barricades. Let menace lurk in all her narrow places among her warrior bands, and let her plains so burn with fire that her enemies flee away. Crying out in the night, let her men be on their guard, and her enemies in confusion will flee from hunger's sword. Surely it will be so, as we're guided by Robert, our lord." Scotland's Strategy of Guerrilla Warfare ( c.1308) Bruce was descended from ancestors in Brix, in Flanders. In 1124, King David I granted the massive estates of Annandale to his follower, Robert de Brus, in order to secure the border. The name, Robert, was very common in the family.

Born in 1274, Bruce was the grandson of another Robert Bruce, the failed claimant of the Scottish crown in 1290/2, and the son of yet another Robert Bruce. His mother, Marjorie, Countess of Carrick, brought him an ancient Gaelic lineage. Descended from the Gaelic Earls of Carrick, she was a formidable operator who apparently held Bruce's father captive after he returned from crusade, refusing to release him until he agreed to marry her. Brought up at Turnberry Castle, Bruce was a product of his lineage, speaking Gaelic, Scots and Norman French. In 1295 he became Earl of Carrick and was no doubt convinced of his families entitlement to Scotland's crown. Robert Bruce's struggle for the Scottish crown wasn't entirely an enterprise born of patriotism, and, although no doubt his attitude changed over the years, Bruce's motives do appear to be slightly more self-serving than that. The ascension of his family to royalty seemed more central to his long-term plans than Scottish liberation from English rule. The facts speak for themselves.

Both Bruce and his father supported Edward I's invasion of Scotland in 1296, hoping to gain the crown after Balliol's fall. They were understandably disappointed when Edward proceeded to install himself as king. In 1297, Bruce, encouraged by Bishop Wishart, raised the standard of revolt at Irvine (the reason why he was absent at the Battle of Stirling Bridge). However, the rising failed and Bruce, rather than join Wallace after the Scots victory at Stirling Bridge, kept a low profile until he could determine what the English reaction would be. Bruce was also absent at the Battle of Falkirk, in which Wallace's army was devastated, but seems to have made an effort to help by burning the town of Ayr in order to deny it to the English as they returned south. In 1298, after the Scots defeat at Falkirk, Bruce and John Comyn replaced Wallace as Guardians of Scotland. They soon quarrelled however, Comyn being a supporter of Balliol's claim to the throne, and Bruce was 'replaced' a year later.

He continued to fight on until it seemed Balliol was about to return, then, once again, he submitted to the English king, hoping for recognition of his claim to the throne. So Bruce wasn't adverse to switching sides in pursuit of his goal, and this wasn't irregular practice amongst noblemen in pursuit of power at the time. The rhetoric of the Declaration of Arbroath, 22 years later – "For as long as a hundred of us remain alive, we shall never on any conditions be subjected to the lordship of the English" – was never Bruce's rhetoric, for he had appealed to English lordship on more than one occasion. 1304 was a crucial year for Bruce. His father's death made him the Bruce claimant to the throne, and the capitulation of the Scots in the face of English attacks ended hopes of a Balliol restoration. Edward I had conquered Scotland, but he wasn't expected to live much longer. Bruce started to seek allies. On 11th February 1306 Robert Bruce met John 'The Red' Comyn at Greyfriars Kirk in Dumfries.

We don't know what they discussed, but an argument flared, swords were drawn, and Bruce stabbed Comyn before the high altar. Comyn's murder is not believed to have been premeditated; however Bruce was excommunicated and outlawed, whilst Scotland was plunged into civil war. The Adobe Flash player and Javascript are required in order to view a video which appears on this page. You may wish to download the Adobe Flash player . There was no way back, Bruce realised he would have to start his rising, that force would now take precedence over diplomacy. Within six weeks Bishop Wishart gave him absolution and he was hurriedly crowned king at Scone on March 25th 1306. It was disastrous start to his reign. Bruce had provoked civil war as well as war with England. One of his brothers was killed, whilst his sisters, wife and daughter were captured and imprisoned. In June 1306, Bruce's disorganised forces were defeated at Methven and he fled to the Gaelic west. There are accounts of Bruce hiding on Rathlin Island, off Ireland, and in the Hebrides Islands.

It is here that he passes into legend as the dispossessed king, hiding in the mountains and in caves, suffering hardship for the good of the nation. However, at this point Bruce was by no means the people's hero in Scotland. Very few bishops or nobles had been at his inauguration, and there is evidence to suggest that he threatened many his countrymen into supporting him. It was then that Bruce changed tactics, and success followed. He turned out to be a natural guerrilla commander, winning small victories at Glen Trool and Loudon Hill. In 1308 he defeated the Comyn faction at Inverurie and took Aberdeen, establishing control over the Kingdom north of Perth and Dundee. The Adobe Flash player and Javascript are required in order to view a video which appears on this page. You may wish to download the Adobe Flash player . He ruthlessly crushed those who opposed him, forcing them into exile, but he also knew how to reward those who came over to his side. The tide seemed have turned in Robert's favour and many of the common people of Scotland now turned to him as their only hope of salvation from English tyranny. Luck was also on his side.

Edward I, furious at Bruce, died within sight of Scotland on a march north to crush the rebels. His successor, Edward II, never a match for his father, sought a two year truce with Bruce. By 1313 Robert was powerful enough to issue an ultimatum to the remaining Balliol supporters – to join him or forfeit their estates. Bruce's commanders now embarked on daring raids on the remaining English garrisons. Sir James Douglas surprised Roxburgh castle, inspiring Thomas, Earl of Moray, to take Edinburgh castle by stealth. In England, Edward II had to react. In 1314 he led a massive invasion force into Scotland, where they met the Scots army at the now famous Bannockburn, near Stirling. The Adobe Flash player and Javascript are required in order to view a video which appears on this page. You may wish to download the Adobe Flash player . Bruce had chosen his ground carefully at Bannockburn, in the battle that ensued, on the 23rd and 24th of June, Bruce won a tremendous victory over a vast English army. Edward II, was nearly caught up in the catastrophe, and only just escaped.

Here was perhaps his greatest hour and the most enduring memory of Robert the Bruce – fighting for his nation's independence against a hugely superior English force and winning, just as Wallace had done at Stirling Bridge 17 years earlier. Bruce was now in total control of Scotland, however, he still hadn't achieved his aim. Scotland's independence and Bruce's monarchy still hadn't been recognised by the English or the Pope, and this was essential if his rule was to have any credence in Christendom as a whole. The Scots opened a second front when Robert's brother, Edward, invaded Ireland. Robert appealed to the native Irish to rise against Edward II's rule, and some have seen this as a cynical manipulation of Gaelic sentimentalism. The Dark Age Kings of Alba had been intensely proud of their Gaelic-Irish origin and Bruce wrote as king asking them to free "our nation" (meaning both Scots and Irish) from English rule. Edward Bruce may also have had a reasonable claim to the Irish high kingship. He was supported by Ireland's most powerful king, Domnall Ua Neill, a kinsman of Robert and Edward through their maternal grandfather.

The invasion, however, was a disaster, as famine blighted Ireland, and Edward's bid for the high kingship ended when he was slain in 1318. The whole expedition does show, however, just how ambitious the Bruce family were. The attack on English-ruled Ireland could be perceived as ploy to split English forces and, hence, better defend Scotland, but Edward Bruce did have a serious ambition to rule Ireland as the King. Would the Bruces have stopped at Ireland and Scotland? Or would Wales have been their next target, in a sort of United Celtic Kingdom? The Adobe Flash player and Javascript are required in order to view a video which appears on this page. You may wish to download the Adobe Flash player . On the diplomatic front, the Scots appealed to the papacy through the famous 'Declaration of Arbroath', but to no avail. The papacy ignored the Declaration and English recognition wasn't forthcoming. Bruce, by now quite ill (possibly with a form of leprosy), accepted a 13 year truce with Edward II in the knowledge he would surely die before its end. The Adobe Flash player and Javascript are required in order to view a video which appears on this page.

You may wish to download the Adobe Flash player . However, another stroke of luck helped Robert to fulfill his ambitions. In 1328 England fell into crisis after the deposition and murder of Edward II. Seizing the moment, Bruce launched an invasion of northern England, threatening to annex it to Scotland. His challenge couldn't be ignored and the Edward III's government was forced to recognise Bruce's kingship and Scotland's independence. A year later, Bruce died. The Adobe Flash player and Javascript are required in order to view a video which appears on this page. You may wish to download the Adobe Flash player . Bruces body is buried in Dunfermline Abbey, whilst his heart is at Melrose Abbey in the borders. It is buried with the inscription – "A noble hart may haiff nane es...Gyff fredome failyhe". More articles Famous Men of the Middle Ages: Robert Bruce. King From 1306-1329 Famous Men of the Middle Ages, by John Henry Haaren, [1904], at sacred-texts.com ROBERT BRUCE KING FROM 1306-1329 THE most famous king that Scotland ever had was Robert Bruce.

He lived in the days when Edward I, Edward II, and Edward III were kings of England. During the reign of Edward I the king of Scotland died and thirteen men claimed the throne. Instead of fighting to decide which of them should be king they asked Edward to settle the question. When he met the Scottish nobles and the rivals, each of whom thought that next day he would be wearing the crown, Edward told them that he would himself be their king. Just then an English army marched up. What could the nobles do but kneel at the feet of Edward and promise to be his vassals? This they did; and so Scotland became a part of Edward's kingdom and Baliol, one of the rivals who claimed the Scottish throne, was made the vassal king. Some time after this Edward ordered Baliol to raise an army and help him fight the French. Baliol refused to do this, so Edward marched with an army into Scotland and took him prisoner. He was determined that the Scotch should have no more kings of their own.

So he carried away the sacred stone of Scone, on which all kings of Scotland had to sit when they were crowned, and put it in Westminster Abbey in London, and there it is to this day. It is underneath the chair on which the sovereigns of England always sit when the crown of England, Scotland, and Ireland is placed upon their heads. It is said to have been the very stone that Jacob used for a pillow on the night that he saw, in his dream, angels ascending and descending on the ladder that reached from earth to heaven. Edward now supposed, as he had this sacred stone and had put King Baliol in prison, that Scotland was conquered. But the men whom he appointed to govern the Scotch ruled unwisely and nearly all the people were discontented. Suddenly an army of Scots was raised. It was led by Sir William Wallace, a knight who was almost a giant in size. Wallace's men drove the English out of the country and Wallace was made the "Guardian of the Realm." Edward then led a great army against him. The Scottish soldiers were nearly all on foot. Wallace arranged them in hollow squares--spearmen on the outside, bowmen within.

The English horsemen dashed vainly against the walls of spear-points. But King Edward now brought his archers to the front. Thousands of arrows flew from their bows and thousands of Wallace's men fell dead. The spears were broken and the Scotch were defeated. Wallace barely escaped with his life. He was afterwards betrayed to Edward, who cruelly put him to death. II BUT the Scotch had learned what they could do and they still went on fighting for freedom, under two leaders named Robert Bruce and John Comyn. Edward marched against them with another large army. He won a great victory, and the nobles once more swore to obey him. But in spite of this oath, Bruce meant to free Scotland if he could, and win the crown. He was privately crowned king of Scotland in the Abbey of Scone in 1306. He said to his wife, "Henceforth you are the queen and I am the king of our country." "I fear," said his wife, "that we are only playing at being king and queen, like children in their games." "Nay, I shall be king in earnest," said Bruce.

The news that Bruce had been crowned roused all Scotland and the people took up arms to fight under him against the English. But again King Edward defeated the Scotch and Bruce himself fled to the Grampian Hills. For two months he was closely pursued by the English who used bloodhounds to track him. He and his followers had many narrow escapes. Once he had to scramble barefoot up some steep rocks, and another time all the party would have been captured had not Bruce awakened just in time to hear the approach of the enemy. He and his men lived by hunting and fishing. However, many brave patriots joined them, until after a while Bruce had a small army. Five times he attacked the English, and five times he was beaten. After his last defeat he fled from Scotland and took refuge in a wretched hut on an island off the north coast of Ireland. Here he stayed all alone during one winter. III IT is said that one day, while he was very down-hearted, he saw a spider trying to spin a web between two beams of his hut. The little creature tried to throw a thread from one beam to another, but failed. Not discouraged, it tried four times more without success. "Five times has the spider failed," said Bruce.

"That is just the number of times the English have defeated me. If the spider has courage to try again, I also will try to free Scotland!" He watched the spider. It rested for a while as if to gain strength, and then threw its slender thread toward the beam. This time it succeeded. "I thank God!" exclaimed Bruce. "The spider has taught me a lesson. No more will I be discouraged." About this time Edward I died and his son, Edward II, succeeded to the throne of England. For about two years the new king paid little attention to Scotland. Meantime Bruce captured nearly all the Scotch castles that were held by the English, and the nobles and chiefs throughout the country acknowledged him as their king. At last Edward II marched into Scotland at the head of a hundred thousand men. Bruce met him at Bannockburn on June 24, 1314, with thirty thousand soldiers. Before the battle began Bruce rode along the front of his army to encourage his men. Suddenly an English knight, Henry de Bohun, galloped across the field and tried to strike him down with a spear. Bruce saw his danger in time and with a quick stroke of his battle-axe cleft the knight's skull.

The Scotch army shouted again and again at this feat of their commander, and they went into the battle feeling sure that the victory would be theirs. They rushed upon the English with fury and although outnumbered three to one, completely defeated them. Thousands of the English were slain and a great number captured. In spite of this terrible blow Edward never gave up his claim to the Scottish crown. But his son Edward III, in 1328, recognized Scotland's independence and acknowledged Bruce as her king. On This Day: England Defeats Scotland at Battle of Methven On This Day: England Defeats Scotland at Battle of Methven June 19, 2009 02:00 AM A Troubled Period in Scottish History The Battle of Methven stemmed from struggles over the Scottish throne that began in 1286. With John Balliol, the Scottish king, imprisoned in England, Edward I of England undertook the destruction of Scotland "and its total incorporation into his kingdom," the BBC reports. William Wallace, a Scottish landowner, fought back with his own guerilla army but was eventually defeated and killed.

Robert the Bruce, a grandson of the Robert Bruce who had lost the Scottish throne to Balliol, assassinated Edward's ally, John Comyn, in 1306, and was crowned King of Scotland. Wanting revenge against the Bruce clan, Edward sent Aymer de Valence, one of his most highly regarded generals, to the Battle of Methven. Valence’s English troops soundly defeated the newly crowned King Robert. Methven 700, a site dedicated to the battle, writes that "Bruce barely escaped with his life and fled with a few followers to the Scottish highlands." BBC: Wars of Independence: William Wallace An “era of relative friendship” between England and Scotland came to an end in 1286 when Scottish King Alexander III fell from his horse, broke his neck and died, according to the BBC. Following his death, a group of nobles, known as the Guardians of Scotland, collectively ruled in his stead. Alexander's heir to the throne, Margaret, died in 1290, putting the country on the verge of civil war as "two claimants emerged for the vacant throne": John Balliol and Robert Bruce, reports the BBC.

Out of frustration, the Guardians turned to Edward I, King of England, for help in resolving the matter. Edward sought to install a Scottish king who would abdicate national sovereignty to England. In 1292, Balliol was crowned King of Scots, and "Edward began active interference in Scottish affairs," according to the BBC. He began to demand taxes, influence Scottish legal proceedings and send Scottish troops to battle in France. The Scots soon realized that they would have to fight Edward to regain their independence. They made their intentions known to Edward and formed an alliance with France, England's enemy. In reponse, Edward stormed the Scottish town of Berwick and forced Balliol to surrender. Scottish landowner William Wallace wasn't ready to give up the fight. Assembling his own guerilla army, he defeated English forces in 1297 at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Over the years, however, Wallace was defeated and "outlawed, betrayed and executed," according to the BBC. It would be up to Robert the Bruce to carry on the fight.

Robert the Bruce - Wars of Independence - Scotland's History Wars of Independence Content The Bruce was born on 11 July 1274, probably in Turnberry Castle. He was descended from Scots, Gaelic and English nobility. His mother, Countess Marjorie of Carrick, was heir to a Gaelic earldom. Robert’s grandfather, Robert Bruce ‘The Competitor’, was one of the claimants to the Scots throne . Bruce’s father, Robert de Brus of Annandale, fought in Wales for Edward I, was made governor of Carlisle Castle and fought on Edward’s side at the Battle of Dunbar in 1296. The Bruces refused to support John Balliol’s kingship and stayed close to Edward I. Balliol gave Bruce lands to the Comyns. In 1298 Robert the Bruce became a guardian of Scotland alongside his great rival John ‘Red’ Comyn of Badenoch, and William Lamberton, Bishop of St Andrews. When Bruce and Comyn quarrelled Bruce resigned as guardian. In 1302 Bruce submitted to Edward I and returned ‘to the King’s peace’. Bruce married Elizabeth de Burgh .

Robert the Bruce’s father died in 1304. Bruce now had a viable claim to the throne. On 10 February 1306 Bruce met John Comyn of Badenoch at Greyfriars Kirk in Dumfries. A fight broke out, daggers were drawn and Bruce killed Red Comyn by the altar. The Pope excommunicated Bruce but Robert Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow, absolved him and made plans for Bruce to quickly take the throne. On 27 March 1306, Isobel of Fife , Countess of Buchan, crowned Bruce at Scone. His inauguration was small and hastily arranged but Robert Bruce was now King of Scots. To Edward I the usurper King Robert was an uprising to be crushed. Edward’s reprisals were swift and brutal. Bruce was defeated at Methven. His wife, daughter and sisters were captured and imprisoned in England. Countess Isobel was locked in an iron cage at Berwick while Bruce’s brothers were hanged, drawn and beheaded. Bruce fled Edward’s wrath and spent a long winter hiding on the islands off the west coast and Ireland. Bruce began a guerrilla war and struck at his enemies.

His forces defeated Edward’s men at Glen Trool and Loudon Hill, then Edward I finally died in July 1307 - Bruce now faced Longshanks’ son, Edward II . Bruce attacked his Scots enemies – destroying Comyn strongholds along the Great Glen and harrowing Buchan and the north east. His men cut a bloody swathe through Galloway and the south west. One by one Scotland’s castles fell to Bruce and his supporters. Bruce had the castles ‘slighted’ – walls were torn down and defences were raised to the ground - the fortresses were made useless to an invading English army. As more castles fell more nobles pledged support to Bruce. In 1314 Bruce watched Edward II’s army march toward Stirling Castle. Edward II had been given a year to relieve the besieged English force at Stirling or surrender the castle. Their forces met at the Battle of Bannockburn on 23 and 24 June 1314. Thousands died as the Scots defeated Edward’s army. The river was choked with the dead as Edward II fled the field and returned to England. Bannockburn was not the end of Bruce’s struggle but it was a turning point.

Captured English nobles were traded for his family and King Robert I gained international recognition. The Scots took the final English stronghold at Berwick in 1318 but Edward II still claimed overlordship of Scotland. Two years later the Scots sent a letter to the Pope – the Declaration of Arbroath – as part of an ongoing battle of words. In 1327 Edward II was deposed by his Queen, Isabella. He was murdered in captivity. The English made peace with the Scots and renounced their claim of overlordship. The Black Rood, taken by Edward I, was returned to the Scots. It seemed that Bruce had finally won. Robert the Bruce retired to Cardross near Dumbarton on the Firth of Clyde. He lived peacefully in a comfortable mansion house until his death on 7 June 1329. He asked that James Douglas take his heart on crusade. Bruce’s body was buried at Dunfermline Abbey, by his wife Elizabeth’s side, beneath an alabaster tomb. Bruce’s heart was finally buried at Melrose Abbey. In the 1370s the Scots poet John Barbour wrote of Bruce, the hero-king, in ‘The Brus’.

Click on the image to view a larger version. Robert the Bruce Robert the Bruce ▼ Primary Sources ▼ Robert the Bruce Robert the Bruce was born in Turnberry, Scotland , in 1274. He inherited the title Earl of Carrick and in 1296 swore fealty to Edward I . However, in 1297 he joined the Scottish revolt under William Wallace and was appointed one of the four guardians of Scotland. In 1306 Bruce was crowned king of Scotland. After being defeated by the English army at Methven in 1306 he was forced to flee to Raithlin Island off the north coast of Ireland . Bruce returned to Scotland and defeated an English army at Loudoun in May 1307. Two years later Bruce was strong enough to hold his first parliament at St. Andrews. A series of military victories between 1310 and 1314 won Bruce control of northern Scotland. He also captured the castles of Edinburgh and Roxburgh. In the summer Bruce besieged Stirling Castle. Stirling was the last castle still left in English control, and Edward II decided that every effort should be made to stop it being captured by Bruce.

Edward therefore decided to take the largest army that had ever left England, to save the castle. Scotland's army was not only outnumbered but lacked the experience of Edward's troops. Edward also had a large number of armoured knights and longbowmen , the two most effective forces in medieval warfare. Bruce, on the other hand, had very few of either and instead had to rely heavily on spearmen. Bruce made no attempt to stop Edward's large army from entering Scotland. He decided that his best hope was to force the English to fight on territory that best suited his limited resources. Bruce chose a site only two and half miles south of Stirling, by a stream called Bannockburn . The Scots took the high ground and, if the English were to attack, they had to advance on a narrow front between marshland and a thick wood. The English advance guard arrived at Bannockburn on the 23rd June. Sir Henry Bohun, the leader of the English party, recognised Robert Bruce. After fixing his lance, Bohun charged the Scottish king. Bruce darted out of the way of the lance and killed Bohun with a blow from his axe. The main English army arrived on 24th June.

Gilbert, 10th Earl de Clare , who had brought 500 of his own knights with him, advised Edward to allow the men to rest for a day. Edward disagreed and accused Gilbert of being afraid of the Scots. Gilbert was stung by these comments and immediately ordered his men to attack. Gilbert gallantly led the charge but his horse was cut down and while he was on the ground he was killed by Scottish spearmen. However, while the English knights were assembling, Scottish spearmen, who had been hiding in the woodland, launched an attack. The English knights, still not organised into battle order, were forced to retreat. The English archers were called forward but before they could take effective action they were charged by the Scottish knights. After large numbers were killed the archers were also forced to retreat. Edward now decided to use his knights to charge the Scottish position at the top of the hill. As the English knights were forced to attack on a narrow front, the Scottish spearmen were able to block their advance. English archers tried to help, but as both armies were crushed together their arrows were just as likely to hit their own men as the Scots. Suddenly, English soldiers started to turn and run.

Others followed and soon the English army was in retreat. The Scots charged after them. Many of the English knights were able to escape but those without horses, such as the spearmen and archers, suffered very heavy casualties. The battle of Bannockburn was the worst defeat in English history. While what was left of the English army tried to get back home, the Scots were able to take Stirling Castle. Bruce was now able to launch attacks on northern England and Berwick was captured in 1318. The Declaration of Arbroath was issued in 1320 and three years later Pope John XXII recognised Robert the Bruce as king of Scotland. Robert the Bruce took advantage of the accession of the young Edward III to force the English monarchy to accept the Treaty of Northampton which secured Scottish independence. Robert the Bruce died in 1329. Robert the Bruce - Hall of Fame - Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway This page: updated 11 March 2016 You are here: Dumfries and Galloway > Hall of Fame > Robert The Bruce Robert The Bruce and Dumfries & Galloway Robert the Bruce, King of Scots.

Born 1274, Crowned 1306, died 1329 Robert Bruce, King of Scots, is arguably the most famous Scotsman of all time. He was born on 11th July 1274, probably at Turnberry Castle in Ayrshire, but there is a local tradition that he was born at Lochmaben where his family had their castle. Bruce’s ancestors had come over to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. In 1126 when King David came to the Scottish throne he already held a Norman title and had a Norman wife, a result of spending most of his life at the English Court. He encouraged a host of his Norman friends to come north to Scotland. Amongst them, the Bruces were rewarded with 200,000 acres of prime agricultural land in Annandale and the lordship of Annandale. Their first castle was built in Annan. This castle was only occupied for about 20 years when a monk named Malachi cursed the Bruces for not pardoning a thief as he had requested.

Not long afterwards Annan was severely flooded and the family abandoned the site in favour of their other castle at Lochmaben. When King Alexander 111 fell to his death over a cliff at Kinghorn, Fife, in 1286, Scotland was left in turmoil. His heiress, young Princess Margaret, died on her way to Scotland from Denmark to claim her throne. The Guardians of Scotland, including Bruce’s father, invited King Edward of England to help them. He appointed John Balliol as King but four years later Edward took control himself. Further years of wars and bloodshed followed. William Wallace took up the baton in the fight against the English but was finally defeated 1298. Two events changed Bruce. In 1304, his father died leaving Robert as a Competitor for the Scottish throne. On 10th February 1306, Bruce met his cousin, John, known as “The Red” Comyn at the High Alter of the Church of Greyfriars in Dumfries. John Comyn also had a claim to the throne and an argument developed. Bruce pulled out his dagger and stabbed Comyn.

He rushed out, horrified at what he had done, and cried “I doot I hae killed him” His brother in law, Sir Roger Kirkpatrick rushed inside crying, ‘I’ll mak siccar’. Bruce, realizing that he would be excommunicated by the Pope, gathered his loyal supporters and made his claim for the Kingdom. His theory, later proved wrong, was that the Pope would not excommunicate a crowned king. On 25th March only six weeks later he was crowned King of Scots at Scone Abbey. This only enraged King Edward even more but on midsummer’s day, 1314 the great battle between King Edward 11 and King Robert the Bruce’s men took place at Bannockburn. The date engraved on every Scottish heart. The Robert the Bruce Commemoration Trust raised money and in 2009 the Bruce Trail, which recognizes 30 sites in the region associated with Bruce, was officially opened by Prince Andrew. Future plans by the trust include a visitor centre to tell even more of the Bruce story.

More information can be found at: Robert the Bruce Biography by Ian A McClumpha (Chairman, Robert the Bruce Commemoration Trust) Photograph by Annan Bruce Statue Heritage Project Co-ordinator Jim Hawkins Dumfries & Galloway Hall of Fame: BBC - History - Robert the Bruce z Robert the Bruce © Robert I, known as Robert the Bruce, was the king of the Scots who secured Scotland's independence from England. Robert was born on 11 July 1274 into an aristocratic Scottish family. Through his father he was distantly related to the Scottish royal family. His mother had Gaelic antecedents. Bruce's grandfather was one of the claimants to the Scottish throne during a succession dispute in 1290 - 1292. The English king, Edward I, was asked to arbitrate and chose John Balliol to be king. Both Bruce and his father refused to back Balliol and supported Edward I's invasion of Scotland in 1296 to force Balliol to abdicate. Edward then ruled Scotland as a province of England. Bruce then supported William Wallace's uprising against the English.

After Wallace was defeated, Bruce's lands were not confiscated and in 1298, Bruce became a guardian of Scotland, with John Comyn, Balliol's nephew and Bruce's greatest rival for the Scottish throne In 1306, Bruce quarrelled with Comyn and stabbed him in a church in Dumfries. He was outlawed by Edward and excommunicated by the pope. Bruce now proclaimed his right to the throne and on 27 March was crowned king at Scone. The following year, Bruce was deposed by Edward's army and forced to flee. His wife and daughters were imprisoned and three of his brothers executed. Robert spent the winter on the island off the coast of Antrim (Northern Ireland). Returning to Scotland, Robert waged a highly successful guerrilla war against the English. At the Battle of Bannockburn in June 1314, he defeated a much larger English army under Edward II, confirming the re-establishment of an independent Scottish monarchy. Two years later, his brother Edward Bruce was inaugurated as high king of Ireland but was killed in battle in 1318.

Even after Bannockburn and the Scottish capture of Berwick in 1318, Edward II refused to give up his claim to the overlordship of Scotland. In 1320, the Scottish earls, barons and the 'community of the realm' sent a letter to Pope John XXII declaring that Robert was their rightful monarch. This was the 'Declaration of Arbroath' and it asserted the antiquity of the Scottish people and their monarchy. Four years later, Robert received papal recognition as king of an independent Scotland. The Franco-Scottish alliance was renewed in the Treaty of Corbeil, by which the Scots were obliged to make war on England should hostilities break out between England and France. In 1327, the English deposed Edward II in favour of his son and peace was made with Scotland. This included a total renunciation of all English claims to superiority over Scotland. Robert died on 7 June 1329. He was buried at Dunfermline. He requested that his heart be taken to the Holy Land, but it only got as far as Spain. It was returned to Scotland and buried in Melrose Abbey.

Scottish History Timeline | Britroyals 1034 - Duncan I succeeds to the Scottish throne 1040 - Duncan is killed in a civil war.

His cousin, Macbeth, succeeds 1040 - Macbeth becomes king 1050 - Macbeth goes on a pilgrimage to Rome 1054 - Macbeth�s forces defeated at Dunsinane by a combined army of English, Norse and lowland Scots under Siward Earl of Northumberland 1057 - Macbeth is slain at the Battle of Lumphanan by Malcolm, son of Duncan I 1057 - Lulach, Macbeth's stepson, ascended the throne and was crowned at Scone 1058 - King Lulach killed by Malcolm III at Essie, Strathbogie Malcolm III ( 1058 - 1093 ) 1058 - Malcolm III (Canmore) crowned 1069 - Malcolms married his 2nd wife Margaret of Wessex daughter Edgar the Aetheling who had been deposed by William I the Conqueror 1070 - Malcolm attacks Northumbria and Cumbria intent on expanding his kingdom into northern England.

1091 - The Norman forces of King William II of England advance North and capture Carlisle and Cumbria 1092 - At Abernethy Malcolm is forced to submit to the Normans who take his son Duncan and brother-in-law Edgar Aetheling as hostages 1093 - Malcolm invades England but is killed at the Battle of Alnwick. He is succeeded by his brother Donald II (Donald Blane) Donald III ( 1093 - 1094 ) 1093 - Donald III (Donald Bane) become king 1094 - Donald Bane is driven out by Duncan, Malcolm's III's son, who becomes Duncan II. He is killed a few months later at the Battle of Monthechin, Kincardine, and Donald Bane returns 1094 - Donald III regains the throne and jointly rules with Edmund. 1097 - Donald is overthrown, blinded and imprisoned by Edgar. Edmund flees to Montecute Abbey in Somerset.

1097 - Edgar deposes his uncle Donald and brother Edmund and becomes king 1098 - Edgar cedes the Western Isles to Magnus Barefoot 1100 - Edith known as Matilda, daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland, marries King Henry I of England. 1107 - Edgar dies and is succeeded by his younger brother, Alexander I 1107 - Alexander I become king 1114 - Alexander aids Henry I in his Welsh campaigns 1124 - Alexander dies and is succeeded by David I David I ( 1124 - 1153 ) 1124 - David I becomes king and introduces the feudal system of landholding to much of Scotland. 1138 - David I of Scotland invades England in support of his niece, Matilda wife of King Stephen of England, but is defeated at the Battle of the Standard in Yorkshire. 1139 - Treaty of Durham in which David I is recognised as King of an independent Scotland by King Stephen of England.

1153 - David I dies and is succeeded by his grandson Malcolm IV Malcolm IV ( 1153 - 1165 ) 1153 - Malcolm IV becomes king 1156 - Somerled defeats the Norse King of Mann and the Isles establishing his own semi-independent rule as Innse Gall - King of the Hebrides. 1157 - Henry II of England takes back lands in Northern England granted to David I. The border is fixed at the Solway and Tweed very close to where it is today. 1164 - Somerled is defeated by the Scottish crown in the Battle of Renfrew. 1165 - Malcolm IV dies at Jedburgh Castle and is succeeded by his brother, William the Lion Wlliam I, The Lion ( 1165 - 1214 ) 1165 - William the Lion become king 1173 - William the Lion invades England but is captured by Henry II at Alnwick and forced to surrender Scottish independence 1174 - William I signs the Treaty of Falaise in which he swears allegiance to Henry II of England.

1185 - William pays Richard I of England money to finance his crusades to the Holy Land. 1189 - Scotland is recognized as independent by Richard I of England 1192 - The Pope decress that the Scottish Church is answerable directly to him and not through the English Archbishop of York. Alexander II ( 1214 - 1249 ) 1214 - Accession of Alexander II, son of William the Lion 1216 - Alexander joins the barons of England against King John. A Scottish army marches to Dover and joins Prince Louis of France who captures the Tower of London before being driven back in 1217 1217 - Peace treaty with England guarantees peace for almost 20 years 1221 - Alexander marries Joan daughter of King John of England 1233 - Building of Glasgow cathedral starts 1234 - Galloway's independent existence ends with the death of Alan Lord of Galloway. 1235 - First Scottish Parliament known as the Three Estates meets at Kirkliston 1237 - Southern border of Scotland established in the Treaty of York.

1249 - Alexander launches an expedition to gain the Western Isles but dies on Isle of Kerrara, Oban Bay, before the expedition sets sail. He is succeeded by his son, Alexander III 1249 - Alexander III becomes king and is crowned on the Stone of Destiny 1263 - Alexander III defeats Viking army at the Battle of Largs 1263 - King Haakon of Norway (which at that time included Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles) dies on Orkney 1266 - Norway cedes the Western Isles to Scotland in the Treaty of Perth. 1282 - Devorgilla, Countess of Galloway, mother of John Balliol, founds Balliol College, Oxford. 1286 - Alexander dies in riding accident leaving the throne to his four-year-old granddaughter, Margaret Margaret, Maid of Norway ( 1286 - 1290 ) 1286 - Margaret, Maid of Norway, inherits the throne from her grandfather Alexander 1290 - Margaret dies in the Orkneys en route from Norway to Scotland.

Edward I of England is asked to select a successor 1291 - Claimants to the Scottish throne met King Edward I of England at Norham on Tweed to resolve succession 1292 - Edward I of England grants the Scottish throne to John Balliol. 1295 - Treaty between King John Balliol of Scotland and King Philippe IV of France which promised mutual help against the English - the start of the "Auld Alliance". 1296 - Edward invades Scotland, defeats the Scots at Dunbar and deposes Balliol. He then takes over the throne of Scotland and removes the Stone of Scone to Westminster. 1296 - - 1306 Interregnum period with no Scottish monarch and rule by Edward I of England. 1297 - Andrew de Moray and William Wallace lead the Scots to victory over England at Stirling Bridge.

1298 - Edward invades Scotland again and defeats William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk 1303 - France and England make peace, releasing forces to attack Scotland 1304 - Stirling Castle, the last of the Scottish castles to be captured by Edward I 1305 - Wallace is captured and taken to London, where he is tried for treason, and hanged, drawn, and quartered 1306 - Robert Bruce is crowned king at Scone but is driven into hiding by the English occupation army of Edward I 1307 - Edward I sets out to invade Scotland but dies on his way north. Bruce begins campaign to drive the English out of Scotland 1307 - English forces defeated by Bruce at Loudon Hill 1309 - King Robert the Bruce convenes his first parliament, at St Andrew 1311 - The Scots plunder the North of England 1314 - Bruce besieges Stirling Castle. An English army sent to break the siege is routed at the Battle of Bannockburn 1318 - Robert the Bruce captures Berwick on Tweed.

1320 - Nobles assert Scottish independence in the Declaration of Arbroath. 1323 - Truce between Bruce and Edward II fails to stop warfare between the two countries 1328 - Treaty of Edinburgh between King Robert I and Edward III which recognised Scotland's independence, ending the 30 years of Wars of Independence. 1329 - Robert the Bruce dies at Cardross Castle possibly of leprosy. 1329 - David II succeeds to the Scottish throne on the death of his father, Robert Bruce 1331 - David II (aged 7) crowned at Scone 1332 - Edward Balliol, son of John Balliol, invades Scotland and deposes David II. Edward Balliol is crowned King of Scotland by the English 1333 - David is restored to the throne. 1333 - Balliol flees to England but returns when Edward III of England invades Scotland and defeats the Scots at Halidon Hill. King David II goes into exile in France. 1341 - Edinburgh Castle captured from the English. David returns from exile. 1346 - David II invades England but is defeated at Neville�s Cross and captured.

He is taken to the Tower of London, where he is imprisoned for the next 11 years 1350 - Scotland suffers from the Black Death. Up to a quarter of the population die. 1356 - Edward III devastates the Lothian region in a campaign known as 'The Burnt Candlemas' 1357 - David II is released from captivity and returns home to Scotland. 1371 - Death of David II. He is succeeded by his nephew, Robert Stewart, the first Stewart King of Scotland. Robert, the hereditary High Steward of Scotland and grandson of Robert Bruce, is crowned Robert II ( 1371 - 1390 ) 1371 - Robert Stewart, the first Stewart King of Scotland becomes king 1384 - Truce is arranged between England, Scotland, and France. Scotland refuses to recognize truce. Anglo Scottish war resumes 1388 - Battle of Otterburn in which Scots defeat Henry Percy (Harry Hotspur) 1390 - Robert II dies and is succeeded by his son John, who becomes Robert III. 1390 - Robert III becomes king.

He delegates power to his younger brother, the Earl of Fife, later the Duke of Albany 1402 - English defeat Scots in the Battle of Nesbit Moor and the Battle of Humbleton Hill. 1406 - Robert II is disabled in a riding accident and his eldest son is killed by the Duke of Albany. Robert sends his second son to James to France but he is captured by English near Flamborough Head. James is taken to London, where Henry IV of England confines 1406 - King Robert III dies and James I ascended the throne but was not crowned until 1424 as he was a prisoner of the English. 1406 - James I succeeds to the throne but remains imprisoned in England 1413 - Foundation of the University of St Andrews. 1423 - Treaty of London, releasing James I from his years captivity in England 1437 - Assassination of James I.

He is succeeded by his son, James II James II ( 1437 - 1460 ) 1437 - James II becomes king aged 6 years 1440 - Regents Douglas and Livingston struggle for power culminating in the 'Blach Dinner' at Edinburgh Castle during which William 6th Earl of Douglas was dragged out and executed. 1449 - James marries Mary of Gueldres, niece of the Duke of Burgundy 1451 - Establishment of the University of Glasgow. 1457 - James II decrees that football and golf are banned to encourage archery practice 1460 - King James II killed by an exploding cannon at the siege of Roxburgh Castle 1460 - James III becomes king at 8 years old 1472 - Denmark cedes Orkney and Shetland to Scotland. 1482 - Berwick on Tweed finally ceded to King Edward IV of England after changing hands 12 times 1488 - Battle of Sauchieburn, and the assassination of James III.

He is succeeded by his son, James IV 1488 - James IV becomes king 1493 - Lordship of the Isles abolished. In 1540 the title was reserved to the crown. 1495 - Creation of the University of Aberdeen (King's College). 1496 - Education Act of 1496 makes education compulsory for barons and wealthy landowners. 1497 - Chair of Medicine established at Aberdeen University. 1502 - Marriage contract between James IV and Margaret Tudor signed by King James 1503 - King James IV marries Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England. The marriage was known as the Union of the Thistle and the Rose. 1507 - First printing press in Scotland is set up by Andrew Myllar 1513 - James IV invades England to support his French allies after the English king, Henry VIII, invades France.

James and most of the Scottish nobility and clergy are slaughtered by the English army at the Battle of Flodden Field 1513 - The infant James V becomes king 1528 - Patrick Hamilton Protestant reformer is burned at the stake for heresy 1532 - Creation of the College of Justice and the Court of Session. 1542 - James invades England but is defeated at the Battle of Solway Moss and dies a few weeks later. His daughter, the one-week-old Mary, succeeds Mary Queen of Scots ( 1542 - 1567 ) 1542 - One-week-old Mary, succeeds to the throne on the death of her father James V 1543 - At the Treaty of Greenwich Mary is betrothed to Prince Edward son of Henry VIII of England, but the Scottish Lords refuse to ratify the treaty preferring an alliance with France, 1558 - Mary, Queen of Scots, marries French Dauphin, Francis Valois (he was aged 14) at Notre Dame in Paris. She adopts the French spelling of Stuart for her surname 1559 - John Knox returns to Scotland from Geneva to promote Calvinism.

1559 - Mary becomes Queen of France when her husband becomes King 1560 - Parliament legislates protestant reformation of the Church of Scotland. 1560 - Treaty of Edinburgh between France and England, recognising sovereignty of Mary Queen of Scots and her first husband Francis II 1560 - Latin Mass prohibited in Scotland by Parliament as Protestant faith gains the ascendancy 1561 - Mary Queen of Scots lands at Leith on her return from France, after the death of her husband, King Francis II 1565 - Mary marries her cousin Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. The marriage is a disaster 1566 - Darnley jealous of Mary's Italian secretary David Rizzio, bursts into her room at Holyrood and Rizzio is murdered. 1566 - Mary Queen of Scots gives birth to the future King James VI of Scotland and I of England 1567 - Lord Darnley, husband of Mary Queen of Scots, assassinated 1567 - Mary marries Earl of Bothwell. The Scottish Lords imprison Mary in Loch Leven castle.

1567 - Mary Queen of Scots abdicates and the young James VI accedes to Scottish throne. The Earl of Mar appointed regent. James VI (James I of England) ( 1567 - 1625 ) 1567 - King James VI (aged 13 months) is crowned at the Church of the Holy Rude, beside Stirling Castle 1568 - Mary Queen of Scots flees to England following the defeat of her army at the Battle of Langside near Glasgow. 1578 - James VI takes over government from his regent James Douglas. 1582 - Establishment of the University of Edinburgh by Royal Charter. 1587 - Mary is beheaded by the order of Queen Elizabeth I of England. 1592 - Presbyterianism becomes the established form of church government in Scotland by Act of Parliament. 1600 - The Gregorian Calendar is adopted in Scotland. The year begins on 1st January instead of 25th March 1603 - The Union of the Crowns James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England.

1614 - John Napier invents logarithms and publishes a book promoting their use in mathematics. 1618 - James VI forces episcopacy on the Church of Scotland through the Five Articles of Perth. 1625 - James VI dies. His son Charles I becomes king of England and Scotland 1633 - Education Act of 1633 ordains a school in every parish (partially successful). 1637 - William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, order the Scottish Kirk to use the new Anglican prayer book. 1638 - Scottish Covenanters rebel against Charles I. 1643 - The Solemn League and Covenant promises Scots army to aid English parliamentarians against the king. 1649 - Charles I is executed. There follows 11 years of rule by Parliament as the Commonwealth under Cromwell. 1651 - Scotland incorporated into the English Commonwealth and Protectorate. 1660 - The monarchy is restored and Scotland resumes its status as a separate kingdom.

1672 - The High Court of Judiciary is established as the high criminal court of Scotland 1679 - Archbishop Sharp a symbol of royal rule over the Kirk is killed by Covenanters who attempt an uprising. Duke of Monmouth defeats Covenanters at the Battle of Bothwell Brig. 1685 - James succeeds his brother, Charles II. 1688 - William of Orange lands at Torbay and advances on London. 1688 - James abdicates and flees to exile in France. William becomes King William III with his wife Mary. 1689 - Jacobite Highlanders rise in support of James and are victorious at Killiekrankie but are defeated a few months later at Dunkeld.� 1689 - The Claim of Right and the re-establishment of Presbyterianism. 1691 - King William offers Highlanders a pardon for the Jacobite uprising if they sign allegiance him� 1692 - Glencoe Massacre. MacDonalds are killed by Campbells allegedly for not signing the oath of allegiance�to the crown. 1695 - The Bank of Scotland is created by Act of Parliament.

1696 - Education Act of 1696 ordains a school in every Scottish parish 1700 - Attempt to establish a new Caledonian colony 'The Darien Scheme' in Panama is a disaster and nearly bankrupts Scotland, 1701 - Act of Settlement bars Catholics from the throne. The aim is to prevent the exiled James Edward Stuart 'The Old Pretender' from return. Queen Anne ( 1702 - 1714 ) 1702 - Anne succeeds her brother-in-law, William III. 1707 - The Act of Union is passed by the English and Scottish parliaments and unites the kingdoms transferring the seat of Scottish government to London 1708 - James Edward Stuart, 'The Old Pretender', sails to Scotland in an unsuccessful attempt to gain the throne.� 1709 - The Scottish Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge is founded with the aim to eradicate 'Popery' and the Gaelic language in the Highlands 1714 - Queen Ann the last Stuart monarch dies.

King George I ( 1714 - 1727 ) 1714 - George I, the first Hanoverian King, succeeds his distant cousin, Anne. 1715 - The Jacobite rising begins in Scotland intending to place the �Old Pretender� James Edward Stuart, heir to James II on the throne. The rebellion is defeated after a few weeks. 1719 - A small Spanish pro Jacobite force land but are defeated at Glenshiel 1722 - Rob Roy MacGregor the outlaw surrenders to the Duke of Montrose 1723 - Adam Smith, author of 'The Wealth of Nations' born in Kirkcaldy 1727 - George II succeeds his father, George I. 1727 - Janet Horne is the last person in Scotland to be condemned and burnt for witchcraft 1736 - Captain of the Edinburgh town guard 'Black Jock' Porteus is lynched by a mob objecting to his harsh treatment of smugglers.

1739 - David Hulme publishes his 'Treatise of Human Nature' and founds the 'Scottish Enlightenment' movement 1740 - The Black Watch regiment is founded for policing the Highlands 1744 - The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers founded - the world's first golf club. 1745 - Charles Edward Stuart, raises his standard at Glenfinnan, at the start of the '45 Jacobite uprising 1745 - Charles Edward Stuart victorious at Battle of Prestonpans. His forces march South and reach Derby before retreating back to Scotland 1746 - Scots defeated at the Battle of Culloden. Duke of Cumberland, the King's 2nd son, ruthlessly represses the rebels and Scottish traditions. 1746 - Prince Charles Edward Stuart escapes capture helped by Flora MacDonald and returns on a French ship to exile in France. 1747 - Disarming Act bans Highland dress, weapons, and bagpipe music. 1747 - British Linen Company in Edinburgh founded. Wool, linen and fishery industries quickly grow as Scotland benefits from the Union..

1754 - Joseph Black discovers "fixed air" (carbon dioxide). 1756 - John McAdam who developed the use of Tar Macadam for roads born in Ayr 1748 - David Hume publishes 'An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding'. 1755 - Scotland's population is 1,265,380 approximately on fifth of that of England. 1760 - The Carron Ironworks near Falkirk use the new system of coke-fired smelting for producing guns for the Royal Navy 1760 - George III becomes king on the death of his grandfather, George II. 1762 - Land tenure reform leads to the Highland Clearances and massive emigration for several decades. 1768 - Encyclopaedia Britannica first published in Edinburgh 1769 - James Watt patents condensing chamber in the Steam engine. 1771 - The first knitting machines used in Hawick starting a rapid expansion of the textile industry in the Borders 1771 - Novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott born.

1773 - James Boswell and Dr Johnson write about their trip to the Highlands and Islands 1776 - Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations. 1778 - First Cotton Mill opened at Rothesay. By 1780 a mill near Glasgow employs 1,000 people. 1782 - Highland Dress Proscription act is repealed recognising that the Jacobite movement was no longer a political threat 1782 - -1820 The Highland Clearances. Highland landowners clear their estates of poor tenant farmers forcing many to move to Glasgow, Edinburgh and abroad 1783 - Glasgow Chamber of Commerce founded 1786 - Robert Burns' poems are first published as 'Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect'. They are an immediate success. 1788 - Charles Edward Stewart "Bonnie Prince Charlie" dies.

1788 - Penal Colony established at Botany Bay 1789 - Inveraray Castle completed the first major building in Britain in neo-Gothic style 1800 - The first Gaelic Bible is published 1802 - John Playfair publishes summary of James Hutton's theories of Geology. 1803 - Works begins on the Caledonian canal 1805 - The Glasgow Herald newspaper first published. 1813 - David Livingstone, missionary and explorer, born in Blantyre 1816 - Robert Owen sets up his New Lanark cotton mill under his scheme of 'enlightened capitalism' 1817 - The Scotsman newspaper first published. King George IV ( 1820 - 1830 ) 1820 - George IV accedes to the throne, having spent the last nine years as Prince Regent for his blind and deranged father. 1820 - 60,000 workers strike and appoint a 'provisional government' in Glasgow. They are put down by troops at Bonnymuir and their leaders transported. 1822 - King George IV visits Scotland.

Encouraged by Walter Scott he wears Highland dress leading to a revival in tartan costume and in particular the kilt. 1823 - Charles Macintosh patents waterproof cloth used to make raincoats 1824 - The Licencing Act attempts to stamp out the many illegal whisky stills 1824 - Edinburgh's Great Fire burns for 2 days destroying the High Street and Parliament Square 1829 - Felix Mendelssohn visits Scotland and Staffa which inspires him to write the music Fingal's Cave 1830 - William IV succeeds his brother, George IV. 1831 - Scotland's first passenger railway opened between Glasgow and Garnkirk.

1831 - The Game Act sets 'The Glorious' 12th August as the start of the grouse shooting season 1832 - The Reform Act enlarges the franchise of those eligible to vote 1834 - St Andrews golf club is given a royal warrant to call itself the 'Royal and Ancient' Queen Victoria ( 1837 - 1901 ) 1837 - Queen Victoria succeeds her uncle, William IV 1837 - Thomas Carlyle publishes 'History of the French Revolution'. He becomes one of the most influential Victorian writers. 1841 - Scotland's population reaches 2.6 million. An economic recession makes many firms bankrupt with families relying on charity. 1843 - Disruption in the Church of Scotland (over the issue of patronage). Many leave to join the Free Church. 1846 - Beginning of the ten-year Highland Potato Famine. 1847 - The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland is established. 1848 - Queen Victoria and Prince Alber lease the Balmoral estate which they later buy. 1851 - Glasgow has 330,000 inhabitants including many Catholic immigrants from Ireland.

One third of Scottish families live together in a single room. 1859 - The waters of Loch Katrine provide Glasgow with piped fresh water helping to reduce outbreaks of cholera and typhus in the city 1864 - James Clerk Maxwell presents equations describing electromagnetic fields. 1866 - David Livingstone sets out to find the source of the Nile 1871 - Scotland wins the first international rugby game against England. The Calcutta cup is made from melted down Indian rupees. 1874 - Patronage abolished in the Church of Scotland. 1876 - The Scottish Football Association is founded 1876 - Alexander Graham Bell demonstrates the telephone 1878 - Collapse of the City of Glasgow Bank 1879 - William Gladstone conducts the Midlothian campaign as part of a political comeback. 1879 - The Tay Bridge Disaster. 1882 - The Clyde becomes the world's large centre for ship building 1885 - Creation of the Scottish Office and the post of Secretary for Scotland later Secretary of State for Scotland.

1886 - John Dunlop from Ayr patents the pneumatic rubber tyre 1886 - Scottish Labour party founded 1888 - Birth in Helensburgh of John Logie Baird who develops of television 1890 - Opening of the Forth Railway Bridge. 1896 - Opening of the Glasgow Subway. 1897 - Glasgow School of Art designed by Rennie Macintosh opens 1900 - The Wee Frees split from the Free Church of Scotland 1901 - Edward VII becomes King on the death of his mother, Queen Victoria. 1901 - Population of Scotland reaches 4.5 million 1903 - Irn Bru first produced by AG Barr in Cumbernauld 1906 - Publishing company DC Thomson starts in Dundee. The Dandy and Beano first appear in 1930 1910 - Herring fishing industry reaches it peak 1910 - Edward VII dies and is succeeded by George V 1914 - Outbreak of World War I.

Many Scottish regiments fight in the Germans France 1914 - Battles of Mons, the Marne, and Ypres. 1915 - Second Battle of Ypres. Allied Gallipoli expedition fails to remove Turkey from the war. 1916 - Battle of the Somme. Naval battle off Jutland between British and German fleets. 1918 - The end of World War I. The German battle fleet surrenders to the allies at Scapa Flow in Orkney. 1919 - The German fleet scuttles itself in Scarpa Flow 1921 - Unemployment reaches 20% 1926 - John Logie Baird demonstrates first television 1927 - Scotsman John Reith appointed Director General of the newly formed BBC 1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin 1929 - The Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland unite. 1930 - Evacuation of the island of St Kilda 1934 - Scottish National Party founded.

1936 - George VI accedes to the throne upon the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII 1938 - The Empire Exhibition Scotland 1938 is held at Bellahouston Park Glasgow. 1938 - The Queen Elizabeth the largest passenger ship at the time launched at John Browns shipyard 1939 - Start of Second World War 1940 - Evacuation of Dunkirk 1941 - The Clydebank Blitz by German bombers (13-15 May). 1941 - Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy, descends by parachute into Scotland 1943 - Creation of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board to bring electricity to all parts of the Highlands and Islands. 1945 - End of Second World War 1945 - First Scottish Nationalist MP is elected. 1947 - Nationalisation of the railways - the Scottish Region of British Railways is created. 1947 - The first Edinburgh International Festival is held. 1948 - The Tattoo first performed at Edinburgh Castle 1950 - Students remove the Stone of Scone from Westminster.

They leave it at Abroath Abbey from whence it is returned to London 1952 - Queen Elizabeth II accedes to the throne on the death of her father, George VI. 1957 - Scottish Television starts broadcasting. 1961 - Muriel Spark's 'The Pride of Miss Jean Brodie' published 1963 - Faslane becomes the base for Britain's nuclear submarines 1964 - Forth Road Bridge opened 1968 - The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland permits the ordination of women as ministers. 1969 - Oil discovered in the North Sea 1970 - The Scottish National Party win just one seat in the general election 1970 - 13th Commonwealth Games opened in Edinburgh 1975 - Local government reorganisation (replacing Counties and Burghs for administrative purposes with Regions and Districts). 1975 - North Sea oil is piped ashore and Aberdeen becomes a boom city 1978 - Launch of BBC Radio Scotland. 1979 - Referendum to create a Scottish Assembly fails to meet the required majority.

1988 - Terrorists blow up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie with the loss of 270 lives including 11 residents of the town. 1988 - Piper Alpha disaster

Question: Who was crowned King of the Scots in 1306?
Answer: Robert the Bruce