Robert The Bruce

Hammer of the English

Many of us have heard the story of how Robert the Bruce was outlawed from his own country, fled to a hut on a lonely island off the Ulster coast and after taking heart at the efforts of a spider attempting to swing from one beam to another, returned home to drive the English from Scotland. The story may be true, or just a fine tale told at the fireside. But the fact is that Robert the Bruce did return from exile and he did eventually drive the English from Scotland

In February 1306 Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, assassinated his main rival John Comyn at Grey Friars Abbey and declared himself king of Scotland. His grandfather Robert de Bruce was one of the claimants to Scottish throne in 1291 and now he had revived that claim. He was crowned king on the 25^th of March 1306 at Scone. His crowning divided the Scottish nobility and when Edward I – also called Longshanks and Hammer of the Scots, sent his General Aymer de Valence to ‘Burn and slay and raised the dragon’. The raising of the dragon flag signified no quarter to be given – many of them fought on the side of the English.

Robert marched with his army to the English base at Perth and challenged them to come out and do battle. They refused to leave the shelter of the fortified walls. Assuming the English too weak for open battle, Bruce and his army made camp close by at Methven. This was a big mistake, for the English made a night attack and the slaughter began. Taken by surprise the Scots fought valiantly but they were overrun and 4000 of them were massacred. Robert and about 500 men escaped, but were scattered by the Macdougalls of Lorn, Kinsmen of John Comyn’s at the battle of Dalry.  After the battle Robert fled to the Hebrides, his brothers and his sister were executed and the rest of his family taken captive.

In 1307 Edward Longshanks died, his son Edward II became King and Robert the Bruce returned from exile. Gathering his supporters he did battle and defeated the Earl of Buchan, cousin to John Comyn, at Loudoun. As more men flocked to his banner he began to pick off his opponents one by one. By 1314 he controlled every major castle in Scotland, baring Berwick, Bothwell and Stirling.

It wasn’t until Robert laid siege to Stirling castle that Edward II, belatedly decided to make a move and headed north with a massive army. When the army reached Bannockburn, Robert’s men were already in place holding the better ground.  After a day of skirmishing the English retreated to the Carse, a flat area of swampy land, and set up camp for the night.

The next morning the English began to cross the Bannockburn gorge to do battle. The cavalry came first, but the Scottish pikemen stood firm and repelled them time and time again, killing many. Eventual raising their pikes they marched forward and forced them back to the gorge and into the rest of the army that was trying to cross. In the resulting chaos those of the English that were not spiked, or hacked to the ground, were crushed to death and the rest fled for their lives.

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