The History of Bannockburn
Bannockburn is the battlefield site where the fate of Scotland as a nation would turn. Here, on 23 and 24 June 1314, Robert the Bruce gathered his men to take on the professional army of King Edward II of England. Despite facing a greater number of troops, Bruce chose his ground wisely and trained his men to use it to their best advantage. The result was a rout of King Edward’s forces and a victory that would ultimately mean freedom for Scotland from the threat of oppressive English rule.
The Battle of Bannockburn has become one of the greatest and most important pitched battles ever fought in the British Isles. A turning point in the history of both Scotland and England, the battle had very significant medium and long-term effects.
Bannockburn was the key battle in what are now known as the Scottish Wars of Independence: battles fought by the Scots against successive acquisitive English kings and between rival claimants for the kingship of Scotland.
Bannockburn is arguably the most famous battle to be fought and won by the Scots in Scotland, but it is widely acknowledged to be more than that— it continues to conjure up ideas of freedom, independence, patriotism, heroism, perseverance, and triumph against overwhelming odds.
Bannockburn has inspired many works of art and literature, such as Robert Burns’s ‘Scots Wha Hae’ or the more recent ‘Flower of Scotland’ by Roy Williamson of the Corries.
