This was one of the major battles in the Scottish Wars of Independence and was where Robert Bruce secured his crown. The memorial to the battle which stands on the site is an abstract rotunda, yet graceful with it‘s flagpole. There is also a statue of Robert Bruce on horseback. There is also a heritage centre with excellent information regarding the events leading up to the battle and the battle itself and of course the expected audio visual displays and reconstructed models. You can also visit nearby Stirling Castle to see what all the fuss was about, which is possibly more rewarding than the battlefield itself. The story of the Battle of Bannockburn: With free lands north of the Forth, Stirling castle remained one of the last English strongholds, but it was under siege by the Scots and instead of waiting to starve them out, a deal was struck that if English re-enforcements had not arrived by midsummer’s eve, the English would surrender. The English were more than happy to oblige and King Edward II amassed a huge army of 3000 cavalrymen, 2000 bowmen and some 20,000 infantrymen. The Scots at this point only had an army of around 13,000. But Robert Bruce’s forces knew the English were coming and chose a spot for battle that would keep the fighting cramped and not allow the English to flank them with their superior numbers. The Scottish battle tactics of keeping men in tight knit groups protected by their spears was designed to repel the cavalry, but if the field was too large they would be overrun. Though the English forces were larger they were disorganised and when the Scots drew them into battle they ended up stuck in a gorge the retreating cavalry on one side and the advancing infantry on the other. Men were slipping and running off in all directions and there was confusion everywhere. Edward retreated to Stirling Castle where he was denied access by the English men who were true to their deal with the Scots and ended up fleeing back to England a disgrace.

Written by  Anthony Harrison.

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