Battle of Bannockburn

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For the song, see The Battle of Bannockburn (song).

Coordinates: 560531N 35454W56.092N 3.915W

Battle of Bannockburn

Part of the First War of Scottish

Independence

This depiction from the Scotichronicon

(c.1440) is the earliest known image of
the battle. King Robert wielding an axe
and Edward II fleeing toward Stirling
feature prominently, conflating incidents
from the two days of battle.

Date 2324 June 1314

Locati Bannockburn, south of Stirling,

on Scotland

Result Decisive Scottish victory

Belligerents
 Kingdom of Kingdom of
Scotland England

Commanders and leaders

Edward II
Robert the Bruce Humphrey de
Bohun

Strength

5,000[1]10,000[2] 13,700[3]25,000[4]

Casualties and losses

700 cavalry[7]
400[5]4,000[6] 4,000[8] 11,000
infantry[9]

The Battle of Bannockburn (Blr Allt nam Bnag, often mistakenly called
Blr Allt a' Bhonnaich in Scottish Gaelic) (24 June 1314) was a significant
Scottish victory in the First War of Scottish Independence, and a landmark in
Scottish history.

Stirling Castle, a Scots royal fortress, occupied by the English, was under
siege by the Scottish army. The English king, Edward II, assembled a
formidable force to relieve it. This attempt failed, and his army was defeated
in a pitched battle by a smaller army commanded by the King of Scots,
Robert the Bruce.

Contents

[hide]

1 Background

2 Prelude

3 Battle

o 3.1 Location of the battlefield

o 3.2 First day of battle

o 3.3 Second day of battle

o 3.4 English retreat

4 Aftermath

5 Notable casualties

o 5.1 Deaths

o 5.2 Captives

6 Legacy

o 6.1 Bannockburn Visitor Centre

o 6.2 Arts

7 References

8 Sources

o 8.1 Primary

o 8.2 Secondary

9 External links

Background[edit]

The Wars of Scottish Independence between England and Scotland began in

1296 and initially the English were successful under the command of
Edward I, having won victories at the Battle of Dunbar (1296) and at the
Capture of Berwick (1296).[10] The removal of John Balliol from the Scottish
throne also contributed to the English success. [10] The Scots had been
victorious in defeating the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297,
however this was countered by Edward I's victory at the Battle of Falkirk
(1298).[10] By 1304 Scotland had been conquered, but in 1306 Robert the
Bruce seized the Scottish throne and the war was reopened. [10]

Edward II of England came to the throne in 1307 but was incapable of

providing the determined leadership that had been shown by his father,
Edward I, and the English position soon became more difficult. [10] Stirling
Castle was one of the most important castles that was held by the English
as it commanded the route north into the Scottish Highlands.[10] It was
besieged in 1314 by Robert the Bruce's brother, Edward Bruce, and an
agreement was made that if the castle was not relieved by mid-summer
then it would be surrendered to the Scots. [10] The English could not ignore
this challenge and military preparations were made for a substantial
campaign in which the English army probably numbered 2,000 cavalry and
15,000 infantry, many of whom would have been longbowmen.[10] The
Scottish army probably numbered between 7,000 and 10,000 men, of whom
no more than 500 would have been mounted. [10] Unlike the heavily armoured
English cavalry, the Scottish cavalry would have been light horsemen who
were good for skirmishing and reconnaissance but were not suitable for
charging the enemy lines.[10] The Scottish infantry would have had axes,
swords and pikes, with few bowmen among them. [10]

The precise size of the English force relative to the Scottish forces is unclear
but estimates range from as much as at least two or three times the size of
the army Bruce had been able to gather, to as little as only 50% larger. [11]

Prelude[edit]
An early 14th century English depiction of a Biblical battle giving an
impression of how soldiers were equipped at Bannockburn. The image of a
king wielding a battle axe in the top half has led some historians to link this
image to Bannockburn.

Edward II and his advisors were aware of the places that the Scots were
likely to challenge them and sent out orders for their troops to prepare for
an enemy established in boggy ground near to the River Forth, near Stirling.
[10]
The English appear to have advanced in four divisions whereas the Scots
were in three divisions, known as 'schiltrons' which were strong defensive
circles of men bristling with pikes.[10] Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray,
commanded the Scottish vanguard, which was stationed about a mile to the
south of Stirling, near the church of St. Ninian, while the king commanded
the rearguard at the entrance to the New Park. His brother Edward led the
third division. According to Barbour, there was a fourth division nominally
under the youthful Walter the Steward, but actually under the command of
Sir James Douglas.[12] The Scottish archers used yew-stave longbows and
though these were not weaker or inferior to English longbows, there were
fewer Scottish archers than English archers, [13] possibly numbering only 500.
These archers played little part in the battle. [14] There is firsthand evidence
in a poem by the captured Carmelite friar Robert Baston, written just after
the battle, that one or both sides employed slingers and crossbowmen. [15]

Battle[edit]

Location of the battlefield[edit]

There is some confusion over the exact site of the Battle of Bannockburn,
although most modern historians agree that the traditional site, where a
visitor centre and statue have been erected, is not the correct one. [16]
Although a large number of possible alternatives have been proposed, most
can be dismissed leaving two serious contenders: [17]

the area of peaty ground known as the Dryfield outside the village of
Balquhiderock, about three-quarters of a mile to the east of the
traditional site,[18] and

the Carse of Balquhiderock, about a mile and a half north-east of the

traditional site, accepted by the National Trust as the most likely
candidate.[19]

First day of battle[edit]

An interpretation of the battle of Bannockburn-first day

Most medieval battles were short-lived, lasting only a few hours, therefore
the Battle of Bannockburn is unusual in that it lasted for two days. [10] On 23
June 1314 two of the English cavalry formations advanced, the first
commanded by the Earl of Gloucester and the Earl of Hereford.[10] They
encountered a body of Scots, among them Robert the Bruce himself. [10] A
celebrated single combat then took place between Bruce and Henry de
Bohun who was the nephew of the Earl of Hereford. [10] Bohun charged at
Bruce and when the two passed side by side, Bruce split Bohun's head with
his axe.[10][20] The Scots then rushed upon the English under Gloucester and
Hereford who struggled back over the Bannockburn. [21]

The second English cavalry force was commanded by Robert Clifford and
Henry de Beaumont and included Sir Thomas de Grey of Heaton, father of
the chronicler Thomas Grey whose account of events follows;

"Robert Lord de Clifford and Henry de Beaumont, with three hundred men-
at-arms, made a circuit upon the other side of the wood towards the castle,
keeping the open ground. Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, Robert de
Brus's nephew, who was leader of the Scottish advanced guard, hearing that
his uncle had repulsed the advanced guard of the English on the other side
of the wood, thought that he must have his share, and issuing from the
wood with his division marched across the open ground towards the two
afore-named lords.

Sir Henry de Beaumont called to his men: "Let us wait a little; let them come
on; give them room"
"Sir," said Sir Thomas Gray, "I doubt that whatever you give them now, they
will have all too soon"
"Very well" exclaimed the said Henry, if you are afraid, be off"
"Sir," answered the said Thomas, "it is not from fear that I shall fly this day."

So saying he spurred in between Beaumont and Sir William Deyncourt, and

charged into the thick of the enemy. William was killed, Thomas was taken
prisoner, his horse being killed on the pikes, and he himself carried off with
the Scots on foot when they marched off, having utterly routed the
squadron of the said two lords. Some of the English fled to the castle, others
to the king's army, which having already left the road through the wood had
debouched upon a plain near the water of Forth beyond Bannockburn, an
evil, deep, wet marsh, where the said English army unharnessed and
remained all night, having sadly lost confidence and being too much
disaffected by the events of the day." [22]

Second day of battle[edit]

An interpretation of the battle of Bannockburn-second day

Under nightfall the English forces crossed the stream that is known as the
Bannock Burn, establishing their position on the plain beyond it. [10] A
Scottish knight, Alexander Seton, who was fighting in the service of Edward
II of England, deserted the English camp and told Bruce of the low English
morale, encouraging Bruce to attack them.[10] In the morning the Scots then
advanced from New Park.[10] Not long after daybreak, the Scots spearmen
began to move towards the English. Edward was surprised to see Robert's
army emerge from the cover of the woods. As Bruce's army drew nearer,
they paused and knelt in prayer. Edward is supposed to have said in surprise
"They pray for mercy!" "For mercy, yes," one of his attendants replied, "But
from God, not you. These men will conquer or die." [23] The English responded
to the Scots advance with a charge of their own, led by the Earl of
Gloucester. Gloucester had argued with the Earl of Hereford over who should
lead the vanguard into battle, and argued with the king that the battle
should be postponed. This led the king to accuse him of cowardice, which
perhaps goaded Gloucester into the charge. [10] Few accompanied Gloucester
in his charge and when he reached the Scottish lines he was quickly
surrounded and killed.[10] Gradually the English were pushed back and
ground down by the Scots' schiltrons.[10] The English longbowmen attempted
to support the advance of the knights but were ordered to cease fire as they
were causing casualties among their own. An attempt to employ the English
and Welsh longbowmen to shoot at the advancing Scots from their flank
failed when they were dispersed by 500 Scottish cavalry under the Marischal
Sir Robert Keith[24] Although sometimes described as light cavalry, this
appears to be a misinterpretation of Barbour's statement that these were
men-at arms on lighter horses than their English counterparts. [25] The
English cavalry was hemmed in making it difficult for them to manoeuvre. [10]
As a result, the English were unable to hold their formations and broke
ranks.[10] It soon became clear to Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
and Giles d'Argentan (reputedly the third best knight in Europe) that the
English had lost and Edward II needed to be led to safety at all costs, so,
seizing his horse's reins, dragged him away, and were closely followed by
five hundred knights of the royal bodyguard. [26] Once they were clear of the
battle d'Argentan turned to the king, said "Sire, your protection was
committed to me, but since you are safely on your way, I will bid you
farewell for never yet have I fled from a battle, nor will I now." and turned
his horse to charge back into the ranks of Scottish where he was overborn
and slain.[27]

English retreat[edit]

Edward fled with his personal bodyguard, ending the remaining order in the
army; panic spread and defeat turned into a rout. He arrived eventually at
Dunbar Castle, from which he took ship to Berwick. From the carnage of
Bannockburn, the rest of the army tried to escape to the safety of the
English border, ninety miles to the south. Many were killed by the pursuing
Scottish army or by the inhabitants of the countryside that they passed
through. Historian Peter Reese says that, "only one sizeable group of men
all footsoldiersmade good their escape to England." [9] These were a force
of Welsh spearmen who were kept together by their commander, Sir Maurice
de Berkeley, and the majority of them reached Carlisle.[9] Weighing up the
available evidence, Reese concludes that "it seems doubtful if even a third
of the footsoldiers returned to England." [9] Out of 16,000 infantrymen, this
would give a total of about 11,000 killed. The English chronicler Thomas
Walsingham gave the number of English men-at-arms who were killed as
700,[7] while 500 more men-at-arms were spared for ransom. [28] The Scottish
losses appear to have been comparatively light, with only two knights
among those killed.[29]

Aftermath[edit]

The defeat of the English opened up the north of England to Scottish raids [10]
and allowed the Scottish invasion of Ireland.[24] These finally led, after the
failure of the Declaration of Arbroath to reach this end by diplomatic means,
to the Treaty of EdinburghNorthampton.[24] It was not until 1332 that the
Second War of Scottish Independence began with the Battle of Dupplin
Moor, followed by the Battle of Halidon Hill (1333) which were won by the
English.[10]

Notable casualties[edit]

Deaths[edit]

Gilbert de Clare, 8th Earl of Gloucester

Sir Giles d'Argentan

 John Lovel, 2nd Baron Lovel

John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch

Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de Clifford

Sir Henry de Bohun

William le Marshal, Marshal of Ireland

Edmund de Mauley, King's Steward

Sir Robert de Felton of Litcham, 1st Lord

Captives[edit]

Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford

John Segrave, 2nd Baron Segrave

Maurice de Berkeley, 2nd Baron Berkeley

Thomas de Berkeley

Sir Marmaduke Tweng

Ralph de Monthermer, 1st Baron Monthermer

Robert de Umfraville, Earl of Angus

Sir Anthony de Luci

Sir Ingram de Umfraville

Sir John Maltravers, 1st Baron Maltravers

Sir Thomas de Grey of Heaton

Legacy[edit]

Bannockburn Visitor Centre[edit]

The hemicircle of the modern Bannockburn monument

In 1932 the Bannockburn Preservation Committee, under Edward Bruce,

10th Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, presented lands to the National Trust for
Scotland. Further lands were purchased in 1960 and 1965 to facilitate visitor
access. A modern monument stands in a field above the battle site, where
the warring parties are believed to have camped on the night before the
battle. The monument consists of two hemicircular walls depicting the
opposing parties. Nearby stands the 1960s statue of Bruce by Pilkington
Jackson. The monument, and the associated visitor centre, is one of the
most popular tourist attractions in the area. The battlefield has been
included in the Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland and protected
by Historic Scotland under the Historic Environment (Amendment) Act 2011.
[30]

Alley to the monument



Statue of Robert the Bruce by Pilkington Jackson

View of the circular walls and the flag pole

Close Up of the statue

The National Trust for Scotland operates the Bannockburn Visitor Centre
(previously known as the Bannockburn Heritage Centre), which is open daily
from March through October. On 31 October 2012 the building was closed [31]
for demolition and replacement by a new design, inspired by traditional
Scottish buildings, by Reiach and Hall Architects. The project is a partnership
between the National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland, funded by the
Scottish Government and the Heritage Lottery Fund.[32] The battlefield's new
visitor centre - now rebranded as the Bannockburn Visitor Centre - opened in
March 2014. One of the top attractions created by a 9m redevelopment of
the centre and the nearby battlefield memorial is a computerised
multiplayer game.[33]

Arts[edit]

"Scots Wha Hae" is the title of a patriotic poem by Robert Burns.[34] The
chorus of Scotland's unofficial national anthem Flower of Scotland refers to
Scotland's victory over Edward and the English at Bannockburn.

References[edit]

1. Jump up ^ Nusbacher, Aryeh (2000). The Battle of

Bannockburn 1314. Stroud: Tempus. p. 85. ISBN 0-7524-1783-
5.

2. Jump up ^ Oman, Charles (1991) [1924]. A History of the Art

of War in the Middle Ages Vol. II. London: Greenhill Books.
p. 88. ISBN 1-85367-105-3.

3. Jump up ^ Armstrong, Pete (2002). Bannockburn. Botley,

Oxford: Osprey Publishing. p. 43. ISBN 1-85532-609-4.

4. Jump up ^ Grant, R.G. (2008), Battle: A visual journey through

5,000 years of combat, DK Publishing,p.118.

5. Jump up ^ Sadler, John, Scottish Battles, (Biddles Ltd., 1998),

5254.

6. Jump up ^ Grant, 118.

a b
7. ^ Jump up to: Mackenzie, p.88 referencing Walsingham,
p.141

8. Jump up ^ Sadler, 52.

a b c d
9. ^ Jump up to: Reese, p.174

10.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Black,

Jeremy. (2005). The Seventy Great Battles of All Time. pp. 71
73. Thames & Hudson Ltd. ISBN 0-500-25125-8.

11.Jump up ^ Watson, F., "In Our Time: The Battle of

Bannockburn", BBC Radio, 3 February 2011

12.Jump up ^ Nicholson, Later Middle Ages pp.8789

13.Jump up ^ Strickland, Matthew; Hardy,Robert (2005). The

Great Warbow. Stroud: Sutton. p. 162. ISBN 0-7509-3167-1.

14.Jump up ^ The Chronicle of Lanercost says that on the second

day of the battle, "the English archers were thrown forward
before the line, and the Scottish archers engaged them, a few
being killed and wounded on either side; but the King of
 England's archers quickly put the others to flight." The
Chronicle of Lanercost, 12721346: Translated, with notes by
Sir Herbert Maxwell. p. 206

15.Jump up ^ Walter Bower, Scotichronicon,Book XII, p. 371

16.Jump up ^ Mackenzie, W. M. (1913). The Battle of

Bannockburn: a Study in Mediaeval Warfare, Publisher: James
MacLehose; Glasgow.

17.Jump up ^ Barrow, Geoffrey W.S. (1998). Robert Bruce & The

Community of The Realm of Scotland. ISBN 0-85224-604-8

18.Jump up ^ Barron, E.M., The Scottish War of Independence: a

Critical Study, 1934

19.Jump up ^ Christison, Philip, Bannockburn: The Story of the

Battle, 1960, Edinburgh: The National Trust for Scotland.

20.Jump up ^ Hyland, Ann. The Warhorse 12501600, UK: Sutton

Publishing, 1998, p 38

21.Jump up ^ The Battle of Bannockburn britishbattles.com.

Retrieved 14 June 2014.

22.Jump up ^ Maxwell 1907

23.Jump up ^ Scott 1982, p. 158

a b c
24.^ Jump up to: Scott 1982

25.Jump up ^ (Brown, C. (2008) pp 129-130)

26.Jump up ^ Scott 1982, p. 159

27.Jump up ^ Scott 1982, p. 160

28.Jump up ^ Mackenzie, p.90

29.Jump up ^ Reese, p.176

30.Jump up ^ "Inventory battlefields". Historic Scotland.

Retrieved 2012-04-12.

31.Jump up ^ "Bannockburn Heritage Centre closes before

demolition". BBC News. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 31 October
2012.

32.Jump up ^ http://www.battleofbannockburn.com/About-the-
project/
 33.Jump up ^
http://battleofbannockburn.com/updates/timeline/the-battle-of-
bannockburn-visitor-centre-opens/

34.Jump up ^ The Complete Works of Robert Burns at Project

Gutenberg.

Sources[edit]

Primary[edit]

Barbour, John, The Brus, trans. A. A. M. Duncan, 1964.

Bower, Walter, Scotichronicon, ed. D. E. R. Watt, 19871993.

Maxwell, Herbert, trans. (1907). Scalacronica; The reigns of Edward I,

Edward II and Edward III as Recorded by Sir Thomas Gray. Glasgow:
James Maclehose & Sons. Retrieved 17 October 2012.

Lanercost Chronicle, edited and translated by H. Maxwell, 1913.

Vita Edwardi Secundi (Life of Edward the Second), ed. N. D. Young,

1957.

Walsingham, Thomas, Historia Anglicana.

Secondary[edit]

Armstrong, Pete (illustrated by Graham Turner), Bannockburn 1314:

Robert Bruce's Great Victory, Osprey Publishing, 2002 ISBN 1-85532-
609-4

Barrow, G. W. S., Robert Bruce and the Community of the Realm of

Scotland, 1988,ISBN 0-85224-604-8

Brown, C.A., "Bannockburn 1314",History Press,Stroud, 2008, ISBN

978-0-7524-4600-4.

Brown, C.A., Robert the Bruce. A life Chronicled.

Brown, Michael (2008). Bannockburn. The Scottish War and the

British Isles 1307-1323. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Brown, M., Wars of Scotland

Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bannockburn". Encyclopdia

Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Mackenzie, W. M., Bannockburn: A Study in Medieval Warfare, The

Strong Oak Press, Stevenage 1989 (first published 1913), ISBN 1-
871048-03-6

MacNamee, C., The Wars of the Bruces

 Nicholson, R., Scotland-the Later Middle Ages, 1974.

Prestwich, M., The Three Edwards: War and State in England, 1272
1377, 1980

Ramsay, J. H., The Genesis of Lancaster, 130799, 1913.

Reese, P., Bannockburn, Canongate, Edinburgh, 2003, ISBN 1-84195-

465-9

Scott, Ronald McNair (1982). Robert the Bruce King of Scots. London:
Hutchinson & Co.

External links[edit]

The Battle of Bannockburn 700th Anniversary Project

Battle of Bannockburn on Medieval Archives Podcast

BBC "In our time" discussion on the battle and it's consequences

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