Why Bannockburn?

Most Americans recognize the name William Wallace, either through the movie Braveheart or the video game Age of Empires. Yet it was not Wallace who secured Scotland’s independence, but his successor, Robert the Bruce. Initially, Robert was an unlikely candidate for the throne, competing with the powerful Comyn clan. After losing the Battle of Methven, he fled the Scottish mainland but later returned to wage a guerrilla campaign against English forces under Edward I. His fortunes changed with Edward’s death in 1307. The new king, Edward II, lacked his father’s military skill, and Robert gradually reclaimed castles across Scotland.

As Captain Timothy Willging has noted, medieval warfare rarely centered on pitched battles. Commanders gained more by capturing castles and towns than by seeking to destroy an enemy army outright. Armies usually clashed only when a castle under siege was relieved. Siege warfare therefore dominated medieval strategy until the rise of professional armies in the 17th century. Robert, however, proved unusually adept in open combat. He employed guerrilla tactics in the highlands and engaged in more field battles than was typical for medieval commanders. Still, given the size of Edward II’s forces, there was no certainty that Robert could prevail at Bannockburn or capture Stirling Castle.

Robert’s brother, Edward Bruce, was equally active in the struggle. In 1313, he laid siege to Stirling Castle, one of the last English strongholds in Scotland. He struck an agreement with the garrison commander: if no English relief army arrived within a year, the castle would surrender. The deal forced a decisive confrontation. Edward II mustered perhaps 18,000 men, far outnumbering Robert’s 6,000. The odds were 3:1 against the Scots, making victory seem unlikely even on the defensive. Robert would have to rely on strategy and terrain to offset the disparity.

At Bannockburn, Robert positioned his army across the burn, blocking the road to Falkirk. The narrow fords were lined with concealed pits to channel the English into tight spaces and neutralize their numbers. He then deployed his men in New Park, a marshy clearing that hindered cavalry maneuvers. The first English assault failed. One knight charged Robert directly, but the king struck him down with his axe, shattering the weapon in the process. Scottish infantry counterattacked, inflicting heavy losses on the English vanguard and ending the first day’s fighting. That night, English morale collapsed as their army struggled to camp on waterlogged ground and feared a Scottish night raid.

The next day, Edward II pressed another assault. Yet congestion at the narrow approaches prevented his men-at-arms from deploying effectively, and the English cavalry blocked their own infantry. Robert held his reserves in readiness, feeding them into the fight where needed. At a critical moment, he unleashed his light cavalry against the English archers, silencing their deadly longbows. The attack broke Edward’s army, forcing the king to abandon the field.

Robert the Bruce exemplified the qualities of a great commander. He exploited terrain to limit his enemy’s advantage, coordinated infantry and cavalry effectively, and kept a reserve to strike decisively. At Bannockburn, he not only recaptured Stirling Castle but also secured a stunning victory against overwhelming odds. The battle stands as a masterpiece of medieval warfare and a defining moment in Scottish history.

Watson, Callum. 1314: The Year of Bannockburn. 1st ed. Havertown: Pen & Sword Books Limited, 2024.