The Bruce's Stone on the edge of Loch Trool
Before he cemented his position in Scottish legend, Robert the Bruce was born in Ayrshire as the fourth-great-grandson of King David I. This claim to the throne encouraged him to fight in the revolts against Edward I of England, led by another Scottish hero, William Wallace. Robert the Bruce and John Comyn (another claimant to the throne) were appointed joint Guardians of Scotland following Wallace’s defeat at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298.
In a dramatic moment in history, Robert the Bruce killed John Comyn in Greyfriars Kirk in Dumfries, after discovering he had been betrayed to King Edward. This left him as the sole claimant to the Scottish throne, but after defeat at the Battle of Methven, he became an outlaw king and was forced to flee to the Scottish islands. Despite this, his popularity and support gradually increased, and he rallied the Scottish nobles when he returned to the mainland to capture Edinburgh Castle and win a decisive victory at the famous Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
The statue of Robert Bruce outside Marischal College
Do you have Robert the Bruce ancestral connections?
If you belong to the Bruce clan, you’re part of a long and proud Scottish line! The clan traces its heritage back to the Norman conquest and there are plenty of Bruce sites in Scotland that you can visit to feel connected to your royal Scottish ancestors. Lots of other clans also fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Independence, so why not research your surname to uncover your family story?
Discover your Scottish clan history
Explore Scotland through history
See Scotland through the eyes of one of the country's greatest ever kings. Explore historic buildings, medieval abbeys, ruins, battlefields and caves across Scotland which played an important role in his life and see monuments dedicated to his memory. You can discover his homeland, Ayrshire, as well as other places he had connections with across the country.