7 June 1329
Robert the Bruce dies
31. May 2024
By Kathleen Starck
He is often considered one of the most revered Scottish national heroes and has been turned into the stuff of legends. However, history is never straight-forward and humans not always consistent. So, yes, the Bruce is famous for supporting William Wallace’s (another national hero) uprising against the English in the 1290s, being Scottish king from 1306-1329 and defeating the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, thus freeing Scotland from English rule.
Before that, though, he and his father had refused to back John Balliol as Scottish king and sided with the English in their 1296 invasion of Scotland, forcing Balliol to abdicate. In 1306 the Bruce (or his followers) stabbed to death John Comyn, who also claimed the Scottish throne.
Although his body was buried in Dumferline Abbey, his heart traveled around for a while. He had given instructions for it to be taken on a crusade to Spain by Sir James Douglas. As Douglas was killed, the heart was taken back to Melrose Abbey for burial.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-the-Bruce
https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/bruce_robert_the.shtml
Feature Film from 2019 (follow-up to Braveheart):
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8000908/
Robert the Bruce and Tourism today:
https://www.visitscotland.com/things-to-do/attractions/historic/famous-scots/robert-the-bruce
https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/bannockburn/robert-the-bruce
Robert the Bruce at the National Museums of Scotland