This week – 23/24 June 1314

The Scottish army routed the English cavalry at the Battle of Bannockburn; the majority of the battle was fought on 24 June, the feast of St John. The battle was a significant victory for Robert Bruce especially, and led to his immortalisation by Scottish chroniclers as ‘Good King Robert’. Historians, though, argue the real significance and impact of the battle. It did not end the war with England and indeed a final peace would not be concluded until 1328. Nor did it end the war with the Scottish opposition since Bruce’s reign was still vulnerable and threatened in 1320. Yet, the victory at Bannockburn remains one of the most recognisable, and perhaps pivotal, events in Scottish history.