Locations
Find out more about the key locations and how they determined the tactics – and outcome – of the Battle of Bannockburn.
1. Stirling castle
In 1314
At the heart of Scotland and overlooking the strategic crossing at Stirling Bridge, Stirling Castle played a key role as a stronghold. It was at the centre of much of the action in Scotland’s Wars of Independence.
It was besieged eight times between 1296 and 1342. In 1314 it was under siege by the Scots, led by Edward Bruce. The keeper of the castle, Philip Mowbray, struck a deal with Bruce that unless the castle was relieved by the English by 24 June, it would be returned to the Scots. This pact triggered the Battle of Bannockburn.
Today
Stirling Castle has changed significantly since the time of Bannockburn. Greatly expanded under James IV and his son James V in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, it became a sumptuous royal palace. Today it is one of the finest and best-preserved Renaissance buildings in Britain and is presented to visitors much as it may have looked in 1545.
2. The Carse
In 1314
The Carse was the name given to the low-lying area of land to the south-west of Stirling Castle.
Its peaty ground soaked up water from the nearby hills and higher grounds like a sponge. It was dotted with deep pools, ditches and crumbling banks – difficult terrain for knights on horseback.
The Carse of Balquhiderock lies between the Pelstream Burn and the Bannock Burn, and this was where Edward’s army squeezed in to camp on the night of 23 June.
On the morning of 24 June they found themselves taken by surprise and trapped here by the advancing Scottish spearmen. It is on this ground that most of the fighting is likely to have taken place.
Today
The area of the Carse can still be walked through today and is largely farmland, split by a main road and railway track. However, just walking in the area still gives a clear sense of how inhospitable and awkward it would have been for the English army.
3. Bannock Burn
In 1314
The Bannock Burn of 1314 looked far more impressive than it does today. Then, the burn was deep and tidal; its banks were either steep and gorge-like, or soft and muddy – a formidable obstacle for Edward’s army.
Heading for the Carse of Balquhiderock on the night of 23 June, Edward’s men tore down timber frameworks from nearby houses to create walkways over the boggy ground, and queued to ford the Burn with their war horses.
During the defeat on 24 June, the Bannock Burn was once again a serious obstacle for English troops as, in chaos, they tried to retreat from the advancing Scottish spearmen. Many were drowned or killed as they attempted the crossing. Indeed, one Scottish source claimed that by the end of the fighting, the Burn was so full of dead bodies you could cross it without getting your feet wet.
Today
It is still possible to walk alongside the gorge of the Bannock Burn as it crosses the Dryfield of Balquhiderock. Although the burn has been significantly altered since 1314, it is still easy to see why it created such an awkward obstacle for King Edward II’s heavily armed force.
4. St Ninian's
In 1314
On 23 June, Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray moved out of the woods by the church at St Ninian’s with his schiltron of spearmen to confront the English cavalry led by Clifford and Beaumont. After brutal fighting at close quarters, Clifford’s cavalry faltered and were forced back. Some fled to Stirling Castle; some were killed or captured; others retreated to join the rest of the English army. This defeat was a shocking blow to Edward II.
Today
St Ninian’s is now very much part of Stirling’s urban landscape. Little remains of the original kirk building, since much of it was destroyed in an explosion in 1745 when the Jacobites were using the kirk as an ammunition store. A new church was built afterwards. The bell tower and one gable end are much older, and may date from the time of Bannockburn.
5. The Roman road
In 1314
The Roman road was built around AD80 and led between camps at Falkirk and the crossing of the River Forth at Stirling.
This was the most direct route that Edward II and his army could take to reach their ultimate goal of Stirling Castle, the surrounding routes being boggy, hilly or heavily wooded. However, they found that it had been beset with traps and blocked by the stubborn resistance of the Scottish spearmen.
Today
Aerial photographs reveal the line of the Roman road as far as the southern edge of the settlement of Bannockburn, where it is buried beneath urban development.
6. New Park (Borestone)
In 1314
The New Park was used by Scottish kings for hunting and had been enclosed by a palisade wall since at least 1288. On 22 June, just before the battle, Bruce withdrew his army from the Torwood where they had been training, and reassembled in the New Park. Bruce may have used a stone with a hole in it (known as the Borestone) to raise his banner, telling his army where he wanted them to gather. This was where the fighting of 23 June is likely to have taken place, and was where Bruce and de Bohun had their famous encounter.
Today
For at least three centuries, people have visited the site of the Borestone to commemorate the battle. A saltire still flies here to mark the spot. It is also overlooked by the famous statue of Robert the Bruce on his horse. Bannockburn Visitor Centre is located nearby, where the remains of the Borestone can be seen.
7. Dryfield
In 1314
The Dryfield was the better-drained and cultivated area west of the Carse, lying on higher ground. It may have been where some of the fighting on 24 June took place.
The Scots would certainly have marched across this area to take the English army by surprise. Having camped on the lower ground of the Carse, the English army did not suspect that the Scots would take the initiative and trap them in this narrow, awkward location.
Today
Much of the Dryfield is now largely covered by housing and Bannockburn High School.
8. Cambuskenneth Abbey
In 1314
Founded in the 12th century, the abbey was the supply base for the Scottish army, where vital provisions were stored.
On the night of 23 June, this store was plundered by the Earl of Atholl, a Scottish earl with wavering loyalty to Bruce. He and his men killed the guards, seized the food and disappeared into the night. This act of treachery was motivated by a personal grudge: Atholl sought revenge on Edward Bruce, who had abandoned the earl’s sister, Isabella, despite her being pregnant with his son.
In November, Bruce called a parliament at the abbey at which he confiscated the lands and titles of those Scottish lords still opposed to him. By regranting these lands and titles to others whose support he already had (or whose support he badly needed), Bruce was able to rebuild the Scottish political community to suit his own needs.
Today
The ruins of the abbey can still be visited today and include an attractive bell tower. Other highlights include the tomb of James III and his queen Margaret of Denmark, as well as a fine display of medieval grave slabs.
9. King's Park
In 1314
The parkland immediately below Stirling Castle was the old royal hunting ground. This may have been where Edward II and his army intended to make camp on 23 June. Prevented from reaching their goal by the Scots, they instead had to make do with the boggy and cramped site on the Carse.
Today
The King’s Park is now a recreation ground for the people of Stirling, which includes a golf course.
10. Coxet Hill
In 1314
According to one account of the battle, on 23 June Bruce ordered his ‘smale folk’ (servants and so forth) to take his army’s baggage and belongings out of sight and reach of the English army. They may have retreated to a small valley to the north of Coxet Hill – and may have watched the proceedings on 24 June from the hill’s vantage point. Another location may have been Gillies Hill.
Today
Modern housing now covers Coxet Hill.
11. Pelstream Burn
In 1314
The boggy Pelstream Burn flowed across the Carse, enclosed within high, steep banks thick with undergrowth and trees. It was an awkward obstacle for both cavalry and foot soldiers.
On 24 June, Edward’s army found themselves hemmed in between the Pelstream Burn and the Bannock Burn, unable to manoeuvre properly.
Today
Much of the Pelstream Burn is now channelled underground. But if you walk east from St Ninian’s Kirk and through the underpass, you can still see the burn and traces of its gorge. Further east, the burn has probably been diverted from its 1314 route as it crosses the Carse.
12. Balquhiderock Ridge
In 1314
Woods covered the edge of the escarpment that marked the boundary to the south of the Carse of Balquhiderock.
On 24 June, while the bulk of the Scottish army moved down into the Carse to attack the English, Bruce stayed with a reserve on the ridge. This meant he could watch as the battle unfolded below him and react to any unexpected changes in the situation. Only when he was sure that the English were nearing defeat did he lead this reserve into the Carse, probably hoping to capture Edward II.
Today
Woods still cover the edge of the ridge, although they are probably much less extensive than in 1314.
13. Torwood
In 1314
Bruce originally gathered his troops at the Torwood, a large area of ancient woodland to the south-west of Stirling.
The woods would have provided good cover for the Scottish army’s camp, while clearings would have been used for training. The crags at the edge of the wood were also a good viewpoint over the Roman road, which ran close to the woods.
Today
There is still an area of woodland known as Tor Wood, but it covers a much smaller area than in the time of the Battle of Bannockburn.
14. River Forth
In 1314
The River Forth was a major obstacle for anyone wishing to travel north in Scotland. Stirling Castle guarded the crossing point of the river and the main route north, hence the castle’s strategic importance. Some medieval sources even called the Forth ‘the Scottish sea’, as it virtually split the kingdom in two.
At Stirling, the river begins to widen and meanders over the flat Carse-land. Up until the 18th century ships would sail up the river from the sea; Stirling harbour was a busy port.
Today
The Forth still bends and winds its way through the landscape of the Stirling area. A walk along its banks from Cambuskenneth Abbey to Stirling Bridge can conjure up some of the history and the drama of this turbulent time. It is no longer tidal this far west however, so Stirling no longer serves as a port.
15. Stirling Bridge
In 1314
Stirling Bridge was vital for anyone hoping to quickly move large armies around Scotland. It was the main crossing point across the River Forth, effectively connecting the northern and southern parts of the kingdom. Several battles fought during this period, and even later, were about ensuring control of this crossing point. It was at Stirling Bridge that Andrew Moray and William Wallace famously defeated another English force in 1297.
Today
Nothing remains of the bridge from 1297, but it lay just a few metres further upstream from the existing 16th-century Old Stirling Bridge.