1 Edinburgh Castle
In March 1314, Bruce sent his nephew, Sir Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray to attack the castle. In a daring raid, Randolph and his men scaled the rock and captured the castle. Bruce then had most of it demolished to prevent it from being useful to the English. Visit this world-famous icon and discover more of this story in the ‘Fight for the Castle’ exhibition. 20th century statues of Bruce and Wallace guard the door at Edinburgh Castle.
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2 Holyrood Abbey
Bruce held a parliament at Holyrood Abbey in 1328, at which the Treaty of Edinburgh was ratified. This recognised Bruce as rightful King of Scots, and brought a temporary halt to the Wars of Independence. Its terms also included a marriage between Bruce’s son (later David II) and Edward III’s sister Joan. Bruce stayed at Holyrood during the parliament.
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3 Linlithgow Palace
Explore the magnificent ruins of Linlithgow Palace, where a royal manor once stood. Edward I made Linlithgow his base during his campaigns of 1296 and 1301, and expanded it in 1302-3. The site remained in English hands and in 1310, Edward II spent a week at Linlithgow during one of his Scottish campaigns. It was recaptured by Bruce’s followers in 1313. John Barbour’s famous epic poem The Brus, describes at length how a cattleman named Bunnock jammed the gates open with his cart and slew the porter with a single blow, allowing Bruce’s troops to flood in and overwhelm the English garrison.
Find out more and plan your visit to Linlithgow Palace.