Robert the Bruce

After William Wallace was defeated at Falkirk on the 22nd July 1298 he resigned his position as Guardian. His position was replaced by Robert the Bruce and John Comyn in a joint Guardianship, however this relationship did not go well, by 1300 his position was replaced by Ingram de Umfraville. Unlike Wallace, who was a true patriot, Bruce's motives were purely of self interest and ambition. In February 1306 Bruce had a meeting with Comyn in the Francisian church in Dumfries, both men talked of politics and rebellion. However when Comyn realised that Bruce was only after the return of a Scottish Monarch with Bruce as King, he categorically refused to go along with him. The argument ended with Bruce stabbing Comyn with his dagger, and with the help of some of his followers killed him where he stood in the church.
By killing Comyn, Bruce had put himself outside the law and made the goal of becoming King of Scotland a hopeless task. Bruce had only alternative left, to claim the crown for himself. The coronation took place in Scone on March 25th 1306, however because the hereditary crowner of the Scottish Kings was ordered not to attend by Edward I, a second coronation was held on March 27th .
On June 19th 1306 Bruce was attacked by Aymer de Valence, Comyn's brother-in-law, Bruce and his few followers were forced to flee. Bruce was now an outlaw on the run and had also been excommunicated by Pope Clement. With his castles taken and family jailed, Bruce was in a hopeless position. He left Scotland to the safety of the Island of Rathlin near Ireland in September 1306.
A King returns
When Bruce returned in February 1307 his lands were confiscated and his own tenants were too afraid to come out to support him. Bruce knew that he could not take on the English in any pitched battles and expect to win so he decided to concentrate his energies in guerilla type conflicts as Wallace had done.

The Start of the Battles
The battle plan would be tested soon, when in May Bruce managed to regain his military creditability. Soon afterwards Bruce had probably the best news he could get.
The Death of a King
King Edward I had died on July 7th 1307, his successor Edward II did not come out of the same mould as his father. This more than anything that had happened before, would help Bruce to realise his ambition.
The new King did not continue to "hammer the Scots" anything like his father had done before him. This gave Bruce the time to establish the ground he had gained and he prepared to take control of the (exiled Scottish king) Pro- Balliol areas of Buchan, Argyll and Galloway.
Civil war
Bruce not only had the English to contend with, but large areas of Scotland that were still loyal to the former exiled Scottish king. The first battle was on December 24th 1307 where Buchanan's army was defeated and his people subdued. Next was Argyll, he had decided to trap Bruce using similar tactics as Bruce used. However Bruce was too good a tactician and Argyll ended up falling into his own trap. This left Galloway, Bruce left this for his brother Edward to sort out.
Now with most of Scotland under his control, Bruce held his first parliament at St. Andrews on 16-17 March 1309 where most of the Scottish communants endorsed Him as legitimate King of Scotland, Robert I . However the English still had some important castles including Stirling and Edinburgh.
The English Return
In 1310 and 1311 king Edward II tried to regain the lost ground in Scotland but his abilities as a Tactician and a King were tiny when compared to his father King Edward I
On the night of 7th January 1313 Bruce lead his men through the cold moat around Perth, he was the second man over the wall, such personal demonstrations of his courage were a main factor in endearing him to his men. By 1314 castles were falling to Bruce one by one. Edinburgh fell in March, leaving Stirling, however Bruce's brother had made a deal with the English governor of Stirling Castle - If the castle was not relieved by the English by mid-summer then the castle will be surrendered.- this would give the English time to muster their armies to one point, forcing Bruce into a pitched battle, something he had always avoided. Both sides had everything to gain and everything to lose in this one battle.

The Decisive Battle of Bannockburn
As you can see from the photograph on the left Stirling Castle is not far away from Bannockburn. Edward II had 20,000 men and a large number of heavy cavalry with archers, against Bruce with only about 5500 trained men and 2000 volunteers and only a few cavalry, Edward II was very confident. However Bruce was a brilliant tactician, who had the advantage of fighting the battle on his own ground. Things nearly went terribly wrong, when an English knight spotted Bruce alone as he surveyed the English army. As the knight charged towards Bruce, Bruce sidestepped his pony at the last moment and used his axe to split open the skull of the Knight as he rode by, breaking the handle in doing so.
On June 24th 1314 Bruce addressed his troops
" My lords, my people, accustomed to enjoy that full freedom for which in times gone by the kings of Scotland have fought many a battle! For eight long years or more I have struggled with much labour for my right to the kingdom ad for honourable liberty. I have lost brothers, friends and kinsmen. Your own kinsmen have been made captive, and your own bishops and priests are locked in prison. Our country's nobility has poured forth its blood in war. Those barons you can see before you, clad in mail. are bent on destroying me and obliterating my kingdom, nay our whole nation. They do not believe that we can survive. They glory in their warhorses and equipment, For us, the name of the Lord must be our hope of victory in battle.."
At this choice location Bruce had split his forces into four with Earl Randolph, Edward Bruce, Sir James Douglas and Bruce himself with his own troops making the main fighting force, with extra common people (small folk) hiding as reinforcements waiting to be called. Bruce's own forces would deploy long spears ( schilrons ) facing outwards in a circle.
At this point Edward II was very confident, but he had not noticed that his army had been confined into a very narrow area, between the Pelstream burn and Bannock burn, with soft boggy ground in front of him. Bruce had further sabotaged the boggy ground with holes with spikes to stop the English cavalry. When the English did attack they suddenly found themselves not only being stopped but repulsed by Bruces schiltrons . As the English Bowmen opened fire they were driven off field .Then Edward ordered his reserve troops in , they charged in so quickly the retreating English troops became victims of their own archers.
Edward II had seen enough and ran off to safety of Stirling castle, where he was not allowed entry and had to flee to Dunbar. With their King on the run the English army had lost its spirit. When the small folk joined the battle for Bruce the English army tried to run off in the same direction their king had just done before them, but they were cut down on their way.

The beginning of the end
After the Battle of Bannockburn Scotland really was a country of its own again with a strong patriot King. Edward II had several attempts over the years to regain control of Scotland but all his campaigns failed miserably. By December 25th 1319 Edward agreed to a two year truce. Edward used this time to replenish is armies ready for his final stand with Bruce to regain control of Scotland. In August 1322 with the truce over Edward II attacked Scotland reaching all the way to Edinburgh. However Bruce had seen this coming and so had cleared all of Lothian of cattle and food forcing the hungry English army back to England, while at the same time being attacked by Douglas, who was waiting on them. The English army were chased back over the border. Even with this defeat Edward II still would not sign a peace treaty, but the English King was deposed and replaced by his 14 year old son Edward III on 20th January 1327. However the Scottish armies were attacking north England with such effectiveness that the young English king was reduced to tears. The English were a beaten force and they knew it, it wasn't long before they were looking for peace from the Scottish King. On March 17th 1328 the Treaty of Edinburgh was concluded at Hollyrood Abbey. Bruce himself died on June 7th 1329, a little over a year later in his home at Cardross village, having seen his main goal of a free Scotland come to life.