In our annual toast to Robert the Bruce we are usually told that Robert the Bruce routed the overwhelmingly superior English forces under King Edward II, but are usually not provided with more details of this victory. The following may help you with further knowledge of this historic occasion - June 24, 1314.

Early in the morning when the Scots came to within a few hundred yards of the English, they knelt for a few moments in prayer. Seeing this Edward cried out 'Ha! They kneel for mercy.'

Suddenly realizing that the Scots were about to attack, the English trumpets sounded the alarm and the cavalry rushed to saddle up. The Earl of Gloucester, who commanded the main English body ordered a charge without donning his protective vest and fell dead on Scottish spears.

Both sides were now locked together, so that archer support became impossible. The English archer's arrows, rather than finding a Scottish target were hitting their own forward troops in the back!

The Scottish divisions pushed forward until they engaged the whole English front. All accounts stress the inability of the English to deploy of manoeuvre, because of the narrow frontage on which they were forced to fight. The English managed to deploy a body of archers on the Scots' left, but Bruce, seeing the danger, ordered a charge, driving them from the field - a masterly employment of his inferior force of cavalry.

The Scottish spearmen drove their enemy steadily back, and King Edward, sensing the day was lost, was persuaded to leave the field. When the royal standard was seen leaving the field, the English army began to waver and with further Scottish reserves coming on to the field, the whole English army disintegrated.

King Robert the Bruce proved himself at Bannockburn, not only as a superb leader, but also a skilled general, whose handling of his limited resources was decisive and masterly. Bannockburn certainly made Scots feel more than ever before, and possibly since, that they were one people and one nation; and it irrevocably consolidated Bruce's supremacy over his opponents in Scotland itself.

Our Deputy Grand Master and Governor, the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine is a decendant of Robert the Bruce and chieftan of the Bruces and the convener of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs. The sword of Robert the Bruce has been passed to Lord Elgin both materially and figuratively.