The Battle of Bannockburn.

[Arlen]

For those interested, BBC Radio 4's latest 'In Our Time' is on The Battle of Bannockburn.
I always enjoy the podcast and thought you lot might like this one.

[Jimmy]

Arlen, the final scene in Braveheart makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, brilliant commentary as Bruce throws his sword forward and attacks the English
Amazing thing, as you probably know, Braveheart was the best history lesson that young kids ever had. The Scottish School curriculum sadly lacks the finer details of Scottish history

[English Bloke]

Thought twice... apologies.

[Jack Daw]

Before I went to Scotland in 2003, I wanted to get a decent background on certain battles. I found some dissertation maps online that provided me with what I was looking for on ALL the battles for which I was interested.

According to this dissertation and another book I read (which I don't have handy here at work), The 1314 Battle of Bannockburn peaked and was essentially won with the English cavalry getting trapped at the confluence of the Pelstream burn and the Bannock burn. With this bit of information I trekked around that area and realized that there is a prominant roundabout built up on a mound above the confluence. I am assuming that the confluence has not changed location over the centuries. Anyway, it was great fun.

BTW, just a couple of years ago, a partial spur was found in the area and was dated to the battle.

The website for the dissertation maps, etc., are here:

http://www.scottishhistory.com/artic...iss_print.html

[BoldHighlander]

If anyone is interested here is a dvd of the UK historical documentary production on "The Battle of Bannockburn: 1314 The Lion Rampant" that was spot on (I have an older video copy).
You can also find it here & at Amazon.



As for the film Braveheart....its best left unsaid

[figheadair]

For those interested, BBC Radio 4's latest 'In Our Time' is on The Battle of Bannockburn.
I always enjoy the podcast and thought you lot might like this one.

Heard it this morning. Always an excellent programme, this one was fascinating and worth a listen. I hadn't realised that, like so many nobles of the era, Bruce had at one time been allied to the English King, nor that the decision to attack on the second day was apparently given impedes by a Scottish knight changing sides and encouraging Bruce that it was ‘now or never’.

[Jay]

Part of me want to believe in the romantic fiction that includes a Templar cavalry supplementing the Scots and driving fear into the English.