Bannockburn 2014

[AcuteEnigma]

I'll be going to the Ceres games on Saturday so I'll see you all on Sunday. Probably.

I visited the Bannockburn Visitor Centre a few days ago and saw the tents going up all over. Looks like a games! I cannot imagine, however, how they are going to get people in there. There is room for 1 bus. Is there an entrance on the far side maybe?

[cessna152towser]

I cannot imagine, however, how they are going to get people in there. There is room for 1 bus. Is there an entrance on the far side maybe?

Yes indeed there are other entrances.
On Saturday and Sunday the small area in front of the Bannockburn Visitor Centre will only be available for taxi and coach pick up and drop off.

[tpa]

[QUOTE=AcuteEnigma;1241442]I'll be going to the Ceres games on Saturday so I'll see you all on Sunday. Probably./QUOTE]

Much as I'd like to I won't be able to go to the Ceres games on Saturday, although I will be in Fife. Be nice if you could post some pictures taken there.

Hope to see you Sunday. Look for an Anderson tartan kilt, a black box and a dandelion. The black box is a camera bag but it also serves as a seat or stool, if needed, to see over heads. Mywife will have a shooting stick, don't know what she will be wearing.

[jhockin]

June 24 in Scottish history:

Today in 1314 the Scottish army, under Robert I, defeated a far larger English army at the Battle of Bannockburn.

Bruce had chosen his ground carefully, and won a tremendous victory over the vast English army. This was perhaps Bruce's greatest hour, and his most enduring memory - fighting for his nation's independence against a hugely superior English force, and winning.

[figheadair]

June 24 in Scottish history:

Today in 1314 the Scottish army, under Robert I, defeated a far larger English army at the Battle of Bannockburn.

Bruce had chosen his ground carefully, and won a tremendous victory over the vast English army. This was perhaps Bruce's greatest hour, and his most enduring memory - fighting for his nation's independence against a hugely superior English force, and winning.

I was fortunate to walk the site of both days’ events, including the two contested sites for the second day, on the 24th with a Battlefield Guide. Working less than a mile away and having driven around the town for years it was an interesting perspective to see some of the terrain from the ground although it is much changed and the paucity of contemporary evidence makes some interpretation difficult.

Although it was a great victory the choice of ground on the second day, besides being disputed, was a result of events, happenstance and to some degree poor generalship by Edward II rather than selection by Bruce whereas on the first day he did select and importantly, prepare the ground defensively.

[Calgacus]

The BBC recently made a pair of programmes looking for the site of the battle.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01lyxwj

I have only seen part 2 but hope to catch a repeat of part 1. They came to the conclusion that Bruce camped on the Dryfield on the second night and Edward camped on the Carse. They then concluded that the battle was fought on the Carse. They reckoned that Edward's mistake was in thinking victory was assured and that the Bannock Burn and the Pelstream Burn would provide protection from guerrilla-style attack during the night. In the event, the English were caught off-guard, unable to properly deploy their cavalry or archers, then driven into a crush, hemmed in by the burns. Panic ensued, and the Bannock Burn proved a death trap to the fleeing troops.

[figheadair]

Their 'conclusion' follows the alternative site theory first advanced by Reid in 2004. Edward actually sent some of his archers across the Pelstream and their enfilade fire was beginning to have an effect on the Scottish advance until the archers were themselves engaged but the Scottish cavalry sent across the Pelstream further up.
Edward’s mistake during this part of the action was to deploy archers unsupported by pike-men, perhaps on the assumption that the Pelstream would protect them but more likely because it was a scrambled defence and he was trying to get direct fire down as quickly as possible in order to break up the schiltrons and so allow his cavalry to get in amongst them. Had he succeeded the result would have been quite different.

[MacRobert's Reply]

Just back from Bannockburn Live.

Mrs MacRobert's reply and I were photographed with the Bruce and a wee archer:

A couple of pictures of the battle:


And I met X Marker, cessna152towser manning the Cunningham Clan tent. He was dry; I was sodden following a rain-storm during the re-enactment.

[mookien]

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing with us. Mrs. MacRobert's reply looks downright ferocious, especially with that longbow, chain mail, and winning smile. It seems to run in the family.

[TheOfficialBren]

The sword that "the Bruce" is carrying looks like a replica of the famous Wallace sword, an artifact that probably doesn't date that far back, especially considering the typology. I could almost swear that this one's about 50 to 100 years too futuristic for the Bruce's era.

They've obviously pulled out all the stops and made this a huge event with much enthusiasm.

Thank you for the pics, MacRobert's Reply. It looks like a good time was had!