The most important victory of the Scots over the English also has a magnificent monument to show for it. At the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre you can relive the battle – even in 3D.
“Here lies our land: every airt – Beneath swift clouds, glad glints of sun, – Belonging to none but itself.” These words are inscribed on the ring that currently surrounds me. Above me the Scottish flag flutters in the wind, and ahead of me I see a path leading to the equestrian statue of Robert the Bruce. Historic ground! I’m standing at the monument to the Battle of Bannockburn (currently only available in German) – the historic victory of the Scots over the English more than 700 years ago.
Although: fighting probably never actually took place on this exact spot. The people behind the visitor centre don’t claim that either. Historians have long disagreed about precisely where the English were defeated.
One of the more recent theories, put forward by Dr Fiona Watson, moves the site about a kilometre to the east. A school stands there today. Why this spot? Because the Bannockburn stream has carved itself almost 20 metres deep into the ground there. Records mention a “great ditch”. This location would fit far better than the many other suggestions made over the years.
No reason to come here anymore, then? Quite the opposite! For one thing, this could well be the spot where Robert the Bruce once raised his banner before the battle. For another, both the monument and the visitor centre are well worth a visit.
Above all, the fully restored bronze statue of Robert the Bruce lends the site a certain majesty.
From here, visitors also get a lovely view over the land and Gillies Hill. The Scottish king’s followers had spent the night on this hill. They were popularly known as “Gillies”, and the hill bears their name.
Over time, though, it does get rather windy on the grounds. Good thing there’s the new Bannockburn Visitor Centre. It has the obligatory café, of course. More interesting, though, is the multimedia exhibition, which shows the Battle of Bannockburn through computer-animated 3D scenes. Great fun for children and adults alike. In the Battleroom you can even test your own tactical skills.
One thing, though: the admission prices for the multimedia experience are steep, and you’re best off booking in advance. On this beautiful day, a walk around the monument was plenty for me.
Good to know: The Battle of Bannockburn Experience
What do Gollum and the Battle of Bannockburn have in common? Motion capture. For the new visitor centre, opened here in 2014 for the 700th anniversary, the National Trust for Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland created an animated film that recreates the battle down to the smallest detail. To do so, they captured – just as was done with Gollum in The Lord of the Rings – specific movements of an actor and transferred them onto computer-animated figures.
One of these actors was Charlie Allan of the Clanranald Trust, who has also appeared in films such as Gladiator, Robin Hood and Snow White and the Huntsman.
This made it possible to create a cinematic recreation of the battle, which is now considered the main attraction at the visitor centre.
All of this, incidentally, happened in the run-up to the 700th-anniversary celebrations in 2014. The monument was also fully refurbished at the time. The poem engraved on the rotunda was only added recently. It was written by the poet Kathleen Jamie and is called “Here Lies Our Land”. It opens with the line “Here lies our land: every airt” and goes on to describe Scotland’s landscape as belonging to no one but itself, with its people as mere passing custodians of its beauty.
In the poem, the poet celebrates the beauty of Scotland and casts people within it as transient beings.
Tip: Stirling Castle pairs well with Bannockburn
The Battle of Bannockburn had one aim: to relieve Stirling Castle, then under siege by the Scots, so the English could break through. So it lies not far from here – visiting both sights together makes for a sensible combination.
Personal note: Have you heard of bowls?
While walking around the grounds, the path suddenly led down the hill. From above I spotted a lawn where lots of people dressed in white were rolling balls across the grass.
I’d landed right at the Borestone Bowling Club and was able to watch the matches at my leisure. Bowling here, by the way, has nothing to do with American-style bowling – the sport itself is called bowls. The aim is to get your balls as close as possible to the smaller target ball, the jack. What makes bowls special: the balls have a slight bias, so they curve as they roll.
For me, this was the first time I’d come into contact with the sport.
Getting there:
With a sat nav: Enter the postcode “FK7 0LJ”. Stay on the Glasgow Road throughout and watch for the signage.
Without a sat nav: From Glasgow, first take the M8 towards Edinburgh, then switch straight onto the M80 towards Stirling and follow it for about 20 minutes. At junction 9, switch onto the A91 towards Stirling. At the large roundabout, take the A872 towards “Whins of Milton” – signs for Stirling Castle and “The Battle of Bannockburn” already appear here. Follow the road past the Jet petrol station, and after a few hundred more metres the visitor centre, with its large car park, is on the right.
From Edinburgh, take the M9 towards Stirling. Follow it until junction 9 for Stirling is also signposted here. You end up at the same large roundabout described above.