Sulwath Connections
Celebrating and enhancing the Scottish Solway Coast and river valleys
Robert the Bruce Trail
Report:
Plan for the Interpretation for a Robert the Bruce Trail in the Sulwath Connections area
Partners:
The Robert the Bruce Trail was formally opened by Prince Andrew in July 2009 at a ceremony attended by civic dignitaries, the local community and partners involved in realising the project.
The Robert the Bruce Trail covers the whole of Dumfries and Galloway and is best tackled on a pick-and-mix basis, though it is broken up for ease of access into east, central and west sections, with a walk in Dumfries.
Dumfries and Galloway is a part of Scotland which was vital in the late 13th and early 14th centuries during the Wars of Independence. Its geographical position made it important to King Edward I of England in his attempts to conquer Scotland. It was the main power base of the Balliols, Lords of Galloway, and the Bruces, Lords of Annandale, the two leading competitors for the crown of Scotland.
The critical event, the slaying of the Red Comyn by Robert Bruce in 1306 in Greyfriars Monastery, took place in Dumfries. A wall plaque in Friars Vennel marks the site of the monastery, now buried beneath a shop. Bruce’s first success was to take Dumfries Castle from its English garrison; traces of this castle remain in Castledykes Park.
In Annandale the original Bruce seat, the motte and bailey at Annan, has been cleared in collaboration with the Friends of the Annandale and Eskdale Museums. It was partially destroyed by a flood, and the Bruces moved to Lochmaben, where their castle now forms the third green on the town’s golf-course. The larger stone castle at the head of the Castle Loch was built by Edward I.
Bruce did not have much success following his coronation in 1306, but by 1307 he was waging guerrilla warfare in the Galloway Hills and had his first victories, both of them ambushes, at Glentrool and then at Raploch Moss, which has been buried under the waters of Clatteringshaws Loch. They are beautiful and atmospheric sites.
Several of the points on the Trail focus on the Balliol connection and especially on Devorgilla, mother of King John Balliol and great-aunt of the Comyn. Bruce’s dying pilgrimage to Whithorn as he tried to find absolution for what he saw as the sin of killing Comyn also feature.
The Trail covers many romantic stories and invites visitors to recapture the atmosphere and to savour this important period in the history of Scotland. The Trail leaflet can be downloaded here, and the Guide Book is be available at VisitScotland offices and at some hotels and other appropriate outlets.
