In the summer of 1314, on the banks of the Bannock Burn near Stirling, the Scots won their greatest ever battle. Led by King Robert the Bruce, they defeated the forces of Edward II of England and freed Scotland from English rule.
Why was there a battle?
After many years of peace between England and Scotland, King Alexander III died unexpectedly. A chain of events gave Edward I of England the chance to add Scotland to his own kingdom.
In 1296, Edward jailed the new king, John Balliol, in the Tower of London. English troops were stationed in every Scottish town. To show who was in charge, Edward seized the Stone of Destiny and the Scottish crown jewels and took them to London. His nickname was 'Hammer of the Scots'.
Rebellion!
Many Scottish noblemen swore allegiance to Edward I, but those loyal to King John began to rebel. They were led by Sir Andrew Murray and William Wallace.
The rebels beat the Earl of Surrey's army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge but were later crushed by Edward's army near Falkirk. For several years, they fought against Edward's occupying forces until Wallace was finally captured. He was gruesomely put to death as a warning to other rebels. Scotland was at the mercy of Edward I.
So what happened next?
Robert the Bruce now enters our story and claims the Scottish throne. After murdering his rival, John the 'Red' Comyn, he is crowned king in 1306. He slowly builds an army of supporters and, together, they free every occupied Scottish town.
Edward I, now an old man, is furious but he dies before he can capture Bruce. His son Edward becomes king. By 1313, Stirling Castle is the last garrison in English hands.
The Siege of Stirling Castle
Edward Bruce, Robert's brother, laid siege to Stirling Castle which was held by Sir Philip Moubray. Bruce and Moubray met and agreed that, if England did not send help by midsummer 1314, Moubray would surrender. It was a 
challenge that Edward could not refuse.
The Battle of Bannockburn
Who was more likely to win?
Edward marched north with 3,000 cavalry and over 15,000 foot soldiers and archers. With great weapons and armour, they must have been a spectacular sight.
Bruce's own army of nobles, knights, landowners and tenant farmers numbered only 6,000. But Bruce had trained 
them well. The battlefield, skirted by Bannock Burn and its treacherous marshes, may have been scattered with calthrops, a hazard for horses. The Scots had also dug rows of camouflaged pits lined with wooden stakes.
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Sunday 23 June 1314 - the Battle Begins...Edward's army charged three times but, each time, they were driven back. By sunset that day, the Scots were jubilant. Edward still thought he would win and marched his men to the Bannock Burn for drinking water. It was a big mistake.
Monday 24 June 1314
When the English cavalry advanced, the Scots drove them back towards the marshes. The whole army was now trapped between the Scots, the Bannock Burn and the boggy ground. The 'small folk' (followers of the Scots camp) joined the battle, and the English fled for their lives. Many were trampled to death or drowned in the murky waters of the Bannock Burn and the River Forth.
Against all odds, the Scots had won the day.
The End?
Despite a crushing defeat at Bannockburn, Edward II continued his war with Scotland. The Scottish nobles finally wrote to the Pope, asking him to recognise Bruce as their king and end England's aggression. The Pope agreed and, at last, Scotland was free. Robert the Bruce took his rightful place as King of the Scots.
Q: What do you think would have happened if Bruce had lost at Bannockburn?
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The Murder of John Comyn 
In February 1306, Bruce met his arch rival John the 'Red' Comyn in Greyfriars Church, Dumfries. Would the Comyn family support his claim to be king? The answer was 'no', they quarrelled and Bruce stabbed Comyn in front of the altar. Instead of outlawing him, the Bishop of Glasgow supported Bruce's claim to the throne.
Hedgehogs and Calthrops
The Scottish spearmen were trained in a technique called 'the Hedgehog'.
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They would pack themselves closely together, those at the front kneeling down, and thrust their spears upwards. Very effective against an advancing army and, from a distance, a little like a giant hedgehog. 
Because Bruce had committed murder in a church, the Pope - who was very powerful in medieval times - did not accept him as king. In 1320, the Scottish nobility wrote to him, stating that the Scottish people were a free nation. This letter, signed by thirty one barons and eight earls, is the Declaration of Arbroath, one of Scotland's most important historical documents. 
Allegiance
To promise to serve a king or another person in a position of power.