Scots, led by William Wallace, defied that decision at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. Wallace would be executed in 1305 and the next year, Robert Bruce decided to overcome factional disputes by killing John Comyn, his rival for Scottish leadership. After a number of initial reverses, Bruce would use hit-and-run tactics to defeat the English and exercise control over much of Scotland. His brother was laying siege to Stirling Castle and essentially dared the English king, now Edward II, to lift the siege. Edward did come north with a far superior force and would be defeated at the Battle of Bannockburn and Bruce would eventually be recognized as king.

At the centre, you can read all that in the exhibition rooms, which also feature a number of manikin displays, or you can watch an excellent 10-minute movie that will make it all come to life. Don’t pass on the film--it makes this history lesson extremely palatable.

You can see the memorial itself for free--it’s not particularly remarkable. It is a stone circle in which there is a tall mast flying the Scottish flag. It symbolizes Bruce’s standard at the battle. Nearby, there is a large equestrian statue of Bruce in full armor. Although I didn’t find the memorial particularly moving, the centre provided a good background in Scottish history.

Outside the exhibition building is a gigantic statue of Robert the Bruce, probably the next Scottish hero to be portrayed by Hollywood, now that Rob Roy and William Wallace have been covered.

The Battle of Bannockburn was between the Scots and the English during the reign of Edward II of England and Robert the Bruce of Scotland. Although the great battle in the movie Braveheart is partially based on the events here at Stirling, Wallace was actually put to death ten years prior to this battle.

Bannockburn was a Scottish victory unlike any other. They were outnumbered. By a lot. The Bruce is believed to have had 5,500 trained men against nearly 20,000 on the English side. But with superior tactics and the home field advantage, the Scots routed the English.

The exhibition building is, as most such exhibitions are, a bit on the hokey side. There were figures dressed up in period costume set in dioramas that had little to do with the battle. In a large round room at the end, we found a prize, however. A helmet that you can put on for pictures. Well, it seemed like a fun idea when I was jet lagged from more than 24 hours of travel. Maybe I'll get those pictures scanned, but perhaps they're better burned...

More information may be found at: www.nts.org.uk/bannockburn.html