The battle took place over two days on the 23rd and 24th of June 1314 to the south-east of Stirling Castle, Scotland. It was a victory for the army of King of Scots Robert the Bruce over the army of King Edward II of England in the First War of Scottish Independence. Although it did not bring an end to the war, as victory would only be secured 14 years later, Bannockburn is still a major landmark in Scottish history.

At the visitor centre, it is our aim to engage, inspire and educate audiences of all ages and backgrounds about the many facets of this significant historical event. This is achieved with the use of audio-visual presentations and informative historical interpretation. Of course our staff and volunteers are at the heart of what we do; sharing their enthusiasm and knowledge to commemorate Battle of Bannockburn, keeping the history alive.

In March 2020 we had to close the centre due to Covid-19 and reopened in April 2021. Due to the decreased numbers in the main exhibition and the absence of school visits, our financial resources have been depleted. To try and compensate for some of these monetary losses, our team have been busy creating and delivering additional tours and activities to run alongside the Experience. Some examples of these are Outdoor Tours, Armour and Weapons Handling, Outdoor Walking Trails, Crafts such as Shield-Making and Outdoor Events.

The resources which enable us to provide these fantastic activities and events come at a cost - a cost that we simply cannot afford. As a charity, we rely on the support of our amazing donors. With your help, we can repair and restore our invaluable armour and weapons collection, replenish our archery equipment, continue to run our craft workshops and reintroduce our lecture series.

What are we doing to raise money?

The challenge is for the staff and volunteers to climb to the summit of Ben Lomond. Reaching to a height of 974 metres it is the most southerly of the Munros and is located on the shores of Loch Lomond. It made sense to choose Ben Lomond as it too is one of the sites in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. This fundraiser will take place over two dates in early Summer 2022 to enable all the staff and volunteers to take part in their free time. The duration is approximately 5 hours and in addition to the obvious banter as we climb, the reward will be the views over Loch Lomond and The Trossachs (weather permitting). Our mascot, Bruce Bear will be accompanying us as we climb and we will be documenting our walk with photos and videos.

How the money we raise will help?

Any money that we raise will contribute towards Learning Resources and Events. Here at the centre, we have a large collection of replica armour and weapons which is used by both the public and the school groups. Armour and weapons handling is a hugely popular activity and therefore means that the objects are constantly requiring repair and replacement. For us to replace a chainmail shirt, the costs start at £80 and replica medieval swords can be anything from £60 to £600.

These resources will help us to maintain the existing events and activities and create new ones, for example we would like to start an archery workshop and create a sword-making activity to accompany our popular shield-making. We are also in communication with local schools to investigate ways in which we can engage with pre-school children by way of story-telling and sensory sessions. Finally, prior to Covid, we hosted a series of lectures delivered by heritage specialists on a wide variety of topics such as Battlefield Archaeology and the Scottish Wars of Independence. These too proved popular and we would very much like to bring these lectures back to the centre. With your help, we will be able to make these enjoyable and engaging educational activities and events continue to happen.

Everything we do at The Battle of Bannockburn and the National Trust for Scotland relies on the support of our visitors, members and donors. Our patrons and the public have demonstrated their generosity in donating in the past and we hope that once again you will respond to our campaign. We value your continued loyalty and could not do what we do without you and for that we offer our sincere thanks!

https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/bannockburn

https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/ben-lomond

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