Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} On the Trail of William Wallace by David R. Ross On the Trail of William Wallace by David R. Ross. David R Ross 1958 - 2010. David R Ross Memorial Fund. 'All men die, . . .not all men really live'. Davie did. He truly lived his life. He was a big man with a big heart, he was kind and giving. In living his life the way he did he touched and inspired many people, bringing a sense of himself into their lives. Through Davie just being, an abundance of friendships and alliances have been formed – one of his many legacies. He loved his country with all his heart and soul, his passion was the very fabric of who he was, therefore, the 'David R. Ross Memorial Fund' has been set up to aid in the conclusion of some the work Davie was involved in prior to his death. Davie achieved many things in his life, however, he felt that the 23rd of August 2005 was the most important day of his life in relation to his work for his culture and his country. That was the day, that after 700 years, Wallace finally had his funeral service ‘with a coffin there to symbolically capture his spirit’. Wallace’ spirit and coffin’ containing many personal messages left by his countrymen’ was brought home. We stopped at Gretna, taking the coffin to the top of the banking before opening it to allow Wallace’ spirit to look across the Solway to where Longshanks died. Davie’s aspiration was that the coffin would eventually come to rest in St Kentigerns in Lanark where it would be on display under glass as part of the Wallace trail. Sadly, that dream was never realised. It pained Davie greatly every time he looked at or thought about the coffin sitting in storage. He felt he had let Wallace and his countrymen down. Therefore, monies raised through his memorial fund will be used to realise Davie’s dream of finding the coffin an appropriate home. Plans were very much in the making for 2014 at Bannockburn. Davie’s vision was of people coming from all over Scotland and beyond, walking onto the field of Bannockburn to celebrate this great historical day. We will work towards making that dream a reality and creating our own wee bit of history with David R. Ross in the forefront of our minds and in our hearts. Those are the two key areas that the money raised through the memorial trust will be spent on. If you would like to make a donation to the David R. Ross memorial fund the details of the account are: Miss K Ross & Ms S Mackinnon Account Number: 00648868 Sort Code: 831807 Home Branch: Dumfries Whitesands. David Robertson Ross is a patriotic Scot who loves his country and its people. He is passionate about the rich tapestry of Scottish history. David is a writer and historian who has specialised in the great Scottish hero Sir William Wallace. Although Wallace and the Wallace Society take up a great deal of David's time, he still manages to write about Scotland and her historical past with a poignancy and touch of humour. David is known as the ‘Biker Writer' because of his other love; motorcycles. He tours the length and breadth of the country on his trusty motorcycle, seeking out obscure facts and places of interest. He then collates them in his own unique way to become the books that people read and love. In his books, David is very descriptive with his narration and you almost feel you are with him on his journey. In the year 2005, David set off on an amazing adventure that would see him walk from Robroyston in Glasgow to the English capital city of London . Why would anyone want to do that you may ask? The reason behind the great trek was Sir William Wallace. In 1305, Wallace had been betrayed and captured at Robroyston, then marched to London to face a mock trial and barbaric execution. David Ross thought that on the 700 th anniversary of this event, Scotland should honour her hero and bring his spirit home to the land of his birth. The preparation for such an event took many months and indeed years of planning. David Ross is one of the few people in Scotland who could have achieved this tremendous ovation for a man loved by Scots. Mel Gibson had played his part when the production of the film “Braveheart” hit the cinema screens in 1996. It raised the profile of Wallace and the Scottish psyche was pricked to a great extent. There had been nothing like this in Scotland since 1978 when we were going to win the world cup in Argentina with ‘Ally's Tartan Army' Scottish nationalism was again to the fore. David in Robroyston at the start of the Walk for Wallace 2005. David, who has always been interested in Wallace realised that he could tap into this re-emergence of ‘Scottishness', and once more make our country proud to be ‘Scottish'. The plans started and with the help of many friends, David Ross made it possible for 1,000 Scots to travel to London and walk the last six miles that Sir William Wallace had walked 700 years before. This was of course very different, because Wallace was never allowed the luxury of a funeral. His body had been cut to pieces and distributed across the country as a warning to others. In place of Wallace's body was a coffin, full of letters and prayers sent by the Scottish people. Children had written their thoughts along with adults. Poems and accolades were all included in this wooden shrine. David Ross wanted Wallace to have the funeral denied him by his foes. Sir William Wallace now had that, and the fundamental right to be taken homewards to Scotland . Ted Christopher the well-known Scottish songwriter and singer had composed a song especially for the occasion called ‘ I'm Coming Home', Wallace's spirit was brought home to Scotland and Lanark was to see a very emotional commemoration to Scotland 's favourite son. The day ended with a torch lit parade through the old streets of the town a sight that was awesome to behold. With the lifting of the spirit in Scotland David Ross gave the people of Scotland , something to believe in again. The website is to continue the story of David and his journey to the past and present. David believes that his writing has given him the opportunity to promote Scotland in a positive light. David feels it is important, to show people his country is ready to take its place in the world as an equal partner when the time is right. On the Trail of William Wallace. This book is filled with useful titbits for the tourist or native. The author pieces together the jigsaw of Wallace's life through his travels. Reviews: You have to keep reminding yourself, listening to David Ross talk about William Wallace, that the Scottish patriot lived and died 700 years ago. For the freshness and vigour with which he tells the tale gives the impression that it all happened only yesterday - and that he was the reporter on the spot, charged with recording the events for posterity. Televisual on 24/02/1999. On the Trail of William Wallace. This book is filled with useful titbits for the tourist or native. The author pieces together the jigsaw of Wallace's life through his travels. Reviews: You have to keep reminding yourself, listening to David Ross talk about William Wallace, that the Scottish patriot lived and died 700 years ago. For the freshness and vigour with which he tells the tale gives the impression that it all happened only yesterday - and that he was the reporter on the spot, charged with recording the events for posterity. Televisual on 24/02/1999. David R Ross. DAVID R Ross, who has died suddenly of a heart attacked aged 51, became known as "the biker historian" after writing a string of highly acclaimed books on Scottish history, notably about William Wallace. For his research, he travelled his native land in full black leathers on his black Kawasaki ZZR motorcycle. At 6ft 5in tall, and in the kilt when not in leathers, he was often told he'd have made a far better Wallace in Braveheart than "that wee Aussie". Nevertheless, Ross respected Mel Gibson's 1995 movie and believed it "raised the profile of Wallace and pricked the Scottish psyche to a great extent. There had been nothing like this in Scotland since 1978 when we were going to win the World Cup in Argentina with Ally's Army," he said. In 2005, the 700th anniversary of Wallace's execution for treason, Ross gained domestic and international prominence when he set off on a Walk for Wallace, retracing his hero's final trip from Robroyston, Glasgow, where he had been betrayed and captured, to Smithfield in London, where he was hanged, drawn and quartered. Along the 450-mile way, "Big Davy" was cheered by Scots and hundreds joined him for the final six-mile hike into London. There, he presided over a symbolic funeral service for Wallace at the St Bartholomew the Great church in Smithfield, close to the spot where he died. Ross's dream, was to bring the Scottish patriot "home" for a symbolic funeral he had been denied 700 years earlier when his body was cut into pieces to be displayed throughout the land as a warning to other would-be independence fighters. From London, Ross and his supporters carried a coffin they said was carrying Wallace's spirit, packed with letters, poems and good wishes from Scots. On their return to Scotland, they held a torchlit parade in Lanark and buried the coffin there, at St Kentigern's church. David Robertson Ross was born in Giffnock in 1958. His family moved to East Kilbride when he was five and he attended Halfmerke Primary and East Kilbride High School, leaving at 16. He would live in East Kilbride for the rest of his life. "At school, I was taught history from a 'British' perspective," he once wrote, "in fact, an almost-wholly English perspective – the Norman Conquest, 1066 and all that. "At 14 or 15, I discovered the novels of Nigel Tranter, first the Bruce trilogy, then the Wallace. These books were like doors opening to me. They were about my history, my people, and were set in places that, even at that tender age, I knew passing well. These led on to me devouring everything I could find in print that spoke about the colourful, proud, sometimes tragic history of Scotland. The William Wallace Sword. The William Wallace sword is currently being held in The National Wallace Monument in Stirling, Scottland. The William Wallace Sword is a large two-handed sword, and as the name suggests, it was once wielded by William Wallace, a Scottish knight who led the resistance during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The William Wallace sword was used by him at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 and the Battle of Falkirk (1298). The blade of the sword measures 132 cm in length. Including the hilt, it is 163 cm. The sword weighs 2.70 kg. Timeline of the William Wallace Sword. The Wallace Sword has sometimes been referred to as Freedom’s Sword . Wallace, and his sword, have become emblems used by groups internationally to bring attention to their battles for justice and freedom. It is said that the Wallace Sword remained at Dumbarton Castle from 1305 when Wallace was imprisoned after his capture. Suspiciously, there are zero records of the Sword until 1505, when it was first mentioned when King James IV asked for its handle to be repaired. The Wallace Sword moved to the National Wallace Monument in 1888, a decision that angered the town of Dumbarton. In 1912, Ethel Moorhead broke the sword case in the National Wallace Monument to raise awareness for women’s freedom of speech and political expression. The Sword was stolen from Monument on 8 th November 1936 by Scottish Nationalists at Glasgow University. The nationalists returned the sword upon realising how much distress they had caused. Unfortunately, the security at Monument seemingly did not improve, and the Sword was stolen again in 1972. It was returned in that same year. The authenticity of the William Wallace Sword. The authenticity of the William Wallace Sword is subject to debate that can never be satisfactorily cleared. There are records from 1505 at the time of James IV of money being set aside for the ‘upkeep of Wallace’s sword’. When the sword was finally handed over to Dr. Rogers, who was responsible for transferring it to the Wallace Monument, the Colonel who delivered the sword stated emotionally that by delivering this sword to Dr Rogers, ‘he had conferred on him the highest honour it was possible for the British government to bestow on any native of our northern kingdom’. Following examinations of the Wallace Sword in the National Wallace Monument, it has been stated that the sword is of a style that was no prevalent around the time of William Wallace. Some say that the sword design is too modern for the time of Wallace. The sword was obviously believed then to have been the sword captured with Wallace in 1305, and the changes made during the reign of James IV. The Lord High Treasurer’s accounts for 1505, during the reign of James IV, shows that there was entry: Item, for bynding of ane riding sword, ane rappyer, and binding of Wallas sword with cordis of silk, new hilt and plommet. One historian, recognising the changes and the subtle details, has referred to this sword as the ‘ghost’ of Wiliam Wallace’s sword. Some say that the metalwork of the sword will be original, but the parts mentioned above are replacements from 1505. The size of the sword is impressive enough when observing the sword today, never mind that the original should be even longer than the current sword. Outgoing president of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Dr David Caldwell, does not believe that the sword on show at the National Wallace Monument is the real Wallace Sword, and has said that the sword had “nothing to do” with William Wallace. He said that the sword was “not very good example of a two-handed 16th Century sword” and was acquired in “desperation” to link the monument to Wallace. “When the Wallace Monument was being built in the 19th Century, there was a great desire to find appropriate relics to go with the great man and they were very hard to find.” Whilst there will always be questions about the authenticity of the sword, this is not unusual and is the case with so many historical artefacts. More importantly – the sword has come to be recognised as a powerful symbol of liberty, and a reminder of the freedom for which Wallace fought.