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ILS... ONE TALE There Are Many Places in Dumfries and Galloway Associated with Robert the Bruce and His Story

ILS... ONE TALE There Are Many Places in Dumfries and Galloway Associated with Robert the Bruce and His Story

THRE E TRAILS... ONE TALE There are many places in and associated with and his story. You can visit these B7040 Ericstane Key: Wanlockhead locations individually, but if you wish to follow the Trail, it A701 B797 (M) has been divided into three regions to make travelling more trail locations manageable. These are the Eastern Trail, Central Trail and A76 trail route Western Trail. Annan principal trail towns Tibbers Western Trail Thornhill The Central Trail East ern ail Eastern Trail Tr B7020 THE EASTERN TRAIL is about 120 miles with 3.5 hrs driving - Dalswinton it takes in a number of attractive towns and villages. Castle Hightae is one of ’s great medieval fortresses. In Clatteringshaws Dumfries 1300, King launched an invasion into Galloway A75 B7020 Glentrool B725 Kirkpatrick and besieged the castle. It remained in English hands until 1312, when Fleming it fell to King Robert the Bruce, who ordered its demolition. Today, Sweetheart A75 with its moat, twin towered gatehouse and imposing battlements, A75 Abbey B724 Creebridge Annan Caerlaverock Castle is the epitome of the medieval stronghold. Castle Caerlaverock Loch Ryan Creetown

A714 A75 A710 Annan’s 12th century castle was the base of the Norman de Brus family, who rose in power and influence as generations went by. It A755 was strategically placed on the River Annan, but flooding damaged the foundations, and the site was abandoned for Lochmaben. Built as a motte and bailey castle, it is the oldest man-made formation still standing in Annan, although only earthworks remain. Kirkpatrick Fleming The Robert the Bruce Trail The story of Bruce and the spider was created by Sir Walter Scott and based on the fact that Bruce was a fugitive from 1306 to 1307. The cave here has a popular local association with the story, and is carved out of a red sandstone cfiff, about 30 feet above the Kirtle Water. Until 1927 it could only be reached by a rope from the The CEN The WE overhang, but the council built the present path so that the cave TRAL Trail stern Trail could be visited safely. THE CENTRAL TRAIL is about 115 miles with 3hrs driving ~ it THE WESTERN TRAIL is about 100 miles with 3hrs driving ~ it Hightae takes in the fabulous coastline of . takes in the quiet yet beautiful western coast

The area around Hightae was granted to the Brus family in 1124, and Glentrool it is one of the Royal Four Towns of Lochmaben ~ Greenhill, Heck, Sweetheart Abbey is the heart of the tiny Now part of Galloway Forest Park, Hightae and Smallholm ~ founded by Bruce to provide garrisons community of , and was built Glentrool is the scene of King Robert’s and food supplies for . The rights granted to the for Lady Devorgilla of Galloway, to first significant victory over the English: tenants passed down through a small group of families to the present commemorate her late husband John time, producing a proud community with a unique history. in April 1307, he hid in these hills with Balliol. She had his heart embalmed and no more than around 300 men, waiting Lochmaben kept it in a casket ~ her “sweet, silent, companion”. Their son John became King for the chance to pounce on his prey. In medieval times, forest and marsh of Scots in 1292. The abbey, initially called At Glentrool he lured the Earl of forced travellers from England up New Abbey, was renamed by the monks in Pembroke and 1,500 heavy English through Annandale towards Lochmaben, her memory Dulce Cor ~ Sweetheart Abbey. cavalry along the narrow track on the and it was a key point of conflict south side of Loch Trool, bombarded between England and Scotland. The them with rocks and debris, then fell Bruces built a motte and bailey castle The remains of this once-important castle consist today of a large, on them as they scattered. which survives today as part of the grass-covered motte built by Allan, . When Robert golf course. The later castle built at the Bruce seized the throne in 1306, his brother Edward Bruce Whithorn Castle Loch was begun by Edward I of England c. 1300. beseiged the castle which fell in February 1313. Robert took the Ericstane surrender and Buittle Castle was subsequently razed to the ground. In 1328 Bruce had secured independence from England, but In 1325 the lands of Buittle were given by King Robert I to Sir James he was a dying man. At the age of 54, his body was wracked In February 1306, Bruce rode north for Glasgow, having killed John Douglas. but the motte is now owned by Balliol College, Oxford. with a skin disease, possibly leprosy, after a lifetime of harsh Comyn at Greyfriars Monastery, Dumfries. His party halted here at living. In April 1329, he made a last pilgrimage from his home the Devil’s Beeftub, where the Annan rises, and was met by a small at Cardross to Whithorn to pray at St Ninian’s Shrine. He riding party led by the young James Douglas, carrying a message of support from the Bishop of St. Andrews. Douglas pledged his loyalty Kirkcudbright Castle was built by King Alexander III in 1264, was a pious man and prayed for forgiveness for the murder to the would-be king, a promise he kept all his life. occupying an almost impregnable position on a tidal inlet of the sea. of John Comyn, and for the suffering and death of his loved When Edward I of England invaded Galloway in 1300 he stayed here ones. The award-winning Whithorn Story tells the story of Wanlockhead for ten days, accompanied by 7500 men and 60 ships, the biggest fleet Whithorn’s early Christian past, the churches on the site and ever seen in Scotland. The castle was probably demolished by King the archaeology discovered there during the last century. This village is the highest in Scotland, and its mines produced lead Robert 1 after his victory over the English at Bannockburn in 1314. for making weapons. Gold and silver were mined for minting coins and for making the Scottish crown and regalia. Other local resources Creebridge were King Robert’s ‘palfreys’: small, agile ponies ideal for battle in the Glenluce Abbey was founded around 1192. The Cistercian The flat estuary here is the site of an indecisive battle between Scottish landscape. Today, the Museum of Scottish Leadmining here is monks here probably came from , near a major visitor attraction. Edward 1 and Scottish forces led by Edward, Earl of Buchan. On seeing the English army bearing down on them, the Scots cavalry fled Kirkcudbright. They brought with them an austere way of life, for the hills, but the English were ill~prepared to make pursuit over but also the splendour of their architecture. Glenluce Abbey this terrain, so most Scots escaped. The River Cree was the limit of came into State care in 1933, and during clearance of the Sanquhar Castle was captured by William Wallace during his uprising Edward’s 1300 invasion and, starved of funds, he returned home. rubble, many artefacts were discovered, now on display in of 1297. The Castle had links with Robert the Bruce but most of the visitor centre. When King Robert made his final journey what survives is from the 1400s. The Castle ruins are privately- Clatteringshaws owned and not open to the public, but may be viewed from the to Whithorn, he travelled down the coast, resting at several Southern Upland Way, which passes them. In March 1307 King Robert hid out in the hills around Moss Raploch places along the way including Glenluce Abbey. and Glentrool. An English army camped here was set upon by the Tibbers Castle Scots at dawn and, as the Scots picked over the dead for weapons Loch Ryan and booty, the king rested against a large stone, now known as the Only earthworks and some stone walling remains of Tibbers Castle. When Bruce returned to the mainland to start his campaign, Bruce Stone. The battle site itself is now submerged by the reservoir., Early in 1306, Tibbers was garrisoned by English troops, but captured but the stone can be visited in Galloway Forest Park. its landscape provided shelter and hiding places, and access by the Scots soon after John Comyn’s death at the hands of Robert to the sea was crucial in supplying men, ships and support for Bruce. Today the site is owned by the Duke of Buccleuch. his cause. In February 1307 King Robert’s brothers, Thomas and Alexander, landed on the shores of Loch Ryan to attack Dalswinton Castle Douglas was the scene of a massacre in 1308 when Sir James the English supply route from Carlisle, but they were betrayed, On 10 February 1306 John Comyn set out from Dalswinton Castle Douglas raided the south west. The town was under the English command of Robert Clifford. Douglas killed most defenders and and fell into the hands of the Macdowalls, Bruce’s enemy in to meet Robert Bruce at Greyfriars Monastery, Dumfries. A few Galloway. hours later, Comyn lay dead and Bruce seized Dumfries Castle. The destroyed the fortifications. The nearby castle at Threave was attacked present Dalswinton House stands on the site of Comyn’s medieval by Edward Bruce in the same year..The present was built by castle. It is a private home, not open to the public. Douglas’ son, Archibald the Grim. St s y’ ar Greyfriars M St. Mary's t Church S Dum 3 Church 4 fries To High St wn Trail 2 Dumfries Town Trail takes approx 2.5 hrs, approx 3miles Friars St sh Vennel li g Where next? Turn up Mill Brae and then left on Whitesands n Turn right out of the Visitor Information Centre 1 VIC E for 300m until you reach Friars Vennel. 2 to Church Street until you get to Dumfries 1 Museum. The museum contains many Where next? Turn right here and walk 150m to 6 Mill Rd Bank St artefacts from these times. Come face to face Bridge the top of this medieval road until you find the Devorgilla’s 5 interpretive panel on the site of the Greyfriars with King Robert and find out what life was DUMFRIES Monastery. Established around 1292, it was here like for the medieval townsfolk of the Royal ROBERT the BRUCE that Robert Bruce, Lord of Annandale murdered Burgh of Dumfries. Examine a cast of Bruce’s his rival John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch. skull (right); gaze at the decorated stonework 6 from the high altar vicinity at Grey Friars, Dumfries St Michael’s St Town Trail Where next? Walk to the top of Friar’s Vennel, turn Museum Pilgrim’s where Bruce killed John Comyn; find the Way left and find the wall plaque commemorating John key from the foundations of Castledykes, © Dumfries & Galloway Council. Comyn’s death (left). Cross Church Crescent to site of the castle where Robert Bruce Cycle track the 19th century Greyfriars Church 3 and find raised the Royal Standard. the Trail monolith. This church Bankend Rd dates from 1868 but was named Where next? Turn right out of the after the monastery which stood museum on to Road. across the road (right). Turn left on to Pilgrim’s Way and cross the suspension bridge. Turn Today’s High Street would have bustled with right and walk the riverside cycle travellers and tradesman in Medieval times. track until you reach Castledykes As the town grew, a market developed in what is Glencaple Rd park. 7 known as Queensberry Square. KEY: After Comyn’s murder in 1306, Bruce Where next? Walk down High Street and turn left gathered his men to race the mile or so trail locations

on to English Street. St. Mary’s Church is on 4 d here. He stormed Dumfries Castle where R your left at the junction with Annan Road.The site foot trail route m the unsuspecting English justices were l of the present church was originally Hangman’s o holding their session. They quickly h g n Hill where King Robert the Bruce’s brother-in- i surrendered and Bruce displayed Scotland’s K law, Sir Christopher Seton, was hanged in 1307 Royal Standard for the first time since John by the English. His widow, Christiana, Balliol’s abdication ten years before. Wallace’s To Caerlaverock 7 Loaning castle later erected the Chapel of the Take time to explore this lovely green Holy Rood in his memory. All that Castledykes © Solway Heritage. space. There is the castle site itself, Park remains is the small stone pillar in picnic areas, a children’s playground front of the church (left). and quarry gardens, where there Where next? Walk down English Street, right into High Street, then left into Bank Street. Bank Street Where next? You can return to Visit Scotland on Whitesands, was known as the ‘Stinking Vennel’, as in Medieval where the Trail began, or head south out of Dumfries on B725 times a stream of waste material would drain to Caerlaverock Castle and begin the Eastern Trail. down here into the river. At Whitesands cross Devorgilla’s Bridge 5 turning left on to Mill Rd. In around 1280, Lady Devorgilla of Galloway commissioned the original timber bridge in Dumfries.The stone bridge you see today was built © Solway Heritage. on its foundations in the 15th century and is the oldest multi- spanned bridge in Scotland (right). Devorgilla married of Barnard Castle, and their son John became King of Scots in 1292, after a lengthy competition with the Bruce family. Mural at Castledykes Park.

Specific thanks for the support of Heritage Lottery Funding and Sulwath Welcome Connections Landscape Partnership project without whom this project to...... would never have been realised. ...The Robert the Bruce Trail Heritage Lottery Fund Historic Scotland If you have watched ‘Braveheart’, you know it is based on the Landfill Tax Credit Common Good Fund Forestry Commisssion Scotland George Hunter Trust story of William Wallace’s fight for Scotland’s freedom from English Clydesdale Bank Magnox North oppression in medieval times. The film ends with Wallace’s execution Galloway Associateion of Glasgow Lochmaben Common Good in 1305, but the epilogue shows the subsequent victory by King the National Trust for Scotland Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn. The Robert the Bruce Trail tells and donations from many other individual supporters. the story of how a nobleman from south west Scotland gained the Desigh by SS Crome Associates nation’s crown and recovered her freedom. Text illustrations & maps © SS Crome Associates & Dumfries & Galloway Council Printed by Solway Offset, Dumfries, 2009

Annandale Coat of Arms is reproduced by permission of the Lord Lyon King of Arms

Copyright of all information in this leaflet shall remain the property of Sulwath Connections Landscape Project and the Robert the Bruce Commemoration Trust

Robert the Bruce, King of Scots ~ visionary leader and invincible military general ~ is accepted as Scotland’s most successful monarch. His home territory was in Dumfries and Galloway, and the creation of the Trail provides the opportunity to tell the story of Robert Bruce ~ the man. Here he grew up, was influenced by the people, made friends and enemies, forged his skills and gained knowledge of his Celtic ancestry. Places connected with Bruce are varied in nature. Most buildings from his time have long since gone, but the landscape remains beautiful and evocative. Most surviving buildings take the form of ruined abbeys and castles, but some are simply mounds in the ground where buildings once stood. There are excellent museums and visitor centres close to many Trail sites and regional Visitor Information Centres have more information and most locations are supported by information panels, monoliths or plaques. Look out too for the Trail booklet The l which tells the full story, and gives directions to all the sites. Robert the Bruce TRai Journey back 700 years to the Wars of Independence and see Dumfries and Galloway through the eyes of Scotland’s greatest King.

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