Robert the Bruce

Sculpted by T.J. Clapperton this bronze statue of King Robert the Bruce was added the left side of Edinburgh Castle's gate in 1929. A leader in Scotland's First War of Independence (1296-1328), Robert was crowned king of Scots March 25, 1306. In the years that followed, he led a successful guerrilla war that eventually reclaimed almost all of Scotland from the English. This conflict culminated with his stunning victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Fourteen years later, he brought peace to the land following the English recognition of Scottish independence through the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton.