Medieval numbers are debated; these are the mainstream scholarly range.
Balance of forces
Kingdom of England~18,000
Kingdom of Scotland~7,000
Estimated strength; medieval figures are debated.
Quick answer
Scotland under Robert the Bruce won a decisive victory at Bannockburn over two days in June 13141, breaking a much larger English army led by Edward II. Fighting on ground of his own choosing, Bruce shattered the English cavalry on the spears of his schiltrons; it is the most celebrated victory in Scottish history and secured the country's independence in practice.
Over two days in June 1314, near Stirling in central Scotland, a Scottish army under Robert the Bruce faced a much larger English army led by King Edward II. Fighting on ground of his own choosing, Bruce broke the English cavalry on the hedgehog spears of his schiltrons and drove the enemy into a rout. Bannockburn is the most celebrated victory in Scottish history and secured, in practice, the country's independence.
The road to Stirling
By 1314 Robert the Bruce had won back nearly all of Scotland2 from English control, and only a few great castles held out. When the garrison of Stirling agreed to surrender unless relieved by midsummer3, Edward II marched north with a large army, including a powerful force of armoured knights, to save the castle and crush Bruce in the field.
Mounted knights above, foot soldiers below: a page of the Holkham Bible Picture Book, made in England around 1320 to 1330, within a generation of Bannockburn. Public domain
Ground chosen for the schiltron
Bruce drew up his smaller army on carefully chosen ground near the Bannock burn, screened by woods and boggy carse that would cramp the English cavalry4. His strength lay in the schiltron, a tight block of spearmen bristling like a hedgehog, deadly to horsemen if it held its nerve. On the first day the Scots repulsed English probes, and Bruce famously killed the knight Henry de Bohun in single combat3.
Robert the Bruce strikes down Sir Henry de Bohun on the first day of the battle, a colour print by James William Edmund Doyle from A Chronicle of England, 1864. Public domain
Spearmen on foot broke the finest cavalry in the British Isles.
The knights are broken
On the second day the English, crowded onto the narrow, wet ground between the burn and the river, could not deploy their numbers or use their archers well3. The Scottish schiltrons advanced, pinning the English cavalry against the boggy ground where it lost all its advantages. As the packed English host lost cohesion, panic spread and the army began to break.
The second day: the Scottish schiltrons advance from the New Park and pin Edward II's army in the cramped ground between the Bannock Burn and the River Forth. Public domain
A rout and a kingdom secured
The English collapse became a disaster; many were cut down or drowned trying to flee3 across the burn and the marshes, and Edward II barely escaped3. Bannockburn did not immediately end the war, but it confirmed Robert the Bruce as king and secured Scotland's independence in fact, later recognised by treaty in 13282. It remains the defining battle of Scottish nationhood.
Fleeing the field, Edward II is refused entry at Stirling Castle, an engraving from British Battles on Land and Sea, 1873. Public domain
Frequently asked questions
When and where was the Battle of Bannockburn?
It was fought on 23 and 24 June 1314 near Stirling in central Scotland, during the First War of Scottish Independence.
Who won the Battle of Bannockburn?
The Kingdom of Scotland under Robert the Bruce won a decisive victory over the larger English army of King Edward II.
How did the Scots beat a larger army?
Bruce chose boggy, enclosed ground that cramped the English cavalry and archers, and used tight spear formations called schiltrons to break the horsemen. The crowded English army lost cohesion and routed.
What is a schiltron?
A schiltron was a densely packed formation of spearmen presenting a hedge of spear points in all directions, effective against cavalry as long as the men held their ground.
Why does Bannockburn matter?
It secured Scotland's de facto independence and confirmed Robert the Bruce as king. Independence was formally recognised by England in 1328, and Bannockburn became the defining victory of Scottish national identity.
Sources and notes
Numbered notes in the text point to the works below.
