The King's Field and Stout Douglas


Dear Folk,

I am sure you will remember that Robert the Bruce became King Robert I of Scotland (1306 - 1329) but do you know how close he came to being a very quickly dead king? Part of his adventure, a near escape from a determined foe happened on this day August 11, 1306 at a place called Dalry.

When King Alexander III died the only one left with clear title to the throne was Margaret "the Maid of Norway." She was still a child, Alexander III's granddaughter, but Queen of Scotland. The Bruce clan had been kicking up some dust down in the south western part of Scotland. Something about Robert being a better candidate. Eric of Norway wanted to make sure Margaret was safe and so he kept her in England until some of the tussling would be over. The Scots appointed a six man guardianship over Margaret, all with the provision that she was not married and was not contracted to anyone. This was the Treaty of Salisbury (1289).

Edward I (Longshanks) told everyone that he was taking care of the wee lass. Secretly, however, he was arranging for Margaret to marry his son Edward II. Yes, we know about him: not a good king, not a pleasant person, a very unpleasant end. More shenannigans and another treaty later, Margaret was set to sail up to her new kingdom. Sadly, she died in route. Now who was to be Scotland's ruler?

To make a long story somewhat shorter, suffice it to say that Edward I managed to have his puppet, John Balliol, appointed as King of Scotland but established that Scotland was a vassal state of England. Vassal states should fight for their liege lord, Edward decided, so the Scots should prepare to march against France. The Scots refused to do this and signed a separate peace treaty with Philip II of France. Edward came marching up to Scotland to teach his new subjects a thing or three.

It was war. The Scots were led by William Wallace and the Earl of Moray (go rent "Braveheart") and the English by men appointed by Edward. "The Hammer of the Scots," Edward I, was busy whomping on the French. A two front war kept the English right busy. The Scots were deserted in January 1298 when Philip of France signed a peace treaty with Edward. Edward could now turn his attention to crushing the Scottish bid for freedom.

After some defeats of the Scottish forces, especially at Falkirk, William Wallace resigned as Guardian of Scotland leaving Robert Bruce and John Comyn ('the Red Comyn', Lord of Badenock) in charge.

There hangs our tale. There seemed to be some slight hard feelings and a wee bit of disagreement as to how Scotland should be run. Comyn even was so ungentle as to take Bruce by the throat in a discussion. And he did not mean it in a polite and courteous way. Robert Bruce resigned his position and said the heck with it, let Edward rule this bunch. In 1304 John Comyn shifted his allegiance over to Edward and sat on Edward's "Scottish Council."

The fighting continued sporadically until 1305 when William Wallace was betrayed, given over to Edward I, tried for treason (to a king he never acknowledged in the first place,) hanged, drawn and quartered. Still makes me mad. Grrr. Wallace was cruelly dispatched in August 1305. Edward was then in charge. No doubt. Finis.

On February 10, 1306 Robert Bruce had a quiet, private meeting with Red Comyn in the Franciscan church in Dumfries. We do not know what was said on either side. Red John Comyn was never loath to mince words and Robert Bruce usually showed his teeth when he talked. Maybe Robert told John that the Bruce and company were going to launch another campaign against Edward and maybe Comyn said that he was going to snitch. Maybe Bruce said he was going to be king and maybe Comyn could go suck eggs. Like I said, no one alive knows exactly. The final result was that Comyn had this accident with a dagger, right at the communion rail of the church. Okay, Robert Bruce won the argument, whatever it was, and Red Comyn was acutely and chronically dead.

Plans now had to be pushed forward and Bruce was crowned on March 27^th at the ancient holy site of Scone. Things were far from skittles and stout ale for the new king as he now had not only Edward to face but also the feud of the Comyns and their kin to deal with. He was also excommunicated for sacrilege by the pope. Isn't that always the way?

His first tests as Scotland's fearless leader ended in disaster at Methven and again at Tyndrum. Bruce found refuge in Dunaverty castle for a while but then he disappeared for four and a half months. Bruce's wife Isobel, and daughters, Elizabeth and Marjory, were captured and imprisoned. Other supporters were hanged, including his brother Nigel.
Bruce had headed west with the survivors of his army and sought refuge in the Perthshire hills. It would be some years before Perth saw him again.

'Dail Righ' or Dalry, the King's field, was where that Robert the Bruce almost met his death on August 11, 1306 after he had fled from Methven. Bruce was attacked in this low lying strip of land by a stout and angry band of MacDougall and MacNab clansmen led by the celebrated John MacDougall of Lorne. The MacDougall chief was the maternal uncle of the Red Comyn. Lorne felt he owed Bruce a blood debt for Bruce's sacrilegious murder of John `Red' Comyn in February. One of the men of Lorne caught hold of Bruce's plaid in the melee and despite a deadly wound kept dragging Bruce back toward his attackers with such force that Bruce could only free himself by releasing his plaid. His plaid broach went with it and remains a trophy in MacDougall hands to this very day. It is now preserved at Dunollie Castle in Argyllshire by the descendants of those same MacDougalls of Lorne. Bruce and his remaining men managed to escape this ambush and took refuge for a while in Glen Falloch and in a cave near Inversnaid in what is now MacGregor country.

Fortunately for Robert Bruce, he found a strong friends in Rannoch. Donnachadh Reamhar sent around the Fiery Cross or `crois taraidh' to gather his clansmen for Bruce at Fea Choire, `the assembly place'. This site is a secluded glen connecting Rannoch with Glenerochty and was the central rallying place for the defense of the clan territory. Twice the MacDougalls and their allies came into Rannoch to find and kill Bruce and twice Bruce's men, lead by 'Stout' James Duncan, mustered to defeat them.

The first invasion was from the south and no real details seem to survive. It was a clear victory for Bruce's forces, however. Shortly after this defeat, the MacDougalls and their MacNab allies again threatened. This time they approached from the northwest and camped within two miles of Loch Rannoch. Scouts reported their presence but
`Stout' Duncan decided to determine for himself the strength of the foe before he committed his forces.

Disguised as a beggar or traveling man, he was able to enter and wander about the MacDougall camp. Unfortunately, his great stature gave him away and he had to take to skedaddle out of there with the enemy chasing after him. Having outdistanced all but one of his pursuers, `Stout' Duncan turned back and dispatched him. This allowed his other pursuers time to catch up. According to tradition, the remaining MacDougalls soon had Duncan trapped at the River Ericht where he made a prodigious standing leap of 16 feet and was able to clear the river and escape. This rocky site is still called Leum Donnachadh Reamhar or "Stout Duncan's Leap".

Based on the information he learned during his visit, the surprise attack early the following morning was totally successful. Not only were the surviving men of Lorne scattered over the wasteland of the Rannoch Moor but their leader, Alexander MacDougall, was captured. Duncan placed his prisoner in the island fortress known as the "Isle of
the Gulls" at the western end of Loch Rannoch. He remained in this island fortress until he tricked his captors and managed to escape in his jailer's boat.

This second defeat ended MacDougall sightseeing into Rannoch and `Stout' Duncan didn't meet up with them again until 1314 when the clan was mustered at Fea Choire a third time to join Bruce at Bannockburn. Bannockburn was to be the decisive battle for Bruce. There he defeated the forces of the new English king, Eddie II, and Eddie's Scottish allies.

The Pope finally released Bruce from his Excommunication in October 1328. Moreover he issued a papal Bull on 13th June 1329 authorizing Robert I and his successors to be crowned and anointed as Kings of Scotland. Unfortunately, Bruce had already died at Cardross of leprosy a week earlier, and never knew of the final recognition of his Kingship and, with it, the independence of Scotland which he had striven for all his life.

Bruce's body was buried in Dunfermline Abbey, although his heart was embalmed and taken by Douglas and other Scottish Knights in a crusade. They, only got as far as Spain where, in battle against the Moors, Sir James Douglas and other of the Scottish Knights were slain after being cut off from the rest of the Christian army. Both the heart which Douglas had taken into battle and died fighting over, and Douglas himself, were borne back to Scotland, the former being buried in Melrose abbey and the latter in the parish kirk of Douglas.

What have we learned from this? Even arguments in church can turn suddenly very bad? Sometimes ruling is not as much fun as we would like to think? Even stout folks can make enormous leaps if they have faith? Wee little beasties can unmake that which cold steel cannot? How about friends help friends move, but real friends help friends move bodies? In a very real way, I have to admire Sir James 'Stout' Douglas. Mayhaps we will talk more of him some other day.

As always, if ye wish to send these words on your own mickle courtesy crusade, keep me plaid and broach intact - my sig and name attached.

May we all have such strong and true friends as Sir James,
J. Ellsworth Weaver

SCA - Sir Balthazar of Endor
AS - Polyphemus Theognis
TRV - Sebastian Yeats