Battle of Bannockburn Chess Set

In the Battle of Bannockburn chess set, the artists and sculptors at SAC have captured a pivotal moment in Scottish history. The patriotic quest of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, to free his land of foreign domination reached its climax at the Battle of Bannockburn on 24th June 1314.

By the summer of 1314 only Stirling Castle remained in the grip of Scotland 's English overlords. It was just south of here at the Burn (or small stream) at Bannock that the Scottish army prepared for the decisive set-piece battle against the army of King Edward II of England.

The set features many of the historic characters from this famous battle. The Scot’s side is led by Robert the Bruce, King Robert I who was famously heartened by the tenacious spider to persist in his struggle against the English. He is accompanied by his queen Elizabeth de Burgh who was reunited with King Robert after being captured eight years earlier. The English are represented by Edward II who reigned from 1284 until 1327 when he was deposed, imprisoned and horrifically killed at the behest oh his wife, the Queen of England, Isabella of France. The rook on both sides is the Tower of Old Sterling Castle which overlooked the battle from its site on top of an ancient volcanic rock.