. According to Barbour and Fordoun, in the late summer of 1305, in a secret agreement sworn, signed, and sealed, John Comyn agreed to forfeit his claim to the Scottish throne in favour of Robert Bruce upon receipt of the Bruce lands in Scotland should an uprising occur led by Bruce. It was found to be covered in two thin layers of lead, each around 5mm thick. [115], It is said that before the Battle of Bannockburn, Bruce was attacked by the English Knight Sir Henry de Bohun. At this height he would have stood almost as tall as Edward I (6feet 2inches;188cm). He has been in a variety of different films and television shows over his life, playing such well known roles as Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach, Robert the Bruce, and Orson Welles. The lead was removed and the skeleton was inspected by James Gregory and Alexander Monro, Professor of Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh. In less than a year Bruce had swept through the north and destroyed the power of the Comyns who had held vice-regal power in the north for nearly one hundred years. Bruce's Irish ancestors included Aoife of Leinster (d.1188), whose ancestors included Brian Boru of Munster and the kings of Leinster. [54] Bruce then ordered harryings in Argyle and Kintyre, in the territories of Clan MacDougall. [80], It remains unclear just what caused the death of Robert, a month before his fifty-fifth birthday. James Douglas, knighted at Bannockburn, acquired important lands in the counties of Selkirk and Roxburgh that became the nucleus of the later power of the Douglas family on the borders. For the next seven years, Robert the Bruce and his men fought a guerrilla war against Edward II, his army and his few Scottish allies. ISBN978-0-300-14665-3. [20] While there remains little firm evidence of Robert's presence at Edward's court, on 8 April 1296, both Robert and his father were pursued through the English Chancery for their private household debts of 60 by several merchants of Winchester. Inspired by this, Bruce returned to inflict a series of defeats on the English, thus winning him more supporters and eventual victory. Robert the Bruce, who was king of Scotland from 1306 to 1329, freed Scotland from English rule by winning the decisive Battle of Bannockburn and achieving English agreement to full Scottish independence in the 1328 Treaty of Northampton. R.W. He was the son of a leprosy-ridden Scottish nobleman named Robert the Elder. [39] With the outbreak of the revolt, Robert left Carlisle and made his way to Annandale, where he called together the knights of his ancestral lands and, according to the English chronicler Walter of Guisborough, addressed them thus: No man holds his own flesh and blood in hatred and I am no exception. He would also have spoken both the Gaelic language of his Carrick birthplace and his mother's family and the early Scots language. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. In May 1328 King Edward III of England signed the Treaty of EdinburghNorthampton, which recognised Scotland as an independent kingdom, and Bruce as its king. Isabella, Countess of Buchan, and wife of The 3rd Earl of Buchan (a cousin of the murdered John Comyn), arrived the next day, too late for the coronation. Robert's body is buried in Dunfermline Abbey, while his heart was interred in Melrose Abbey, and his internal organs embalmed and placed in St Serf's Church, Dumbarton. Although Robert the Bruce's date of birth is known,[3] his place of birth is less certain, although it is most likely to have been Turnberry Castle in Ayrshire, the head of his mother's earldom,[4] despite claims that he may have been born in Lochmaben in Dumfriesshire, or Writtle in Essex. Eventually it was defeated when Edward Bruce was killed at the Battle of Faughart. King Robert was twice defeated in 1306, at Methven, near Perth, on June 19, and at Dalry, near Tyndrum, Perthshire, on August 11. His body is buried at Dunfermline . In his last years, Robert would pay for Dominican friars to tutor his son, David, for whom he would also purchase books. The eighth Robert de Bruce was born in 1274. By Elizabeth he had four children: David II, John (died in childhood), Matilda (who married Thomas Isaac and died at Aberdeen 20 July 1353), and Margaret (who married William de Moravia, 5th Earl of Sutherland in 1345). [57] In response, Edward II planned a major military campaign with the support of Lancaster and the barons, mustering a large army of between 15,000 and 20,000 men. [62] Edward continued his advance the following day, and encountered the bulk of the Scottish army as they emerged from the woods of New Park. His Milanese physician, Maino De Maineri, did criticise the king's eating of eels as dangerous to his health in advancing years. [102] It was at this point in the proceedings that some small relicsteeth and finger boneswere allegedly removed from the skeleton. 12 Movies where Bruce Willis was in his element. The battle marked a significant turning point, with Robert's armies now free to launch devastating raids throughout northern England, while he also expanded the war against England by sending armies to invade Ireland, and appealed to the Irish to rise against Edward II's rule. The site of the tomb in Dunfermline Abbey was marked by large carved stone letters spelling out "King Robert the Bruce" around the top of the bell tower, when the eastern half of the abbey church was rebuilt in the first half of the 19th century. [1] He was the oldest son of the sixth Robert Bruce and Marjorie, the Countess of Carrick. Robert the Bruce, original name Robert VIII de Bruce, also called Robert I, (born July 11, 1274died June 7, 1329, Cardross, Dumbartonshire, Scotland), king of Scotland (1306-29), who freed Scotland from English rule, winning the decisive Battle of Bannockburn (1314) and ultimately confirming Scottish independence in the Treaty of Northampton In Edinburgh also, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery has statues of Bruce and Wallace in niches flanking the main entrance. Robert's grandfather Robert de Brus, 5th Lord of Annandale, was one of the claimants to the Scottish throne during the 'Great Cause'. [48], Six weeks after Comyn was killed in Dumfries, Bruce was crowned King of Scots by Bishop William de Lamberton at Scone, near Perth, on Palm Sunday[49] 25 March 1306 with all formality and solemnity. It is still uncertain where Bruce spent the winter of 130607. Angus Macfadyen. In July 1301 King Edward I launched his sixth campaign into Scotland. The royal robes and vestments that Robert Wishart had hidden from the English were brought out by the bishop and set upon King Robert. Edward I's forces defeated Robert in the Battle of Methven, forcing him to flee into hiding, before re-emerging in 1307 to defeat an English army at Loudoun Hill and wage a highly successful guerrilla war against the English. Finally, in June of 1314, the . I ask that you please come with me and you will be my councillors and close comrades. He then crossed to Argyll and defeated the isolated MacDougalls (allies of the Comyns) at the Battle of Pass of Brander and took Dunstaffnage Castle, the last major stronghold of the Comyns and their allies. Ian Foden, 56, of Liverpool, was found face down in the tub at the seaside resort of . He hastened to Scone and was crowned on March 25. Eventually, after the deposition of Edward II (1327), Edward IIIs regency government decided to make peace by the Treaty of Northampton (1328) on terms that included the recognition of Robert Is title as king of Scots and the abandonment of all English claims to overlordship. [54] However, the ignorant use of the term 'leprosy' by fourteenth-century writers meant that almost any major skin disease might be called leprosy. One, led by Bruce and his brother Edward, landed at Turnberry Castle and began a guerrilla war in south-west Scotland. In accordance with Bruce's written request, the heart was buried at Melrose Abbey in Roxburghshire. So a second coronation was held and once more the crown was placed on the brow of Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, Lord of Annandale, King of the Scots. However, an identical phrase appears in an agreement between Edward and his lieutenant and lifelong friend, Aymer de Valence. [64] The English army was overwhelmed and its leaders were unable to regain control. [80] A plinth of black fossiliferous limestone from Frosterley topped this structure, and atop this plinth was a white alabaster effigy of Robert I, painted and gilded. [13][14][15] As the heir to a considerable estate and a pious layman, Robert would also have been given working knowledge of Latin, the language of charter lordship, liturgy and prayer. [80] Six days after his death, to complete his triumph still further, papal bulls were issued granting the privilege of unction at the coronation of future Kings of Scots. Possibly identical to a certain Christina of Carrick attested in 1329. It has been reported that Robert the Brus was a participant in the Second Barons War, Ninth Crusade, Welsh Wars, and First War of Scottish Independence. William Wallace resigned as Guardian of Scotland after his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk. Alternate titles: Robert I King of Scotland, Robert VIII de Bruce. None of the Scottish accounts of his death hint at leprosy. The morale and leadership of the Comyns and their northern allies appeared to be inexplicably lacking in the face of their direst challenge. This would only happen after the deposition of . Though he captured the castles of Bothwell and Turnberry, he did little to damage the Scots' fighting ability, and in January 1302 he agreed to a nine-month truce. [15] A parliamentary briefing document of c. 1364 would also assert that Robert 'used continually to read, or have read in his presence, the histories of ancient kings and princes, and how they conducted themselves in their times, both in wartime and in peacetime; from these he derived information about aspects of his own rule. 78, No. Roberts main energies in the years after 1314, however, were devoted to settling the affairs of his kingdom. His father's side of the family had originated in Brix in Flanders. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. They were placed in a new lead coffin, into which was poured 1,500lbs of molten pitch to preserve the remains, before the coffin was sealed. Robert Bruce as Earl of Carrick, and now 7th Lord of Annandale, held huge estates and property in Scotland and a barony and some minor properties in England, and a strong claim to the Scottish throne. [8] The future king was one of ten children, and the eldest son, of Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale, and Marjorie, Countess of Carrick. [66] In the aftermath of the defeat, Edward retreated to Dunbar, then travelled by ship to Berwick, and then back to York; in his absence, Stirling Castle quickly fell.[67]. While all this took place, William Wallace was finally captured near Glasgow, and he was hanged, drawn, and quartered in London on 23 August 1305. An annual commemorative dinner has been held in his honour in Stirling since 2006. (Heart burial was relatively common among royalty and the aristocracy, however, and there is no specific evidence that this casket is the kings.) The exact location of Cardross manor house is uncertain. A bust of Bruce is in the Hall of Heroes of the National Wallace Monument in Stirling. Transferring operations to Aberdeenshire in late 1307, Bruce threatened Banff before falling seriously ill, probably owing to the hardships of the lengthy campaign. Robert the Bruce (1274-1329) is one of the most celebrated figures of Scottish history. The sternum was found to have been sawn open from top to bottom, permitting removal of the king's heart after death. By the end of the reign the system of exchequer audits was again functioning, and to this period belongs the earliest surviving roll of the register of the great seal. [2] [63] The English cavalry found it hard to operate in the cramped terrain and were crushed by Robert's spearmen. In March 1302, Bruce sent a letter to the monks at Melrose Abbey apologising for having called tenants of the monks to service in his army when there had been no national call-up. The decisive event was the murder of John (the Red) Comyn in the Franciscan church at Dumfries on February 10, 1306, either by Bruce or his followers. Bruce and his party then attacked Dumfries Castle where the English garrison surrendered. Omissions? Bruce also drove back a subsequent English expedition north of the border and launched raids into Yorkshire and Lancashire. This grandfather, known to contemporaries as Robert the Noble, and to history as "Bruce the Competitor", seems to have been an immense influence on the future king. On 7 July 1307, King Edward I died, leaving Bruce opposed by the king's son, Edward II. They made their way quickly for Scotland.[43]. A father-of-three drowned in a hot tub while on a weekend break with his family in Wales, an inquest has heard. Robert the Bruce died in 1329 after 23 years as king. In 1974 the Bruce Memorial Window was installed in the north transept, commemorating the 700th anniversary of the year of his birth. Robert later went there with another army to assist his brother. [10][11], Very little is known of his youth. Bruce also married his second wife that year, Elizabeth de Burgh, the daughter of Richard de Burgh, 2nd Earl of Ulster. In later times Robert I came to be revered as one of the heroes of Scottish national sentiment and legend. He is a direct ancestor of Queen Elizabeth II. Bruce also made raids into northern England and, landing at Ramsey in the Isle of Man, laid siege to Castle Rushen in Castletown, capturing it on 21 June 1313 and denying the English the island's strategic importance. [28] This was unacceptable; the Scots instead formed an alliance with France. Bruce supporters then ran up and stabbed Comyn with their swords. The Irish chief, Domhnall Nill, for instance, later justified his support for the Scots to Pope John XXII by saying "the Kings of Lesser Scotia all trace their blood to our Greater Scotia and retain to some degree our language and customs. John Barbour describes how the surviving members of the company recovered Douglas' body together with the casket containing Bruce's heart. This represented a transformation for one raised as a feudal knight. In September 1305, Edward ordered Robert Bruce to put his castle at Kildrummy, "in the keeping of such a man as he himself will be willing to answer for," suggesting that King Edward suspected Robert was not entirely trustworthy and may have been plotting behind his back. [54][77] Robert's final wish reflected conventional piety, and was perhaps intended to perpetuate his memory. They were betrayed a few days later and also fell into English hands, Atholl to be executed in London and the women to be held under the harshest possible circumstances.[52]. However, as growing noble youths, outdoor pursuits and great events would also have held a strong fascination for Robert and his brothers. . [1] Apart from failing to fulfill a vow to undertake a crusade he died utterly fulfilled, in that the goal of his lifetime's struggleuntrammelled recognition of the Bruce right to the crownhad been realised, and confident that he was leaving the kingdom of Scotland safely in the hands of his most trusted lieutenant, Moray, until his infant son reached adulthood. Robert I defeated his other opponents, destroying their strongholds and devastating their lands, and in 1309 held his first parliament. As a nephew and supporter of King John, and as someone with a serious claim to the Scottish throne, Comyn was Bruce's enemy. There were rumours that John Balliol would return to regain the Scottish throne. However, the Scots failed to win over the non-Ulster chiefs or to make any other significant gains in the south of the island, where people couldn't see the difference between English and Scottish occupation. Ralph de Monthermer learned of Edward's intention and warned Bruce by sending him twelve pence and a pair of spurs. A statue of Robert Bruce stands in the High Street in Lochmaben and another in Annan (erected 2010) in front of the town's Victorian hall. EARLY LIFE. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's The Life Scientific, Dr King said: "Apparently the Victorians like to go and open people's coffins and things, and so they . Bruce took the hint, and he and a squire fled the English court during the night. [97] Fragments of marble and alabaster had been found in the debris around the site of the vault several years earlier, which were linked to Robert the Bruce's recorded purchase of a marble and alabaster tomb made in Paris. [84][85] The funeral was a grand affair, with 478 stone (3,040kg) of wax having been purchased for the making of funerary candles. On 26 March 1296, Easter Monday, seven Scottish earls made a surprise attack on the walled city of Carlisle, which was not so much an attack against England as the Comyn Earl of Buchan and their faction attacking their Bruce enemies. [18] This Gaelic influence has been cited as a possible explanation for Robert the Bruce's apparent affinity for "hobelar" warfare, using smaller sturdy ponies in mounted raids, as well as for sea-power, ranging from oared war-galleys ("birlinns") to boats. In addition, a parliament in 1314 decreed that all who remained in the allegiance of the English should forfeit their lands; this decree provided the means to reward supporters, and there are many charters regranting the lands so forfeited. The diplomacy worked to a certain extent, at least in Ulster, where the Scots had some support. This was because a famine struck Ireland and the army struggled to sustain itself. May not have been a daughter of Robert. [73], Robert had been suffering from a serious illness from at least 1327. The laws and liberties of Scotland were to be as they had been in the days of Alexander III, and any that needed alteration would be with the assent of King Edward and the advice of the Scots nobles. Comyn, a nephew of John de Balliol, was a possible rival for the crown, and Bruces actions suggest that he had already decided to seize the throne. [106], Bruce's descendants include all later Scottish monarchs and all British monarchs since the Union of the Crowns in 1603. [45] Bruce stabbed Comyn before the high altar. [47] Nonetheless, Bruce was excommunicated for this crime. Freed from English threats, Scotland's armies could now invade northern England. Best known as Robert the Bruce in Braveheart (1995), Angus McFadyen has enjoyed a fine career in the film business. [96] Within the vault, inside the remnants of a decayed oak coffin, there was a body entirely enclosed in lead, with a decayed shroud of cloth of gold over it. Buoyed by his military successes, Robert also sent his brother Edward to invade Ireland in 1315, in an attempt to assist the Irish lords in repelling English incursions in their kingdoms and to regain all the lands they had lost to the Crown (having received a reply to offers of assistance from Domhnall Nill, king of Tr Eoghain), and to open a second front in the continuing wars with England. If one should break the secret pact, he would forfeit to the other the sum of ten thousand pounds. [103] Robert the Bruce's remains were ceremonially re-interred in the vault in Dunfermline Abbey on 5 November 1819. [65] The historian Roy Haines describes the defeat as a "calamity of stunning proportions" for the English, whose losses were huge. The Earl of Richmond, Edward's nephew, was to head up the subordinate government of Scotland. The Anglo-Norman family of Bruce, which had come to Scotland in the early 12th century, was related by marriage to the Scottish royal family, and hence the sixth Robert de Bruce (died 1295), grandfather of the future king, claimed the throne when it was left vacant in 1290. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . The first Robert de Bruce came to England with William the Conqueror. Archibald Campbell, 1st marquess and 8th earl of Argyll, James Graham, 5th Earl and 1st Marquess of Montrose, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-the-Bruce, World History Encyclopedia - Biography of Robert the Bruce, Electric Scotland - Biography of Robert the Bruce, Undiscovered Scotland - Biography of Robert the Bruce, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Robert the Bruce, The Home of the Royal Family - Biography of Robert I, Robert the Bruce - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Robert the Bruce - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), statue of Robert the Bruce in Bannockburn, Stirling, Scotland. The fourth Robert de Bruce married the daughter of William I, king of Scotland. He was crowned as King of Scots at Scone Palace in 1306, and died at the Manor of Cardross in Dunbartonshire in 1329. Robert himself became a fugitive, hiding on the remote island of Rathlin off the north Irish coast. pp. They resorted to pillaging and razing entire settlements as they searched for supplies, regardless of whether they were English or Irish. Robert the Bruce was a chivalric Knight and came north to learn guerrilla warfare from a young Scotsman named William Wallace who was fighting a successful freedom campaign here in Scotland. Soules, who had probably been appointed by John, supported his return, as did most other nobles. It appears that Robert Bruce had fallen under the influence of his grandfather's friends, Wishart and Stewart, who had inspired him to resistance. Answer: Robert de Brus (July 1243 - soon before 4 March 1304[, 6th Lord of Annandale, jure uxoris Earl of Carrick[ (1252-1292), Lord of Hartness,[Writtle and Hatfield Broad Oak, was a cross-border lord,] and participant of the Second Barons' War, Ninth Crusade, Welsh Wars, and First War of Scotti. [17], There were a number of Carrick, Ayrshire, Hebridean and Irish families and kindreds affiliated with the Bruces who might have performed such a service (Robert's foster-brother is referred to by Barbour as sharing Robert's precarious existence as an outlaw in Carrick in 130708). In the confused period of rebellions against English rule from 1295 to 1304 he appears at one time among the leading supporters of the rebel William Wallace, but later apparently regained Edward Is confidence. [79], Robert also arranged for perpetual soul masses to be funded at the chapel of Saint Serf, at Ayr and at the Dominican friary in Berwick, as well as at Dunfermline Abbey. Much of the fighting, however, was done by Roberts supporters, notably James Douglas and Thomas Randolph, later earl of Moray, who progressively conquered Galloway, Douglasdale, the forest of Selkirk and most of the eastern borders, and finally, in 1314, Edinburgh. [1] Robert the Bruce's family originally came from France. Robert the Bruces son David succeeded him as king of Scotland and was himself succeeded by Roberts grandson through the female line, Robert Stewart, the first of the Scottish royal house of Stewart and ancestor of the English house of Stuart. By 1314, Bruce had recaptured most of the castles in Scotland held by the English and was sending raiding parties into northern England as far as Carlisle. But it was no more than a rumour and nothing came of it. [113] This may have originally been told about his companion-in-arms Sir James Douglas (the "Black Douglas"), who had spent time hiding out in caves within his manor of Lintalee, which was then occupied by the English. Libbey Peverall (pictured), 20, suddenly passed away in her father's arms in traumatic scenes at her family home in West Drayton, Greater London last Monday - leaving her family heartbroken. Robert was portrayed by the Scottish actor Angus Macfadyen. Robert Bruce would have gained first-hand knowledge of the city's defences. He fought successfully during his reign to regain Scotland's place as an independent kingdom and is now revered in Scotland as a national hero. Annandale was thoroughly feudalised, and the form of Northern Middle English that would later develop into the Scots language was spoken throughout the region. Nor is there any evidence of an attempt in his last years to segregate the king in any way from the company of friends, family, courtiers, or foreign diplomats. He was probably brought up in a mixture of the Anglo-Norman culture of northern England and south-eastern Scotland, and the Gaelic culture of southwest Scotland and most of Scotland north of the River Forth. Recovering, leaving John Comyn, 3rd Earl of Buchan unsubdued at his rear, Bruce returned west to take Balvenie and Duffus Castles, then Tarradale Castle on the Black Isle. Robert the Bruce: The Origins Robert was born into an aristocratic Scottish family on 11 th July 1274. Duncan (Regesta Regum Scottorum, vol.v [1988]), no.380 and notes. Bruce's involvement in John Comyn's murder in February 1306 led to his excommunication by Pope Clement V (although he received absolution from Robert Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow). Over the head of the body the lead was formed into the shape of a crown. Homage was again obtained from the nobles and the burghs, and a parliament was held to elect those who would meet later in the year with the English parliament to establish rules for the governance of Scotland. Robert addressing his troops at the Battle of Bannockburn, as depicted in Cassell's 'History of England'. Robert The Bruce - Family and Descendants Family and Descendants Bruce's legitimate children were, with his first wife Isabella of Mar: Marjorie, married Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland, their son became King Robert II. Robert The Bruce's Father & Mother: Robert de Brus. At the end of March 1329 he was staying at Glenluce Abbey and at Monreith, from where St Ninian's Cave was visited. [91] Scientific study by AOC archaeologists in Edinburgh demonstrated that it did indeed contain human tissue and it was of appropriate age. Bruce hurried from Dumfries to Glasgow, where his friend and supporter Bishop Robert Wishart granted him absolution and subsequently adjured the clergy throughout the land to rally to Bruce. His name appears in the company of the Bishop of Argyll, the vicar of Arran, a Kintyre clerk, his father, and a host of Gaelic notaries from Carrick. Carrick was historically an integral part of Galloway, and though the earls of Carrick had achieved some feudalisation, the society of Carrick at the end of the thirteenth century remained emphatically Celtic and Gaelic speaking. The bishops of Moray and Glasgow were in attendance, as were the earls of Atholl, Menteith, Lennox, and Mar. Former Senior Lecturer in History, University of Kent at Canterbury, England. This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 00:03. In April, Bruce won a small victory over the English at the Battle of Glen Trool, before defeating Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, at the Battle of Loudoun Hill. "Robert Bruce" redirects here. From there he marched through Moray to Badenoch before re-tracing his path back south to Dunfermline. [17], The family would have moved between the castles of their lordships Lochmaben Castle, the main castle of the lordship of Annandale, and Turnberry and Loch Doon Castle, the castles of the earldom of Carrick. Robert's Father : Rightly so. Robert I was originally buried in Dunfermline Abbey, traditional resting-place of Scottish monarchs since the reign of Malcolm Canmore. According to the stories, Robert the Bruce's father was sent to tell Marjorie that her husband was dead. A series of military victories between 1310 and 1314 won him control of much of Scotland, and at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, Robert defeated a much larger English army under Edward II of England, confirming the re-establishment of an independent Scottish kingdom. Historians unveil a digitally-reconstructed image of the face of Scottish king Robert the Bruce nearly 700 years after his death. [1] One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventually led Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against England. It is also around this time that Robert would have been knighted, and he began to appear on the political stage in the Bruce dynastic interest. However, eight months later Bruce renounced his oath and joined the Scottish revolt against Edward, recognising John Balliol as king. [53] Bruce and his followers returned to the Scottish mainland in February 1307 in two groups. Learn about Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland. The final collapse of the central tower took place in 1753. [77] The king's last journey appears to have been a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Ninian at Whithorn; this was possibly in search of a miraculous cure, or to make his peace with God. Robert I, popularly known as Robert the Bruce, was the king of Scotland from 1306 to 1329. [71] It was to be here that Robert would build the manor house that would serve as his favoured residence during the final years of his reign. [100] A plaster cast was taken of the detached skull by artist William Scoular. Until the birth of the future king David II in 1324 he had no male heir, and two statutes, in 1315 and 1318, were concerned with the succession. Most likely he spent it in the Hebrides, possibly sheltered by Christina of the Isles. 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