My introduction to Robert the Bruce

Battle of Bannockburn Chess Set

My Main ‘lineage’ (if I can be permitted to call it that) to Robert the Bruce is through the two Luxury pewter chess sets we produce at Stirling 1314. Bruce is, of course, the king in the Battle of Bannockburn Chess Set and one of the knights in the Robert Burns Chess Sets.

My first ‘proper’ introduction to Robert the Bruce was over 40 years ago, in Estepona on the Spanish Riviera. Browsing through the bookshelf of the beach villa, looking for some deckchair-reading material, I came across “the Path of the Hero King”, the second book in Nigel Tranter’s epic “The Bruce” trilogy. I read it cover to cover in one sitting and went directly to R S McColl at Glasgow Airport on my journey home and bought books 1 and 3.

Author Nigel Tranter

Fifteen years later, I sat in the presence of Nigel Tranter - one of life’s true gentlemen - in his home in Aberlady as we planned the creation of “Nigel Tranter’s Bannockburn Chess Set.“ The rest, as they say, is history!

Sadly, Nigel passed in 2000. Without going into too much detail, his Estate stopped us from using our unique audio and print versions of the two chapters leading up to the battle itself. Without these superb elements, there was no longer a link to the title, and we decided, sadly, to make the change. The one thing they couldn’t do was stop us from telling the story of our time with Nigel and our two-year adventure, bringing to life Robert the Bruce and other characters and places from the pages of that epic tale.

Then, in 2014 we made one final change, to mark the Anniversary of the history-changing Battle that took place exactly seven centuries before. We retired a number of pieces and replaced them with new characters, allowing us to relaunch with the “700 th Anniversary Edition of the Battle of Bannockburn Chess Set” – as it is today.

In all that time, I never forgot how moved and inspired I was (and still am) by how the true gentleman from Aberlady wove the magic of his stories using real dialogue – a style which, undoubtedly, is one of the great gifts of teaching history. A style which brought the one-time, inevitable question from me, “But how do you know that’s what Robert the Bruce actually said?” Nigel just smiled, and gave me the same answer he gave to all who made the same challenge, “How do you know he didn’t?”

I was moved and inspired by Tranter’s storytelling, with real dialogue – a style one of the great gifts of teaching history. A style which brought the inevitable question, “how do you know that’s what Robert the Bruce actually said?” Nigel just smiled and gave me the same answer he gave to all who made the same challenge, “How do you know he didn’t?”

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