The Battle of Loch Trool

King Robert the Bruce is widely regarded as Scotland’s greatest monarch, but his reign got off to a rocky start. Immediately after his coronation, the new King of Scots lost a series of battles against both the English and rival Scottish clans. Nobody knows where Bruce and his small band of followers spent that winter, but he must have been very close to giving up.

In early 1307, the King tentatively emerged from his hiding place. Most importantly, he had survived, but things weren't looking good. His men were badly outnumbered and in desperate need of even a small victory to encourage others to join them.

The Southwest of Scotland was an area Bruce knew well so that was where he decided to make his comeback. It wasn’t long before word that the King was back reached his enemies. English patrols were soon scouring the area for him. None of these groups were very large but that suited Bruce. With each small victory, his reputation grew and his enemies were just a little bit weaker.

Soon the English commander Aymer de Valence was preparing a full army to face this small group of Scots. He heard Bruce was hiding out in Glen Trool with just a few hundred men. An English army of 2000 men rushed to stamp out the flame of resistance before it could spread any further.

They rushed straight into a trap. As the army chased a small number of Scots along the banks of Loch Trool, the path got narrower and narrower. With the Loch on one side and steep slopes on the other, the English were eventually packed in so tight they couldn’t manoeuvre.

Then those fleeing Scots stopped and turned around. The English attackers must have been confused at this small force holding their ground until they look up at the steep slopes above them. Great, big boulders were tumbled down the hill towards them and they had nowhere to go. Arrows quickly followed and the English army was in turmoil. 

When the rest of the Scottish warriors charged down the hill, they split the long column of soldiers in two. Most retreated quickly back up the path rather than press forward into the mayhem and the Scots had won the day. It was a small victory, but word spread fast. King Robert the Bruce was back and the flame of resistance was growing.