Robert the Bruce seized the Scottish throne in 1306 after killing his rival John Comyn…

Robert the Bruce seized the Scottish throne in 1306 after killing his rival John Comyn in a Dumfries church, then spent years as a fugitive fighting a guerrilla war against English occupation. At Bannockburn in 1314 he defeated an English army three times the size of his own, splitting an English knight’s skull with his battle axe in single combat before the battle had even begun. The Declaration of Arbroath followed in 1320 and England formally recognised Scottish independence in 1328. He died the following year and his heart was carried toward the Holy Land before eventually coming to rest at Melrose Abbey.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​