Born in Turnberry Castle, he was a key figure in Scotland’s first War of Independence. It is said that more is known about Robert the Bruce than any other medieval King Of Scotland. He was crowned in 1306 and reigned till 1329. The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 was his defining moment.

William Wallace became Guardian of Scotland after his defeat of the English at The Battle of Stirling Bridge on 11th. September 1297. Scotland had been forced into war with England when John Balliol refused to take up arms for Edward 1st. against the French. Balliol had made an alliance with France known as The Auld Alliance. Balliol paid Homage to Edward when he was chosen by him as the next king of Scotland; Balliol was Edward’s Vassal. If you owned lands within his kingdom of you were obliged to take up arms and fight for the king. Balliol failed to do so when asked by Edward so Edward sent an army to Scotland and defeated Balliol at Dunbar in 1296. Balliol was captured and sent off to exile in France. The castles of Scotland were occupied and the people were subjugated by the English for the time being.
     The idea of being the King of England's vassal was awkward because many nobles who owned land in Scotland also owned lands in England. This was the case with The Bruce family of Carrick
     Robert the Bruce and John Balliol were the two main claimants to the Scottish crown. Much has been said of John Balliol as he had paid homage to Edward. After his defeat at Dunbar he was stripped of his kingship and exiled to France. He was given the name "Toom Tabbard" which means "Empty Coat". At the time that Edward was choosing the successor it was actually the Bruce family who were going to Edward at every opportunity to sook up to him.
     In the spring of 1297 William Wallace emerged in the chronicles when he slew the English Sheriff of Lanark. At the same time, Andrew Moray was leading a rebellion in Morayshire. He met up with Wallace and they combined forces to defeat The English army at Stirling Bridge. At this time the English were led by The Earl of Surrey. Wallace and Murray set up their army on he other side of The River Forth near Stirling. Stirling was strategically important in medieval Scotland as crossing this bridge was the only way, other than by sea, that an army could occupy the land. It was the lowest point to cross The River Forth. The English horsemen started to cross but were called back because the leader had not given the order. As they started to cross the second time Wallace and Moray waited until the right time, then gave the order for the men to charge. The English became confused and some tried to fall back causing more chaos. It was a decisive victory for a peasant army over a well organise army, however poorly led the English were.
     Andrew Moray may have become the Guardian of Scotland instead of Wallace if he had not died of his wounds he received at Stirling Bridge in November of 1297. William Wallace emerged as Guardian and became immortalised thereafter as a man who defied the odds and became a figurehead for Scottish nationhood. But what were his real motives? Yes he did exist. Yes he was Guardian of Scotland. Yes he defeated the English at Stirling Bridge.
Nobody knows what William Wallace looked like even though there are many statues, particularly one in Aberdeen where he is portrayed as being ten feet tall and holding up a massive sword, dressed from head to toe in chain male.
    
    Wallace's immortalisation came about 160 years after his death in the 1470s. James the III of Scotland tried to pursue a policy of appeasement with England. He thought that it would be better to come to terms with Scotland's southern neighbour in a peaceful manor. However, there were many nobles in the south of Scotland who were doing quite well out of raiding the north of England and they wanted to keep the hostilities going. The nobles commissioned Blind Harry (or "Hary" as it was spelt) to write his epic poem "The Wallace". This was a poem reflecting the politics of the 1470s - not the early 1300s. William Wallace was known to be a man who never submitted to English rule. This could have been because if he was caught he may have known he was for the chop
     Blind Hary made Wallace out to be 7 feet tall with long blond hair a noble hero without fault and this image has persisted and grown out of proportion to reality. The abiding image of William Wallace is based on propaganda.
     Wallace's Guardianship lasted less than a year as he was defeated by an Army led by King Edward 1st. at Falkirk in July 1298. The English Army was on the point of turning back due to hunger. Travelling armies would usually feed off the land as they passed over it. The Scots had practised a scorched earth policy; Burning crops before the English Army were able to feed themselves.
     Hunger must have played a major part in influencing the opinion of the people. Burning crops to try and starve the Auld Enemy can be construed in two different ways. Does it illustrate the strength of feeling against the English subjugation? Or does it explain why Wallace seemed to have had less support at The Battle of Falkirk than he did at Stirling Brig?
     William Wallace escaped into the Ettrick Forest and lived an outlawed Robin Hood-like existence until he was betrayed by Sir John de Menteith. It is interesting to note that Mentieth was an ally of Robert the Bruce. This is further proof that, even though they are mentioned in the same context as fighting for Scotland's Independence, Bruce and Wallace were never pals.

Scot’s Wha Hae Wi Wallace Bled
Scot‘s Wham Bruce has aften led
Robert Burns

The Lake of Mentieth is so named as a reminder of John Menteith's betrayal of Wallace to the English. Lakes in Scotland are known as "Lochs". The Lake of Menteith is the only body of water known as a “Lake“.
     It was a time of great brutality, slaughter and destruction. When William Wallace was captured he was taken to London and given a show trial and then hung drawn and quartered in front of the market crowd at Smithfield.
     Robert the Bruce played the game better and made the correct alliances especially with the church. His motives first and foremost were to protect his family and it's estates in Scotland and England. At that time of history the highest power in the world, according to Christian beliefs, was the Pope. Why the Pope? Answer: You can't be the leader of a nation without people, and the most important source of information on a largely illiterate people was the church. The leader of the church was the Pope. Consider it like owning a newspaper or a television station. Where else would the people of medieval Europe get their information of the outside world from? Mainly the church. The clergy wrote the books and preached in the pulpit. 
     Another major factor in influencing the people was hunger. Fear of a crop failure was a enough to keep the people believing in a powerful leader. The powerful leaders had to have the church on their side. There is strong evidence that there was a major famine in 1315. One consequence was reports of cannibalism. Death and starvation were never far away. The church would offer protection and possibly food in time of need.

     The story of Robert the Bruce is legendary. It is said that we know more about Robert the Bruce than any other medieval King of Scotland. The main reason for this was that historian's had to re-write vast chunks of Scottish history due to the fact that Edward 1st. had taken so many symbols of Scotland's nationhood away with him including The Stone of Scone (A.K.A. The Stone of Destiny) on which all the Scottish Kings were crowned. It was taken by Edward and placed under his throne at Westminster Abbey. Edward's capture of the Stone of Scone was a major assertion of his superior force of arms, although there are still some who believe it not to be the correct one and that the real stone was hidden away before Edward could get his hands on it.
     It was also famously stolen from Westminster Abbey by a group of Scottish Nationalists led by Ian Hamilton on Christmas day 1950. Hamilton, along with Gavin Vernon, Alan Stuart and Kay Matheson kept the stone for 4 months, before it was left on the high Altar at Arbroath Abbey wrapped in a Saltire. No one was ever prosecuted for this crime because ownership of the stone would be difficult to prove and may have been a Public Relations disaster.
     This had added to the mystique of The Stone of Scone. Was the real one returned to Westminster at that time? Whatever the case may be, The stone known as The Stone of Destiny and commonly accepted as the real one, was returned to Scotland in1996 and is now on display at Edinburgh Castle.
     The “theft” of the Stone of Destiny in 1950 was made into motion picture and released in 2008. It was directed by Charles Martin Smith and stars Billy Boyd, Brenda Fricker, Charlie Cox, Ciaron Kelly, Kate Mara, Rab Affleck and Robert Carlyle.
     The theory behind the practice of Edward's practice of taking away Scotland's symbols of nationhood may have been to erase the people's memory, and if they have no memory they would have no being and subsequently the very essence of the nation would cease to exist; and it is a nation no more. Edward 1st. of England already had far greater military superiority, but he did not have the winning of it's people. Sir Walter Scott took a patriotic stance in the first volume of historical stories, Tales of a Scottish Grandfather, with these words: "The Scottish people could endure famine, pestilence and disease but they could never endure an English master."
     Edward had also underestimated the determination of the Scottish Church. It saw itself as distinct and independent entity, separate from England.