Battle of Glen Trool - A Propaganda Victory?

A Propaganda Victory?

Much of the information we have about the Battle of Glen Trool comes from the rhyming account of John Barbour. Barbour is an important source; but it should also be remembered that The Bruce allows propaganda to walk hand-in-hand with history, hardly surprising for the time. Glen Trool is in many ways best seen as the first wave of the Bruce flag, subject to considerable later amplification and exaggeration. It only receives a passing mention in the English records of the time in reference to some horses lost "in the pursuit of Robert de Brus between Glentruyl and Glenheur, on the army's last day in Galloway." It is not in any sense the first milestone on the road to Bannockburn; and the rebel king was chased just as closely as before. It did, nevertheless, prove that Bruce had acquired an almost chameleon-like ability to change and adapt to circumstances, advancing and retreating as the occasion demanded. This is the true key to his genius as a soldier.