Battle of Inverurie (1308) - The Hill of Barra

The Hill of Barra

During his illness, King Robert was carried from place to place by his supporters. In May 1308, his army made camp at Inverurie near Oldmeldrum. On the 22nd Buchan gathered his forces, ready to attack Bruce the following day. The size of his army is unknown; but he at least had the advantage of surprise. However, when the attack came it was partial and un-coordinated, providing some additional support for the contention that he had little capacity as a commander. His army made camp at Meldrum, to the north-east of the enemy. At dawn on the 23d David de Brechin made a surprise attack on Bruce's camp. His men galloped over the bridge on the River Ury at Balhalgardy right into the streets of Inverurie. Taken completely unprepared, Bruce's sentries were quickly cut down, those who survived taking refuge in the nearby castle. It was the decisive moment which, if followed through, might have brought victory. But Buchan's main force was still too far away to take advantage of this opportunity. More seriously, Brechin seems to have been the only man ready for action, as the rest the army was at best half-prepared. Bruce, who was still ill, rose from his bed and prepared a counter-attack. As the enemy approached Buchan hastily drew up his forces astride the road to Inverurie, between Barra Hill and the marshes of the Lochter Burn. His unreliable feudal levies were placed to the rear, with the knights and men-at-arms taking up a position to the front. The levies seem to have been given the assurance that Bruce was too ill to take to the field in person; and their shocked reaction when he came into sight-in the fashion of El Cid-explains why Buchan's army collapsed so quickly. John Barbour describes the scene in his rhyming narrative;

The king came on in fine array

With much display his foes stood set

Until the ranks were nerly met.

But when his foemen saw the king

Advancing without lingering,

A little on their reins they drew.

The king by this time right well knew

That in their hearts they were distressed,

And with his banners forward pressed.

Thus they retreated more and more.

And when the small folk with them saw

Their leaders all retreating so,

They quickly turned their backs to go,

And fled and scattered far and wide.

Their lords, that still were side by side,

When they beheld the small folk flee,

And the king advancing steadily,

Themselves became disheartened so

That they, too, turned their backs to go.

A short while stayed they side by side,

And then they scattered far and wide.

Buchan made some attempt to steady the line, but he too soon joined the flight, pursued by Bruce's men as far as Fyvie. The fugitive earl took his flight all the way to England, where he died the same year. The Battle of Inverurie ended active resistance to King Robert in Aberdeenshire. He was not, however prepared to risk leaving a potentially hostile district in his rear, and took drastic action which was to last in living memory for some fifty years beyond the event.

Immediately following the battle, Bruce ordered his men to burn to the ground farms, homes and strongholds associated with the Comyns in the violent and bloody Harrying of Buchan.