The First War of Scottish Independence 1314

On the 24th June 2014, it will be the 700th anniversary of The Battle of Bannockburn. Robert the Bruce and Edward II collided in the most defining moment in Scottish history. Until then, Scottish Castles were under the control of the English, which meant that they dispensed law and collected taxes, fundamental in the medieval period.  

Long story short, as part of the ongoing military campaign against Scotland,  in 1296, during the reign of Edward I, the Stone of Destiny, used for centuries in the coronation of the Monarchs of Scotland was removed by the English and taken to Westminster Abbey, placed under The Coronation Chair that Edward I had built, known as King Edward's chair, so that all future Monarchs of England were crowned on top of the Stone of Destiny, meaning that Scotland was subject to England. 

Robert the Bruce, the best knight that ever lived, became a guardian of Scotland in 1298, alongside his rival for the Scottish throne, John Comyn. He resigned as guardian in 1300, and in 1304 after the death of his father, Bruce inherited his family's claim to the Throne. In February 1306, Bruce killed Comyn and was then crowned King of Scots on 25th March 1306 at Scone. After the death of Edward I in 1307, Edward II succeeded to the throne, facing a range of challenges to resolve, Scotland being just one of them. 

In March 1309 Bruce held his first parliament and from 1310 to 1313, English held castles and outposts in Scotland were captured one after another. In the spring of 1314, the last castle to remain under Edward II control was Stirling Castle, so Bruce laid siege. The constable had agreed to hand over the castle to the Scots, unless an English force arrived to relieve him by 24th June 1314. 

Edward II along with the largest English army ever, tried to relieve the siege of Stirling Castle. They crossed the border to invade Scotland, only to find that the road to Stirling was blocked by the Scots army, Bruce was waiting for them. Bruce chose his ground carefully, to the south of the Castle. The Scots managed to push them back and won the first day's battle.

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Photographer:Tim Hill

The men and the animals were hungry and tired. The diet of the Scots was simple. Venison, bread, grain, oats and black pudding. The sturdy Scots peasants soldiers carried simple swords or long knives that also doubled as eating utensils. The English feasted on mutton, beef, veal, venison, fish, bread, fruit and vegetables. Their food was strongly seasoned with herbs and spices, brought back after the pilgrimages to the holy land by the crusaders. 

Day two, the Scots ate their breakfast and advanced out of the wood to face the enemy. The English were driven back to the burn, the Scots hacked their way into the English army and hundreds of men and horses were drowned, desperately trying to escape. The battle was over, English casualties were heavy and those who fled were captured. Edward II reached Dunbar and the safety of a ship home. The Scots camp followers, who watched the battle from the safety of a position near Gillies Hill, sensing victory, looted the battleground. 

Bannockburn was not the end of the Anglo-Scottish wars. The English absorbed defeat with the fighting continuing until King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England, uniting the two countries under a single rule. 

The formal union of England, Scotland and Wales to form Great Britain came in 1707, nearly 400 years later.

My Mate Marmite

Love it or hate it, Marmite is made from yeast extract, a by product of beer brewing. It is popular with vegetarians, as a meat free alternative to beef extract. It was invented in the 19th century when it was discovered that brewers yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten. It is a sticky, dark brown food paste with a distinctive powerful flavour.  

In 1902, the Marmite Food Extract Company was formed, opening a small factory in Burton on Trent, where is still resides today. The product took it's name from the French term for a large, covered, earthenware or metal cooking pot. The label still has the image of a Marmite. It was originally supplied in earthenware pots, but since the 1920's it's supplied in glass jars.

Since the discovery of vitimins in 1912, yeast was found to be a great source of "B" vitimins. It was included in soldiers ration packs during WWI and became a dietary supplement in prisoner of war camps. 

Many Brits have been weaned on Marmite, but a food inspection agency in Saskatchewan has decided that it is not suitable for Canadian palates. In Canada on January 24, 2014 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency moved to stop the sale of Marmite, as well as Vegemite, Bovril, Lucozade, Penguin Bars, Ovaltine and Irn Bru, because they are enriched with vitimins and minerals which are not listed in Canadian Food Regulations. The agency has said that these products were not a health hazard, but they are not the versions that are formulated for sale in Canada, which meet all the Canadian Food Regulations. The Canadian versions that are compliant formulations of these products will still be permitted to be sold in stores across Canada. 

This led to many irate customers in Canada on Burns Night this year, as they couldn't stock up on Irn Bru to drink to the morning after. I haven't heard of anyone in Britain dying from consuming Irn Bru, have you?

Scotch Whisky

"Thee Ferintosh! O sadly lost

Scotland laments frae coast to coast"

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Photographer: Jeremy Hoare

When the owner of Ferintosh, the famous Scotch Whisky, distilled by Forbes of Culloden, was bought out in 1784, Robert Burns immortalized the sad event in a poem.

Whisky, another gift that Scotland gave to the world, requires the Scottish climate, pure water, rich peat and hundreds of years of experience in the skillful art of distilling. The word itself is derived from the Gaelic "uisge Beatha" meaning the water of life. As time passed "Uisge" became "Usky" then eventually "Whisky". The oldest reference to whisky dates back to 1494, entered into the Scottish Exchequer Rolls. 

The Isle of Arran is the home of "The Robert Burns" Arran single malt, which has been endorsed by The World Robert Burns Federation. It is a light and aromatic single malt, perfect for drinking prior to or during a meal, very fresh with no artificial colouring. 

Scotch Whisky shipments to Canada are worth over £60 million a year, which represents about 20% of all Scottish exports to the market. The EU-Canada trade deal is welcomed by Scottish distillers, as Provincial Liquor Boards in Canada still control the import, sale and distribution of spirit drinks in Canada. The Liquor Boards continue to apply complex fees, to cover costs such as customs clearance. These "cost of service" charges are often higher on EU spirits than competitors, giving their domestic products preferential treatment. Although there is a impressive selection of Scotch Whisky in Canada, the industry still face a number of trade barriers.