Dumfries is gearing up to mark the 750th anniversary this year of King Robert the Bruce’s birth.
A number of organisations are making commemoration plans which are currently under wraps.
Local connections to the famous king go back to 1306 with the murder of John Comyn – his rival for the crown – in Greyfriars Monastery which covered a large area of Friars Vennel, including what are now shop frontages on Castle Street, in the heart of the town.
He then changed the course of Scottish history by raising the royal standard at Dumfries Castle, at the site which is now Castledykes Park.
The Wars of Independence are featured on a beautiful 36-foot long tableau in the sunken garden which has been restored by The People’s Project.
It also features a nine-foot Bruce statue made from western red cedar and created by Moffat chainsaw artist Peter Bowsher.
There are also Bruce connections and places of interest all over Dumfries and Galloway as his family were Lords of Annandale and were based at the motte and bailey castle in Annan before moving to Lochmaben.
Dumfries Museum, which has a cast of the skull of Robert the Bruce and fragments of his bones which were removed when his burial was uncovered at Dunfermline Abbey in 1818, is among those making commemoration plans.
A post on its social media this week said: “We’re looking forward to lots of exciting events in 2024 and have been making plans over the festive break.
“This year marks 750 years since the birth of Robert the Bruce and we’ll be exploring links to this famous king across our region and other medieval themes.”
Among those who involved in the discussions were museum’s access officer Tom Hughes, Liz West from the Medieval Bruce Heritage Trust, Kathleen Cronie from Mostly Ghostly Tours, and DJ McDowall from The Imaginarium.
