Editing Robert the Bruce (section)

=== Beginning of the Wars of Independence ===
Almost the first blow in the [[First War of Scottish Independence|war between Scotland and England]] was a direct attack on the Bruces. On 26 March 1296, Easter Monday, seven Scottish earls made a surprise attack on the walled city of [[Carlisle]], which was not so much an attack against England as the Comyn Earl of Buchan and their faction attacking their Bruce enemies.<ref>Duncan, Kingship, p. 322.</ref> Both his father and grandfather were at one time Governors of the Castle, and following the loss of Annandale to Comyn in 1295, it was their principal residence. Robert Bruce would have gained first-hand knowledge of the city's defences. The next time Carlisle was besieged, in 1315, Robert the Bruce would lead the attack.<ref name="Macnamee 2006 53"/>

Edward I responded to King John's alliance with France and the attack on Carlisle by invading Scotland at the end of March 1296 and taking the town of [[Berwick-upon-Tweed|Berwick]] in a particularly [[Capture of Berwick (1296)|bloody attack]] upon the flimsy palisades.<ref>M. Strickland, "A Law of Arms or a Law of Treason? Conduct in War in Edward I's Campaigns in Scotland, 1296–1307", Violence in Medieval Society, ed. R.W. Kaeuper (Woodbridge, 2000), pp. 64–66.</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Barrow|2005|pp=99–100}}</ref> At the [[Battle of Dunbar (1296)|Battle of Dunbar]], Scottish resistance was effectively crushed.<ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|1997|pp=471–473}}</ref> Edward deposed King John, placed him in the [[Tower of London]], and installed Englishmen to govern the country. The campaign had been very successful, but the English triumph would be only temporary.<ref name="Macnamee 2006 53"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Prestwich|1997|p=376}}</ref>

Although the Bruces were by now back in possession of Annandale and Carrick, in August 1296 Robert Bruce, Lord of Annandale, and his son, Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick and future king, were among the more than 1,500 Scots at Berwick<ref>{{harvnb|Barrow|2005|pp=75–77}}</ref> who swore an oath of [[fealty]] to King Edward I of England.<ref>{{harvnb|Macnamee|2006|p=60}}</ref> When the Scottish revolt against Edward I broke out in July 1297, [[James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland]], led into rebellion a group of disaffected Scots, including [[Robert Wishart]], [[Bishop of Glasgow]], [[Macduff of Fife]], and the young Robert Bruce.<ref name="Macnamee 2006 63">{{harvnb|Macnamee|2006|p=63}}</ref> The future king was now twenty-two, and in joining the rebels he seems to have been acting independently of his father, who took no part in the rebellion and appears to have abandoned Annandale once more for the safety of Carlisle. It appears that Robert Bruce had fallen under the influence of his grandfather's friends, Wishart and Stewart, who had inspired him to resistance.<ref name="Macnamee 2006 63"/> With the outbreak of the revolt, Robert left Carlisle and made his way to Annandale, where he called together the knights of his ancestral lands and, according to the English chronicler [[Walter of Guisborough]], addressed them thus:

{{blockquote|No man holds his own flesh and blood in hatred and I am no exception. I must join my own people and the nation in which I was born. I ask that you please come with me and you will be my councillors and close comrades.<ref name="Macnamee 2006 63"/><ref>from The Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough (previously edited as the Chronicle of Walter of Hemingford or Hemingburgh)</ref>}}

Urgent letters were sent ordering Bruce to support Edward's commander, [[John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey]] (to whom Bruce was related), in the summer of 1297; but instead of complying, Bruce continued to support the revolt against Edward I. That Bruce was in the forefront of inciting rebellion is shown in a letter written to Edward by [[Hugh Cressingham]] on 23 July 1292, which reports the opinion that "if you had the earl of Carrick, the Steward of Scotland and his brother ... you would think your business done".<ref>{{harvnb|Macnamee|2006|p=64}}</ref> On 7 July, Bruce and his friends made terms with Edward by a treaty called the [[Capitulation of Irvine]]. The Scottish lords were not to serve beyond the sea against their will and were pardoned for their recent violence in return for swearing allegiance to King Edward. The Bishop of Glasgow, James the Steward, and Sir Alexander Lindsay became sureties for Bruce until he delivered his infant daughter [[Marjorie Bruce|Marjorie]] as a hostage, which he never did.<ref>{{cite book |title=Robert Bruce: Our Most Valiant, Prince, King, and Lord |date=2006 |publisher=Birlinn |location=Edinburgh |page=101 |url=http://history-books.weebly.com/uploads/6/9/9/0/6990231/robert_bruce__our_most_valiant_prince_kin_-_mcnamee_colm.pdf}}</ref>

When King Edward returned to England after his victory at the [[Battle of Falkirk]], the Bruce's possessions were excepted from the Lordships and lands that Edward assigned to his followers. The reason for this is uncertain, though Fordun records Robert fighting for Edward, at Falkirk, under the command of [[Antony Bek (bishop of Durham)|Antony Bek]], [[Bishop of Durham]], [[Annandale, Dumfries and Galloway|Annandale]] and [[Carrick, Scotland|Carrick]]. This participation is contested as no Bruce appears on the [[Battle of Falkirk#The Falkirk Roll of Arms|Falkirk roll]] of nobles present in the English army, and two 19th Century antiquarians, Alexander Murison and George Chalmers, have stated that Bruce did not participate, and in the following month decided to lay waste to Annandale and burn Ayr Castle, to prevent it being garrisoned by the English.