| Equestrian statue of Robert the Bruce | |
| Italic Title: | no |
| Artist: | Pilkington Jackson |
| Medium: | Bronze sculpture |
| Metric Unit: | cm |
| Imperial Unit: | in |
| City: | Bannockburn |
| Coordinates: | 56.0938°N -3.9386°W |
| Mapframe: | yes |
| Mapframe-Zoom: | 13 |
The equestrian statue of Robert the Bruce at the Bannockburn Visitor Centre, Bannockburn, Stirling, is a 1964 work by Pilkington Jackson.
The bronze sculpture depicts Robert the Bruce wielding an axe and on a war horse. The statue stands on a plinth that bears the inscription "ROBERT THE BRUCE KING OF SCOTS 1306–1329". It is located near the site of the Battle of Bannockburn. The statue is a A listed building.[1]
The statue was commissioned by the Earl of Elgin in 1964 to commemorate the 650th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn.[2] It was sculpted by Pilkington Jackson using the measurements of Bruce's skull, re-discovered at Dunfermline Abbey in 1818, and cast in Cheltenham by H.H. Martyn & Co.[3] The statue was unveiled by the Queen.[4]
In 1966, a replica of the statue was placed outside the Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.[5] [6] The statue was funded by Canadian lawyer Eric Harvie.[7] [8]
From 2009 to 2020, the statue featured on the Clydesdale Bank £20 note.[9]
In 2013, the statue was restored in preparation for the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn in 2014.[10] The statue which was cast in bronze was slowly turning green.[11] Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop said "The Robert the Bruce statue is an iconic part of the Bannockburn site, and a poignant reminder of the battle".[10]
On 11 June 2020, following the actions against memorials in Great Britain during the George Floyd protests, the statue was defaced with graffiti.[12] [13] The Scottish king was branded as a racist, despite not being involved in the slave trade.[14] Stirling MP Alyn Smith said “I’ve been vocal in my support of
and hope such counterproductive stupidity is an isolated incident.”[15]