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Death of Robert Bruce (1329)

Type Event Region Europe Time 1329

On 7 June 1329, King Robert I of Scotland (Robert Bruce) died of illness at Cardross manor in Dunbartonshire, aged about 54.

Timeline

  1. 1328–1329Cardross · ScotlandAfter the 1328 treaty won English recognition, Bruce was already seriously ill (traditionally said to be leprosy or syphilis, though modern historians differ). He retired to Cardross manor on the Firth of Clyde, handling state affairs and arranging succession, designating his 8-year-old son David as heir.
  2. 1329Cardross · ScotlandOn 7 June 1329, Robert Bruce died at Cardross. He was one of the most legendary monarchs in Scottish history, from his 1306 coronation to international recognition of independence in 1328, fulfilling the historic mission of securing Scotland's autonomy from English overlordship.
  3. 1329–1330Dunfermline Abbey · FifePer Bruce's will, his body was buried in the Scottish royal burial ground at Dunfermline Abbey, while his heart was entrusted to Sir James Douglas to carry to the Holy Land for a crusade. Douglas was killed fighting the Moors in Spain in 1330; Bruce's heart was later returned to Scotland and buried at Melrose Abbey.

Sources