Conflict of Choice

James Douglas

Your father and ancestors before him have been lords of Douglasdale, a title you should have inherited. The King of England, as part of his campaign to take over Scotland, took Douglas Castle and its lands from your father and gave them to his loyal knight Robert Clifford. You wish to see your father avenged and your land returned.

James Douglas Battle is dangerous. No matter how experienced you are there is always a good chance of being killed on the battlefield. If you don’t fight you will never get your land or title back and you will always be known as a coward....but at least you’ll be alive. YES Fighting in battle is the best way to prove you are brave, clever and worthy of land and title. The only way to secure the land and title your family once had is to fight for the king and ask him to give you them back. NO DO YOU FIGHT?

James Douglas BRUCE Fighting for King Robert will give you the opportunity for revenge on Clifford if Bruce wins. However he has a smaller army and a smaller chance of winning, if he fails the land will remain Clifford’s EDWARD II. Edward II is a very different man to his father. If you fight for him and prove your worth he may consider giving the land and title back to you. The battle will probably go in his favour. WHO DO YOU FIGHT FOR? or

Scottish Farmer

You live on a farm, your family have lived there and worked the land for generations. Although you don’t actually own the land it feels like you do.. Recently the kings of England have been determined to take over Scotland and you fear that the continual fighting will result in you losing your home. It is vital that you look after the land as in the future your children and children’s children will live there....unless the land is given to someone else. In 1314 your landowner announces that all able bodied men living on his land must fight for him under the king in the upcoming battle. You’re a farmer, not a soldier, you’ve not been taught how to fight and if you have to go and fight you can’t tend the land and look after your family

Scottish Farmer YES If you don’t fight the landowner will throw you and your family out of your home and off the land. You’ll have nowhere to go. Your family have always helped you with the crops, it will be hard but they will be able to look after the farm with you gone. The commanders at the battle will train you to fight alongside your neighbours. NO DO YOU FIGHT? Fighting is too risky, there is a very good chance you will be killed. The result of the battle may lead to someone new taking over the land...maybe he won’t throw you out. If you do get thrown off the land you and your family will travel and try to find a new home. or

Islesman

You live on Islay, an island in the west of Scotland. The people of the Highlands and Islands don’t consider themselves part of a bigger country. But Bruce is more than a King, he is a man of the people, he understands you, the way your people think and he speaks your language. Your leaders consider Bruce to be a friend. The fight between the kings of Scotland and England does not affect you. As far as you’re concerned neither of them will ever conquer your lands. Bruce has even given some of the lands he has taken from his enemies to your leader Aonghas Ogg. You may not be a wealthy knight but you have fought in many battles. You are a fierce and bloodthirsty fighter.....and because you aren’t a knight you don’t obey a code of chivalry

Islesman Your leader Aonghas Ogg, you and many others from the Highlands and Islands volunteer to fight. Loyalty- King Robert Bruce is a friend and you are determined to help him in times of need. WHY? Power –By fighting alongside Bruce you will show Edward II that he can’t take your land. It will also ensure that your friendship with Bruce stays strong which means he is unlikely to try and take your land in the future. Rewards- If Bruce wins the battle he may reward your people with more lands and who knows what else...

John FitzRobert

You come from a fairly important family. When you turned seven you started to work for a knight, Sir Henry de Mundeville of Berwick. You’re nearly twelve years old and in a few years time you’ll be promoted to a squire, not only will you become more important but you will start training to become a knight yourself. You work as a page, a servant for Sir Henry. Your duties include looking after his horse and armour. Your home, Berwick, is one of the last towns in Scotland ruled by the English. Recently there have been raids and rumours of treachery from the locals. The people of the town live in fear of being attacked. Your master, Sir Henry, is loyal to King Edward II, which means you have to be loyal to him too. As a page you must ensure that your master always looks good and is respected. If you do anything that makes him look bad you’ll lose your job and the chance to progress to knighthood.

John FitzRobert You, other pages like you and squires are rather scared of being so close to the action of the battle. However you are also glad to be there. Battle provides an opportunity for you to prove how brave and able you are. Promotions to squire and knighthood are not guaranteed, your master will need to see evidence that you are worthy. WHY? It is part of your duty to preserve your master’s dignity, he’ll want to look impressive on the battlefield. By ensuring his horse and armour are at the best you’ll be making your master look good. You’re determined to become a knight one day, being at a battle lets you watch and learn from the best knights in the land.

Farmer’s wife

You are married to a farmer in the village of St. Ninian’s near Stirling. You have two young daughters. Looking after the farm and the crops is always hard but recently it has been even harder than normal, the past few harvests have been bad, getting worse every year. Feeding yourselves has been hard enough let alone harvesting enough crops to sell. The English garrison that have been living in Stirling Castle have many mouths to feed and they have been taking your crops along with those of other farmers.

Farmer’s wife Women do not normally fight in a battle but this time, if Bruce allows it, you want to fight alongside the men of the village. WHY? You’ve had enough, you and your family are poor and hungry. Every morning you look at your daughters dressed in rags and wish there was something you could do. You need the situation to change, you want a king who looks after his people, one who won’t take from them. You’ll do anything to put such a man in charge of the country. You’re not trained to fight but you are strong from working the farm and your anger makes you fierce, you’ll fight the enemy with farm tools.