Battle of Inverurie (1308)
Who Fought
History & Significance
The Battle of Inverurie, also known as the Battle of Barra, was fought in the north-east of Scotland and was a victory for the Scottish king Robert Bruce over his chief domestic enemy, John Comyn, 3rd Earl of Buchan. Though part of the wider Wars of Scottish Independence, it is more properly viewed as an episode in a brief but bitter civil war. It was followed by the Harrying of Buchan, a violent act of destruction of property long remembered with bitterness in Buchan. The battle was fought in May 1308 according to Fordun. However, Barbour states clearly that it was fought at Christmas of 1307. Many current historians accept Fordun's date, but Barron and some others believe that Bower misinterpreted Fordun's notes. The battlefield was added to the Inventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland in 2011.
In February 1306, Robert Bruce and his supporters killed John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, also known as the Red Comyn. Comyn was a nephew of the former king John Balliol and had been a leading player in the wars against the English. His death automatically meant that his extensive network of family and associates would regard Bruce as an enemy. Chief among these was Comyn's cousin and namesake, John Comyn, Earl of Buchan. Edward I of England died in July 1307. His son, Edward II, preoccupied with political problems at home, left his Scottish allies unsupported at a critical time. Bruce acted quickly, on the assumption that the English were bound to return in strength for the campaigning season in 1308.
One by one King Robert confronted his domestic enemies, beginning with the Balliol party in Galloway. From the south of the country he moved through the English-held central lowlands, making his way by the western route through Argyllshire through the Great Glen towards Inverness and the north-east, towards the territory held by Buchan. He had under his command as many as 3.000 men according to a letter sent by the Earl of Ross to King Edward. However, that number may have been an exaggeration in order for the earl to justify his inaction against King Robert. However, King Robert was overtaken by an unknown illness, which kept him out of action for a considerable time, and he had with him no more than about 700 men by the time of the Battle of Inverurie.
Unfortunately the only accounts of the whole campaign in Aberdeenshire are from sources uniformly hostile to Buchan. Although Buchan made some attempt to take advantage of the situation by an attack by archers on the king's camp at Slioch, which was repulsed. Edward Bruce shifted his camp to Strathbogie, and the king was carried there on a litter.
The ground they fought on
The site of Battle of Inverurie (1308) lies on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything a full report reveals about Battle of Inverurie (1308)
This page covers Battle of Inverurie (1308). A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Inverurie (1308)
Battles near Battle of Inverurie (1308)
Explore the landscape around this battlefield
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in the UK — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.
- Battle of Inverurie · Wikidata
- Battle of Inverurie (1308) · Wikipedia