Declaration of Arbroath (1320): Scotland's Letter to the Pope

The Declaration of Arbroath is a letter dated 6 April 1320 at Arbroath Abbey, in which the leading nobles of Scotland asked Pope John XXII to recognise their kingdom’s independence and Robert the Bruce as its rightful king. Written in elegant Latin, it is famous for its declaration that the Scots fought for freedom rather than glory or riches. Today it is the best-known document in Scottish history.

Background

Since 1296 Scotland had been at war with England, whose kings claimed overlordship of the Scottish crown. Robert the Bruce had seized the throne in 1306 and, after his great victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, controlled almost the whole kingdom. Yet Edward II of England still refused to recognise him.

Bruce also had a problem with the church. In February 1306 he had killed his rival John Comyn in a church at Dumfries and had been excommunicated. Pope John XXII, based at Avignon during the Avignon Papacy, wanted peace between Christian kings so that they could join a crusade, and he backed English demands for a truce.

In 1317 papal envoys brought letters calling for a truce, but Bruce refused to accept them because they did not address him as king. The pope responded by renewing Bruce’s excommunication and, in 1320, summoning four leading Scottish bishops to the papal court. The Scots answered with a diplomatic campaign of three letters: one from the king, one from the bishops and one from the nobility. Only the nobles’ letter survives.

The letter and its contents

The letter was issued in the names of eight earls and around forty barons, ending with the words “and the other barons and freeholders and the whole community of the realm of Scotland”. It was probably drafted by the clerks of Bernard of Kilwinning, Abbot of Arbroath and chancellor of Scotland, although some historians question how large his role was.

The text makes three main arguments. First, it presents a legendary history in which the Scots travelled from Greater Scythia through Spain to Scotland and were ruled by 113 kings of their own royal line without a single foreigner. Such origin stories were a normal way of proving a nation’s antiquity in medieval diplomacy.

Second, it describes the cruelty of Edward I’s invasion and praises Bruce as the leader God had raised up to free the people. Third, and most strikingly, it states that if Bruce ever agreed to make Scotland subject to England, the nobles would drive him out as an enemy and choose another king.

The most quoted passage follows. It says that as long as a hundred Scots remain alive, they will never submit to English rule, because they fight not for glory, riches or honours but “for freedom alone, which no good man gives up except with his life”, as it is often translated. The letter ends by warning that the pope would share the blame for further bloodshed if he continued to favour England.

Signatories and seals

The barons’ seals were attached to the letter on cords. The copy preserved today is the file copy kept in Scotland; the version sent to Avignon has not survived. It still carries 19 seals, with space for many more. Its messengers to the pope were Sir Adam Gordon and Sir Odard de Maubuisson.

Not all signatories were loyal. Within months several, including Sir William de Soules, were implicated in a plot against Bruce. The conspirators were tried at a parliament at Scone in August 1320, later called the “Black Parliament”, and some were executed.

Key people

Robert the Bruce (1274–1329), King Robert I, was the central figure on whose behalf the letter was written. Although it was issued by the nobles, the king’s government almost certainly organised it, and it presented his cause in the most persuasive terms available.

Pope John XXII (pope 1316–1334) was its intended reader. A skilled lawyer and administrator based at Avignon, he hoped to unite Christian rulers for a new crusade and saw the Anglo-Scottish war as an obstacle. The letter was designed to convince him that Edward II, not Bruce, was the true cause of continued fighting.

Bernard of Kilwinning, Abbot of Arbroath from about 1311 and chancellor of Scotland, headed the royal writing office. He is traditionally credited with drafting the text, and its polished Latin style suggests an experienced chancery clerk, though no source names the author directly.

Among the named nobles were Duncan, Earl of Fife; Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray; Patrick, Earl of Dunbar; Malise, Earl of Strathearn; and James Douglas. Their seals turned the letter from a royal message into a statement from the whole political community, which was exactly the impression the Scots wished to give.

Consequences

The letter did not immediately win papal recognition. In August 1320 John XXII replied by urging Bruce to make peace with England, but he postponed the summons of the bishops and adopted a more conciliatory tone. In 1324 the pope addressed Bruce as king of Scots, a significant diplomatic gain.

Real recognition came after political change in England. Following the deposition of Edward II in 1327, the new English government agreed the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton in 1328, recognising Scotland as an independent kingdom. In 1329 a papal bull allowed Scottish kings to be anointed at their coronation, a sign of full equality with other monarchies.

Myths and facts

Myth: the Declaration was a statement of popular democracy. Fact: it was written by and for the nobility, and the “community of the realm” meant the political elite. Its idea that a king could be removed was, however, unusual and has attracted much interest from historians of political thought.

Myth: it directly inspired the American Declaration of Independence. Fact: this is often claimed but there is no evidence that Thomas Jefferson or other authors knew the text. The resemblance lies in shared ideas rather than proven borrowing.

Myth: it was signed by its authors with their names. Fact: medieval barons authenticated documents with their seals, not signatures.

Timeline

• 1306, 10 February: Bruce kills John Comyn at Dumfries and is later excommunicated.
• 1314, 24 June: Scottish victory at Bannockburn.
• 1317: Papal envoys call for a truce; Bruce rejects letters not addressed to him as king.
• 1320, 6 April: Date of the Declaration of Arbroath.
• 1320, August: The pope replies, and the Soules conspiracy is tried at the Black Parliament at Scone.
• 1324: John XXII addresses Bruce as king of Scots.
• 1328, March–May: Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton recognises Scottish independence.
• 1329, June: Bruce dies; a papal bull grants the right of anointing to Scottish kings.

Legacy

The Declaration was little known for centuries but began to circulate in print in the late seventeenth century, during a period of constitutional upheaval, and has since become a central text of Scottish identity. Its words are quoted by politicians of many outlooks.

In 1998 the United States Senate designated 6 April as National Tartan Day, citing the Declaration. The document itself is preserved by the National Records of Scotland and was exhibited at the National Museum of Scotland in 2023, its first public display in many years. Arbroath Abbey, now a ruin, holds events marking its anniversary.

Why it matters

The Declaration of Arbroath is one of the earliest and most eloquent statements of national independence in European history. It argued that a kingdom’s freedom mattered more than any single ruler, and it helped Scotland win international recognition during the Wars of Independence.