Visitors flocking to battle site on 700th anniversary

A Texan-born American who runs a heritage charity has been crowned Bannockburn Visitor Centre’s 50,000 visitor.

Lynn Forney Young, who is president of Daughters of the American Revolution, was informed of the accolade by the National Trust for Scotland as she arrived at the centre with a tour group from her native Washington DC.

The new Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre opened on 1/3/14 to mark the 700th anniversary of the battle in June this year.

Young’s charity has over 180,000 members in the USA and 14 other countries and aims to preserve American history.

She was welcomed by four primary 1 and 2 pupils from local Borestone Primary School, Summer McKillop, Anna Fraser, Lewis Robertson and Michael Harris, who presented a gift from on behalf of the trust.

“Our group, which represents 100 people from 33 different US states, have descendants from both sides of the battle, including direct descendants of King Robert the Bruce,” she said.

“To be crowned 50,000th visitor to the new centre here is very exciting indeed, and we would like to thank the National Trust for Scotland for their generous hospitality.”

Since the 1930s, the trust has owned the historic site where King Robert the Bruce famously planted his standard before the two-day battle.

Scott McMaster, property manager at the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre said: “I have seen the new visitor centre grow from concept to completion and I am proud to say it is like no other experience in the world.”