Battle of Barra

Battle of Inverurie
Part of Wars of Scottish Independence
Date 23 May 1308 Location Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, Scotland Result victory for Robert Bruce
Belligerents
Scottish Royal Army	Scottish opponents of Bruce
Commanders and leaders
Robert Bruce	John Comyn, 3rd Earl of Buchan
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

Coordinates: 57°20′06″N 2°19′05″W / 57.335°N 2.318°W / 57.335; -2.318

The Battle of Inverurie, also known as the Battle of Barra, was fought in May 1308 in the north-east of Scotland. Though part of the wider Wars of Scottish Independence it is more properly viewed as an episode in a brief but bitter civil war. The battle was a victory for the Scottish King Robert Bruce over his chief domestic enemy, John Comyn, 3rd Earl of Buchan. It was followed by the Harrying of Buchan, a violent act of destruction, at least equal to, if not greater than, some of the excesses practiced elsewhere by the English. The battlefield is currently under research to be inventoried and protected by Historic Scotland under the Scottish Historical Environment Policy of 2009.

In February 1306, Robert Bruce and his supporters murdered 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 death 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.

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