At the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, King Robert I, often called Robert the Bruce (1274-1329), faced the army of the English King Edward II (1284-1327) over control of the strategic key point Stirling Castle, visible in the background. Thanks to clever tactics, the Scottish won the battle despite being outnumbered, and the victory helped safeguard Scotland’s independence for another three hundred years. Robert I, on horseback in the left half of the image, is decked out with red lions rampant on gold. From the right, English knights are charging towards an impenetrable wall of spears at the centre of the composition. This is one of the two largest scenes from Scottish history adorning the walls on the first floor of the Great Hall in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.