The Declaration of Arbroath laid out on a grey foam protective base set against a black background. The Declaration has dense Latin script across it with two small patches missing, and many strips dangling from the bottom affixed with green and red wax seals.
Past exhibitions

The Declaration of Arbroath

–

National Museum of Scotland

About The Declaration of Arbroath

The Declaration of Arbroath is a letter dated 6 April 1320 written by the barons and freeholders of the Kingdom of Scotland to Pope John XXII. The letter asked the pope to recognise Scotland's independence and acknowledge Robert the Bruce as the country's lawful king.

Despite the Scots' success at the Battle of Bannockburn, Robert I had not been recognised as king by either King Edward II of England or the Pope. At the time, the Pope desired peace between England and Scotland so that both kingdoms could help in a crusade to the Holy Land. The Declaration sought to influence him by offering the possibility of support from the Scots for his long-desired crusade if they no longer had to fear English invasion.

Written in Latin, it was sealed by eight earls and about 40 barons. It was authenticated by seals, as documents at that time were not signed. Only 19 seals now remain.

The surviving Declaration is a medieval copy of the letter, the original having been dispatched to the pope in Avignon. It is cared for by National Records of Scotland and is so fragile that it can only be displayed occasionally in order to ensure its long-term preservation. 

Read a full transcription from The National Records of Scotland.

In partnership with

You might also like

  1. A black oval shaped tortoiseshell oval box with white ridge set against the black background. A white portrait of a woman wearing a curly shoulder length wig, dressed in a white jacket with golden brooch.
    Discover

    Flora MacDonald: An unlikely Jacobite heroine

    Flora MacDonald famously helped Charles Edward Stuart escape Scotland after the 1745 rising was crushed. A silver snuffbox, a treasured heirloom of her clan, links the romantic pair. 
    Keep reading
  2. A rocky hill with with patches of grass and heather with a walking trail winding upwards. There is a small white house with a blue door and window frames to the left
    Discover

    Dunadd Hillfort: the seat of early medieval Scottish power

    Before there was a kingdom called Scotland, the people known as the Scotti were just one group among many in the north and west of Britain. By the sixth century AD, the Gaelic-speaking Scots had built a strong and wealthy kingdom known as…
    Keep reading
  3. A glass goblet with plants and flowers engraved on the cup, as well as a quote. The stem is short and it sits on a small glass square base.
    Discover

    Celebrating Robert Burns: glass goblet engraved with words by Burns

    A large glass goblet such as this would have been used as a punchbowl. Clues about its use can be found amongst the words and images engraved into the glass.On one side there is a quote from Robert Burns’ poem ‘Epistle to Davie, A Brother…
    Keep reading