THE Declaration of Arbroath will go on display for the first time in 18 years on Saturday.
The 700-year-old document will be part of a free exhibition which will run from June 3 to July 2 at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
The fragile artefact, which was penned in 1320, can only be displayed occasionally in order to ensure its long-term preservation. It was last exhibited at the Scottish parliament in 2005.
A display of the declaration was first planned for April 2020, to coincide with its 700th anniversary. However, the Covid pandemic forced delays.
READ MORE: Why a 700-year-old letter to a pope is key to Scotland’s story
Organisers said that the new date was chosen to give “as many people as possible the rare chance to see one of Scotland’s most important historical documents”.
The Declaration of Arbroath was a letter written to the pope in 1320 asking him to recognise Scotland as an independent nation with Robert the Bruce as its king.
Its most famous lines read: "As long as a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be subjected to the lordship of the English.
“It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.”
In 2016, the declaration was added to the UNESCO “Memory of the World” register. The National Records of Scotland (NRS) preserves the document as part of the national collections.
The surviving declaration is a medieval copy of the letter, the original having been dispatched to the pope in Avignon.
NRS head of medieval records Dr Alan Borthwick said: "The Declaration of Arbroath is a key document from the formative period of the Kingdom of Scotland.
"The parchment itself is highly impressive but it’s the stirring language and evocative sentiments contained in the text that have given the Declaration of Arbroath its special distinction, in Scotland and around the world."
The Declaration of Arbroath will be on display at Exhibition Gallery 2 in the National Museum of Scotland from Saturday June 3 until Sunday July 2.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel