The Declaration of Arbroath: Scotland's Letter of Liberty

The Story of Scotland: Clans, Crowns, and the Fight for Identity — Fexingo History · Jun 17, 2026 · 7m · transcript

In 1320, a remarkable document was sealed at Arbroath Abbey and sent to Pope John XXII. It was a letter from the nobles and barons of Scotland, pleading — and demanding — that the Pope recognise Robert the Bruce as their rightful king. But the Declaration of Arbroath was far more than a political plea. Written in Latin, it drew on biblical imagery, Roman history, and a fierce sense of national identity. It asserted that Scotland had always been independent, that its kings stretched back unbroken to the time of the Scota and the Gaels, and — most startlingly — that the people had the right to…