On 700th anniversary, half of Scots have ‘never heard of’ Declaration of Arbroath

Half of Scots had not heard of the Declaration of Arbroath.

However, more than half of Scots admit they have never heard of the Declaration of Arbroath, signed 700 years ago today.In a poll carried out by the National Trust for Scotland, 51 per cent of Scots said they had no idea that the event had taken place.

However, when told about the Declaration, 72 per cent of people agreed that it was important or very important for Scotland’s development as a nation. The research also showed there was a vast appetite for Scottish history with 77 per cent of people wanting to know more.

The Declaration of Arbroath was a letter from Scotland’s leading political leaders to Pope John XXII, arguing for the recognition of Scotland as an independent nation in the context of Scotland’s ongoing struggles with the English state.

It is often remembered for its stirring words: “For as long as a hundred of us remain alive, we will never on any conditions be subjected to the lordship of the English.”

Men were more likely to claim some level of knowledge of the Declaration, with 14.6 per cent of men reporting knowing a lot about it, compared to just 8.3 per cent of women.

Older people were more aware of the Declaration, with double the amount of over 65s knowing about it compared to the 16-24 age group. Only 10.5 per cent of the older group had not heard of it, compared to 43.1 per cent of 16-24 year-olds.

People from the south of Scotland knew more about the Declaration than the north east, where the Declaration originated, with 56.6 per cent of those living in the south saying they were aware of it, compared with 51.7 per cent in the north east – including Arbroath. People from the Highlands and Islands had 46.6 per cent awareness, while those in Glasgow were least likely to know about it at 42,7 per cent.

People who voted SNP in the 2019 general election were most likely to have heard of the Declaration at 58 per cent, compared with 51.3 per cent of Labour voters, 49.7 per cent of Conservative voters and 49 per cent of Liberal Democrat voters.

Diarmid Hearns, head of public policy at the National Trust for Scotland, said: “The signing of the Declaration of Arbroath is an incredibly important document in the birth of Scotland as a nation.

“The survey shows that while it may not necessarily be the first historical date that comes to mind, when people hear more about it, they recognise its significance.

He added: “Our research also showed us that when people learn about and experience Scotland’s heritage, they are more likely to value it and want to conserve it for the future.”

The report also found that who voted ‘Remain’ in the 2016 Brexit referendum were most likely to consider the Declaration very important. Overall, the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 was considered the most important event in Scotland’s history, chosen by 26 per cent of those who responded. The second placed event was the Act of Union in 1707.

The original copy of the Declaration was lost, but a copy survives among Scotland’s state papers and is held by the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh