Bannockburn Battlefield Memorial
Stirling, Scotland

Gareth Hoskins Architects were selected as finalists for an international competition in 2004 to design the National Trust for Scotland’s new visitor centre for Bannockburn Battlefield, the site where the fate of the nation of Scotland was decided when Robert the Bruce and his army defeated the army of Edward II of England on 23 and 24 June 1314.

The National Trust for Scotland wanted to create a world class attraction both in terms of the visitors experience of the site and facilities, and in terms of the accessibility, messages and the relevance that the events surrounding the battle might have to the visitors’ experience. The challenge was to see how the present ‘field’, partially enclosed by housing developments, might be reinterpreted to create a story led experience that brings the battle alive and looks beyond the current facility and preconceptions of a building focused visitor experience.