Robert the Bruce's broadsword set for Edinburgh display

Lord Charles Bruce poses with Robert the Bruce's broadsword

Now, a double-handed broadsword said to have been owned by Robert the Bruce is set go on public display in the Capital.

The early 14th century Sword of State, which has been treasured by the Bruce family for centuries, will be the centrepiece of a new exhibition devoted to Bruce and his descendents.

The weapon, which is rarely exhibited in public, is thought to have been used by the King of Scots, although it remains unclear whether he wielded it in battle.

Lord Bruce with Robert The Bruce's sword. Picture: Greg Macvean

The historic sword, which weighs eight pounds and has a 44-inch-long blade and bog oak handle, was later kept in Clackmannan Tower, where in 1787, it is said to have touched another towering figure in Scottish history.

That year, Lady Katherine Bruce, the widow of Henry Bruce, the last of the male line, reportedly used the sword to perform a knighting ceremony on a young visiting poet by the name of Robert Burns.

Within a few decades, however, the mansion and tower at Clackmannan were abandoned, and the sword was taken for safekeeping to Broomhall House, the Bruce family seat near Dunfermline and home of the Earl of Elgin, where it has remained ever since.

Now, it will feature in Treasures from Broomhall House and the Bruce Family, a new exhibition being held at Bonhams in Edinburgh.

Lord Charles Bruce, the current earl’s son, said he could not remember a time when the sword had gone on public display in Scotland.

He described it as a “very cherished” possession which, much like the Bruce family, has a storied history.

“The sword was a gift from David II, the surviving son of King Robert,” he explained. “His marriages did not produce an heir and realising that the Bruce dynasty would come to an end, he presented his father’s sword to his first cousin, Thomas Bruce of Clackmannan.

“The sword was kept at Clackmannan Tower for 14 generations until 1791 when it passed by descent to the Earls of Elgin and Kincardine.”

Lord Bruce said that although the blade does not show much in the way of evidence of having been used in the heat of battle, it could not be ruled out.

“It could easily have been,” he added. “It is the finest tempered steel and beautifully balanced. It would certainly have been a weapon of choice to fight with.”

The handle shows signs of wear and tear, but otherwise, said Lord Bruce, it is in “extraordinarily good condition.”

Other items being shown at the exhibition, which takes runs from January 22 to 27, include a suit in the Bruce tartan from around 1760.