Harrying of Buchan

That distress which for well fifty years, men spoke with terror of the harrying of Buchan.

Background

In the northeast, Robert the Bruce clashed with fellow Scots, notably his rival, John Comyn, 3rd Earl of Buchan, seeking support for his claim to the crown and Scottish Independence. Two years prior, Bruce murdered John Comyn of Badenoch, Buchan's cousin, at the altar of Greyfriars Church in Dumfries, igniting open hostilities.

Following these clashes at Slioch and Inverurie, where Bruce emerged victorious, but Comyn managed to escape, the rivalry persisted as Comyn continued to challenge Robert's authority as King.

After the Battle of Inverurie, also known as the Battle of Barra, the aftermath saw Roberts's men chasing John Comyn's forces as far as Fyvie Castle. The stronghold offered Comyn safety, causing Bruce's men to halt their pursuit.

Battle

With the conflict unresolved, King Robert resolved to crush John Comyn's hold on northeastern Scotland. He ordered his brother, Edward Brus, Earl of Carrick, to devastate the Earldom of Buchan, destroying castles and strongholds from end to end.

Edward unleashed destruction on Buchan for months, burning homesteads, leveling grain stores, slaughtering livestock, and toppling castles—Slains, Rattray, Dundarg, and those in English hands like Fyvie and Aberdeen.

Aftermath

Ultimately, John Comyn, 3rd Earl of Buchan, fled Scotland and took refuge in England. Through these actions, the Bruce effectively destroyed Comyn's power base in Scotland and prevented any future challenge to his rule. This, in turn, strengthened Robert the Bruce's claim to Scotland and weakened pro-English factions.

John Barbour wrote of the Harrying of Buchan:

“That estre that weile fyfty yer,
Men menyt a the herschipe of Bowchane.”

Which roughly translates to:

“That distress which for well fifty years, men spoke with terror of the harrying of Buchan.”

Prior to these events, the Comyns ruled Buchan from 1214 to 1308. After Buchan was laid waste, the people's loyalty snapped—they never again rose against Robert the Bruce. Thirty years passed before Henry Beaumont, heir to the Earldom, returned and restored Dundarg Castle.