History Research

To mark the 750^th anniversary of Robert the Bruce’s birth, a new 3D model – produced from a cast of his skull – will be displayed to the public for the first time at Dunfermline Abbey.

The 3D reconstruction is the most realistic likeness of Robert the Bruce to be produced to date, and was created as part of a collaboration between the University of Glasgow and Liverpool John Moores University Face Lab, which released the digital model a few years ago. Dr Martin McGregor, Senior Lecturer in History at University of Glasgow, first conceived of the model after the discovery of King Richard III of England’s skeleton in Leicester in 2012.

The model was produced using a combination of historical research and scientific analysis with advances in facial reconstruction techniques. The team used a 3D laser scanner to scan the cast of Robert the Bruce’s skull held at the University of Glagow's Hunterian Museum, which allowed the team to accurately establish the muscle formation from the positions of the skull bones. Using CGI technology, realistically textured skin was then layered over the muscle structure. The nose is the least accurate feature of this facial depiction due to the bone deterioration.

Historians have long debated whether Robert the Bruce suffered from leprosy. The team created two versions of the digital reconstruction, one without leprosy and one with a mild representation of leprosy. For the 3D physical model, only the version showing no visible signs of leprosy was portrayed.

Dr Martin MacGregor, Senior Lecturer in History at University of Glasgow, said: “In a lifetime of only 55 years, Robert Bruce achieved the impossible and restored peace and freedom to a war-torn and colonised kingdom. Contemporary sources tell us much about his remarkable life, but virtually nothing about his appearance.

"This is what persuaded a team of historians, museum curators, geneticists, forensic scientists and medical artists to combine to create a new 3D depiction of the head of the hero-king, based upon the skull-cast taken from a skeleton in a tomb discovered within the ruins of Dunfermline Abbey in 1818. The head is dressed in a helmet surmounted by a crown, as worn by Bruce at his most famous victory, the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. 750 years after his birth in 1274, it is fitting that Dunfermline Abbey, where Robert Bruce was buried in 1329, should host an exhibition which brings us face-to-face with Scotland’s greatest monarch.”

Alasdair Campbell, Interpretation Officer at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), said: "We are delighted to host the most accurate model of Robert the Bruce’s face to date. Robert the Bruce’s story is an important part of Dunfermline Abbey, and we are excited for visitors to be able to visualise this story in a new way, particularly as we celebrate his 750^th birthday.”

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Robert the Bruce

The model will be on show to the public for the first time at Dunfermline Abbey from Monday 29 July until Saturday 7 December. To learn more and book your tickets, please visit the Historic Environment Scotland website.

Other events are also taking place across Historic Environment Scotland to celebrate Robert the Bruce’s 750^th anniversary. A full list can be found at historicenvironment.scot/bruce.

To find out more about the history of Bruce’s likeness and the leprosy debate, visit hes.scot/bruce-faces.

First published: 30 July 2024