Declaration of Arbroath statue

The two figures on the plinth represent Bernard, Abbot of Arbroath, who in April 1320 oversaw the drafting of the "Declaration of Arbroath" and Robert “The Bruce”, King of Scots. The Declaration of Arbroath is thought by many to be the most important and influential document in Scottish history. It was a letter written to Pope John XXII on behalf of Robert the Bruce, and signed by most of the great and good of early 14th Century Scotland. It asked the Pope to put pressure on Edward II of England to recognise Robert the Bruce as the legitimate King of Scotland. The document is historically significant insomuch that it also implied that in future any King of Scots could only rule with the approval of the people of Scotland.