The remains and whereabouts of Greyfriars Church have been common knowledge for some time.
When the Bruce Trust was set up in 2000, Dumfries and Galloway Council commissioned a feasibility study for a visitor centre. This was carried out by Dominic Tweddle, at that time director of the Jorvik Centre in York. (He is now Director General of the National Museum of the Royal Navy).
He produced a very favourable report, concluding that
“although no physical remains of the site of the murder exist, a suitable vacant property, preferably within the boundary of the medieval convent of Greyfriars, would be suitable to house…….a visitor centre”.
He went on to suggest a “settled down visitor number of 36,500 visitors annually”.
Since then, the Trust has created a website http://www.brucetrust.co.uk/, a Bruce Trail across Dumfries and Galloway and a public re-enactment of the murder in Greyfriars.
They run a rolling series of debates and lectures which attract distinguished academic writers and researchers. They have also made a film of the murder, using local youth film group Scene1Take1 and are almost finished a second film, again with Scene1Take1, promoting the Bruce Trail and the landscape of Dumfries and Galloway.
The vacant shops on Castle Street are built over the foundations of Greyfriars, and offer the perfect choice of site. However, the Trust stresses that they are still in discussions with the agent for the properties. Their campaign is designed to attract support and funding to this end.
Their aim is to acquire the historic site for Dumfries. Scottish culture and heritage are the drivers behind the initiative.
Robert Bruce is as important to the people of Scotland as Napoleon is to the people of France.
His story began here – he should be recognised and celebrated here.
Equally important is the regeneration that would follow this kind of initiative, with scope for local Scottish businesses of all kinds benefiting.
The Trust encourages everyone to join Bruce’s campaign and bring him back to Dumfries. Follow the story on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BruceinDumfries/timeline
