The Bruce Festival: Local honors family heritage
BONNERS FERRY — One man’s quest to learn more about his heritage inspired this past weekend’s The Bruce Festival, a celebration of the 750th birthday of King Robert I, also known as Robert the Bruce of Scotland.
John Miller, a Boundary County local, began researching his family lineage in 2023. On his mother's side he is the great-grandson of Hiram Edward and Rose Fleming, who moved to North Idaho in the 1890s. Miller began researching that side of his family.
“I recently found out the [the Bruce] is my 19th great-grandfather,” Miller told a crowd at the festival. “I have over 5 million cousins, some may even be here in Boundary County.”
As Miller searched further back on the family tree, he found he was related to Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, a descendant of Robert the Bruce through his daughter Marjorie.
Dressed as Robert the Bruce, displaying the family crest of the yellow field and a red lion on his chest, Miller shared the cultural significance of the Bruce and his impact on Scotland.
Some might recognize the name from the famous 1995 Mel Gibson movie “Braveheart,” which mainly focuses on William Wallace, the freedom fighter, during the First War of Scottish Independence. Wallace and Andrew Morey’s the Battle of Stirling Bridge, the first major Scottish victory in the Wars of Independence on Sept. 11, 1297. The next July, Wallace was captured by the English and was hung, drawn and quartered for high treason and his body mutilated and displayed across parts of England and Scotland.
This enraged the Scots and further inspired Robert the Bruce to continue fighting for independence. The term “Braveheart” historically was bestowed on Robert I by the Scottish people.
Bruce was called many things. Miller said. To his enemies, he was “pretender” and “outlaw.” However, Miller said the name “Braveheart” perfectly describes Robert I as it took bravery and heart for him to rally the people of Scotland and continually fight a Goliath of a foe, such as England.
The story goes that after six failed battles, Bruce was hiding out in a cave watching a spider attempt to crawl onto the ceiling. The spider failed six times in a row yet continued to get back up.
Legend goes that Bruce said if the spider fails on the seventh attempt that he too shall give up his fight for Scotland, but if it succeeded, he would return to war.
On the seventh try it succeeded and Bruce then went back to battle.
“After being the loser of six battles, being hunted, his brothers killed, his wife and daughter kidnapped, he shows back up on to the scene in history,” Miller said. “By the end of the battle, the outnumbered Scots has slain 30,000 English troops in a single day.”
This was the Battle of Bannockburn, which scholars call the turning point in the war, which ended 14 years later in 1328 with the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton, granting Scottish independence.
Robert the Bruce is commonly used in Scottish culture to teach perseverance and dedication.
Miller traveled to Scotland this past July to learn more about his family heritage and Robert the Bruce. By happenstance he stopped by Bruce’s grave it was July 11 and Bruce’s 750th birthday. Miller felt moved to come back from his ancestral pilgrimage and share what he saw and learned by way of a celebration of Scottish and Irish heritage.
With only a month of preparation on Sunday, Aug. 18, the pipes called lads and lasses of all ages came down to the Boundary County Fairgrounds.
Some came from church; some came in their best tartan and historical dress to hear the Celtic music performed by The Mountain Minstrels in the pavilion. The historical lessons were mixed between the music, such as “The Skye Boat Song,” which with the 19th century lyrics by reminisces the journey of “Bonnie Prince Charlie” Charles Edward Stewart when he fled from English soldiers to the Isle of Skye after the defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
Bagpipes, Irish pipes and drums performed recent and traditional Celtic tunes. Musicians explained the nuances and inconsistent temperament of bagpipes and how to care for them.
A blacksmith displayed his wares, from swords to battle ready helmets, as he tended his fire.
Visitors were encouraged to make their own rings and learn the basics of smithing at another booth.
Aspiring squires were invited to test their luck and learn sword craft at one booth, while kilt etiquette was taught at another.
A video of historical sites relating to Robert the Bruce played throughout the festival. Visitors read the historical display which detailed the Scottish War of Independence and historical figures, such as The Bruce and William Wallace.
Due to community interest, this will be an annual be an annual event and will expand to two days. The 2025 The Bruce Festival is scheduled for Aug. 16-17.
Miller said after this years festival more vendors have signed up for next year.
He plans to provide more Ireland historical content next year.
For more information on the festival or to get involved for next year visit thebrucefestival.com
A young squire practices his swordsmanship.
A blacksmith works his smithy at The Bruce Festival.
A musician performs the Irish pipe at a booth.