The Declaration of Arbroath: What it meant then and what it means now

The words of the Declaration of Arbroath echo down the centuries as a supreme statement of defiance against tyranny. But should we read it as a seminal declaration of Scottish national identity or a practical response to a diplomatic problem? The model for the United States Declaration of Independence or as a clever piece of medieval rhetoric? Indicative of the strength of support for the 'hero king' Robert the Bruce or evidence of the weakness of his usurping regime? Seven hundred years on...