A large stone cairn stands sentinel in Renfrew road, Paisley. This latter day "Paisley pyramid", was built upon a legend. It is known as Marjory Bruce's monument. Princess Marjory Bruce was the daughter of King Robert the Bruce. During the war with England, she had been captured and taken as a hostage by the "Auld Enemy". She was to spend years of cruel incarceration in the Tower of London. After the battle of Banockburn in 1314, she was released. Princess Marjory returned to Scotland under the escort of Walter Fitzalan, a descendant of the Walter Fitzalan who founded Paisley Abbey. The young Walter, as High Steward to the King, had played an important role at the battle of Bannockburn. As one of the King's most deserving subjects and royal favourite, Walter was rewarded with the hand of Marjory in marriage. They were married in May 1315. Legend has it that, on March 2nd, 1316, Marjory was returning to her husband's castle at Renfrew. Riding through the lands of Knock, which lay between Paisley and Renfrew, she was accidentally throw from her horse. Her fall caused a dislocation of her neck bone and death soon followed. As she was heavily pregnant with Walter's child and no skilled person was at hand, a country fellow boldly acted as surgeon. When he later became the first Stewart King of Scots, as Robert II, he was dubbed "King Blearie" and his mother Marjory, "Queen Blearie", although she never was Queen. This older monument was not, however built to mark the spot where Marjory fell of her horse, but to commemorate the important battle of Renfrew of 1164. Over the centuries, the older monument had been known in folk memory as "Cuimhne Blair", the old Gaelic words meaning "a memorial of battle". This, sounding like "Queen Blear", may explain why the monument became associated with Marjory Bruce. The man who won the Battle of Renfrew in 1164, was the first Walter Fitzalan, High Steward and founder of Paisley Abbey. He was the man who erected the earlier monument, now lost, near the present day site of the cairn on Renfrew road. On his seal of 1170, Walter is depicted leaning against a pillar. This pillar can only refer to his monument, built to commemorate the site of his great victory against Somerled, Lord of the Isles.

A stone in the wall of Blarney Castle in Ireland. According to an Irish legend, those who kiss the Blarney Stone receive a gift of eloquence that enables them to obtain, through persuasion, anything they want. It said to impart skill in flattery to whoever kisses it. The stone was given to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce in 1314 in return for his support in the Battle of Bannockburn. The stone was set into a tower of the castle in 1446. Queen Elizabeth I wanted Irish chiefs to agree to occupy their own lands under title from her. Cormac Teige McCarthy, the Lord of Blarney, handled every Royal request with subtle diplomacy, promising loyalty to the Queen without "giving in". Elizabeth proclaimed that McCarthy was giving her "a lot of Blarney", thus giving rise to the legend.

 

Blarney Castle is one of Ireland's oldest and most historic castles, an ancient stronghold of the McCarthy's, Lords of Muskerry, and one of the strongest fortresses in Munster. It was subsequently occupied at one time by Cormac McCarthy, King of Munster, who is said to have supplied four thousand men from Munster to supplement the forces of Robert the Bruce at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314.