Letter: The ancient document will go on public display this summer Pic: © STV
A 700-year-old letter believed to have been carried by William Wallace has been returned to Scotland.
The medieval document has been archived in England since it was discovered in the Tower of London in the 1830s.
The document is now on long-term loan to the National Records of Scotland after an agreement was reached with the National Archives in Kew.
Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop unveiled the ancient letter in Edinburgh and announced it will go on public display this August at the Scottish Parliament alongside the famous Lubeck letter.
Ms Hyslop said: "I am delighted to welcome the Wallace letter back to Scotland. It is one of the few surviving artefacts with a direct link to William Wallace and a fascinating fragment of our nation's history.
“It is incredibly rare - a document with a direct link to our national hero. To have it here in Scotland, where it can be viewed by the Scottish public, is very significant indeed."
George MacKenzie, head of National Records of Scotland, spoke of the rigorous steps taken to confirm the letter’s authenticity.
He said: “There is no question at all that the Guillelmum le Walois de Scotia referred to in the document is our William Wallace. His name is given in full - no other name in the document is.
“He is described as ‘militem’, or knight. In other English documents, they do not give him this title. This is certainly an indication that a French king gave him this title.
“The French expert on our panel pointed out that some of the letter forms are distinctively French from the Royal Chancellery of the 1290s. He was able to be that specific, which helped in asserting beyond a doubt that this is a French document.
“This document is an enigma. It's a letter from the French king to his officials at the Vatican mentioning Wallace, but we don't know what his business was with the Pope.
“What we do know is that the document still fascinates, 700 years after it was written.”
Duncan Fenton, from the Society of William Wallace, who have campaigned since 2005 to have the document returned to Scotland, said: “The letter is so important because it’s the only artefact that we know William Wallace carried on his person.
“We have the Wallace sword, but it has been repaired and changed over the years. It is best described as the ‘ghost of the Wallace sword’.
“Not many Scots have seen this since it was taken from Wallace in 1305 - until today.
“It is direct link into the past. You are connecting with Wallace the man, not Wallace the myth.
“He carried this document to Europe to seek help from European leaders to further Scotland’s cause during the wars of independence.
“This little scrap of paper carried all the hopes and dreams of the people of Scotland to try to retain their freedom. It is iconic and so important.”
The free exhibition will run from August 10 to 31 in the Main Hall of the Scottish Parliament.
Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick MSP said: "This unique exhibition will, alongside lectures and debates planned as part of our annual Festival of Politics, help visitors explore the documents' impact on Scottish history."
