Bannockburn battle recreated in 3D

A game that will allow visitors to the new Battle of Bannockburn centre to lead a medieval army in 3D has been unveiled.

The Battle Game will see visitors given control of soldiers from the armies of Robert the Bruce and Edward II, who fought in 1314.

The attraction, which has been created by the National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland, opens on 1 March.

The 700th anniversary of the battle will be marked on 23 and 24 June.

Each visit to the centre will culminate in the Battle Game, where visitors will be allocated an army division which appears on a massive 3D map of the Stirling landscape, giving a birds-eye view of the battle.

David McAllister, Battle of Bannockburn project director at the National Trust for Scotland, said: "After a visit to the new Battle of Bannockburn experience, people can walk away not just with extra knowledge, but with the experience and emotions of medieval battle.

"Visitors witness first-hand the pressure of making decisions that affect an entire army.

"Seeing the action play out, it will stay with you, and it can be appreciated visually the tremendous disadvantage that the Scots army had, and how the tactics of Robert the Bruce led his army to victory."

Each experience of the Battle Game will differ depending on the tactical decisions made by the visitor using the landscape, manpower and weaponry available to their division.

Battlemasters will be on hand to provide historical details, tips and advice before declaring the successful side, summarising the results of the action with an overview of how the battle played out in 1314, and revealing the 21st-century version of the landscape and locations of conflict.

Ned Sampson has experience in combat fighting in film productions.

Motion capture

He said: "The mental and visual stimulation that audiences experience is as close as you can get to the real thing. You can leave the new Battle of Bannockburn visitor centre and describe the events of 1314 based on experience rather than just historical fact.

"As the Battle Game heats up and there is little time to manoeuvre, you can feel the adrenalin, pressure and fear involved in a real medieval battle."

Experts used motion capture technology as part of the project to transform the facilities.

The aim was to create a fully immersive experience of what the battle was like.

The technique used was similar to that which brought the character Gollum to life in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Re-enactors used replica weapons to engage in a real fights, which were recorded and digitally enhanced to create a realistic battle.