They say an army marches on its stomach.
And to mark the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, researchers have found out what lined the bellies of Scots troops as they rallied against King Edward II’s men in 1314.
As part of the 2014 Food & Drink campaign, food historian Catherine Brown has penned a revealing insight into one of the lynchpins of the medieval armed forces – the cook.
The research reveals that Scots had a healthy diet based on cereals, dairy and meat.
In contrast to our modern menu of at least three meals a day, they would only have a morning and evening meal. In summer, breakfast was often cold leftovers to save on vital fuel.