Scottish archaeology - Neil Oliver and Dr Tony Pollard launch Bannockburn dig

Two Men in a Trench archaeologists Neil Oliver and Dr Tony Pollard have been reunited for a dig to find the exact site of the Battle of Bannockburn.

Two Men in a Trench archaeologists Neil Oliver and Dr Tony Pollard have been reunited at the launch of an archaeological dig to find the exact site of the Battle of Bannockburn. The two archaeologists were joined by Derek Alexander, Head of Archaeological Services at the National Trust for Scotland, to begin filming a special two-part TV series about the archaeology of the Bannockburn site, which will be aired in 2014, in time for the 700th anniversary of the battle.

Filming will continue during the eighteen-month dig, with 3D recreations of the battle site as it would have appeared at the time, as well as dramatic battle recreations. The project sees BBC Scotland working in tandem with the University of Glasgow, The National Trust for Scotland, GUARD Archaeology Ltd, Historic Scotland and Stirling Council. Dr Pollard said of the project: 'This is a huge challenge, but we hope to be able to shed new light on the location of the actual battle and indeed provide fresh information about how the action unfolded.' Neil Oliver said: 'This has to be one of the most potentially exciting archaeological digs in Scotland that there has ever been.'

The Battle of Bannockburn was fought in 1314, as part of the Wars of Scottish Independence and saw the forces of Robert Bruce defeat the armies of the English king Edward II. A new multi-million pound visitor centre is under construction and is due to be completed in time for the 700th anniversary of Bannockburn.

To read more about the Battle of Bannockburn, click here.

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