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Outlaw King fans have a new Robert the Bruce 鈥 and he鈥檚 a Scot

2 December 2018

David Paisley as Robert the Bruce in Rise of the Clans

Real life historical figure , one time King of Scotland, has been receiving some extra love lately thanks to Star Trek heartthrob Chris Pine. Pine’s performance as the rugged rogue monarch in Outlaw King arrived on Netflix in early November.

But 大象传媒 Scotland isn’t far behind with its own bloody take on the rise of the Bruce, starring Scottish actor David Paisley.

The first episode of the sword-clanging new historical docu-drama series Rise of the Clans features stunning scenery and dramatic reconstructions, with a suitably suited-and-booted Paisley alongside the passionate presenting skills of Neil Oliver.

Covering many of the same historical incidents, this Bruce re-telling takes a very different tack on some key scenes — including the way one infamous murder went down...

When Robert the Bruce meets his rival John Comyn, tempers fray and things soon get ugly

This time it鈥檚 a sharp dagger in a country church that changes the fate of a nation.

A blood-soaked saga of battles and feuds, loyalty and betrayal.

Neil Oliver follows the clans on the sidelines as they rally behind Robert the Bruce in his against-all-odds bid to win Scotland’s crown.

As well as the rise of Robert the Bruce, the series also re-tells the dramatic assassination of and how the clans plotted against — ultimately leading to the beheading of the most charismatic Queen in Scottish history.

With a new Mary Queen of Scots film set to hit cinema screens in January 2019, starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie, Scotland’s rich history continues to be a huge draw for filmmakers and dramatists.

Trailer for Rise of the Clans

The real-life Game of Thrones story of Scotland鈥檚 Clans

Throughout the series, Oliver travels back in time to reveal the real life Game of Thrones: the story of Scotland’s ancient clans. The series follows the epic struggle for power in medieval Scotland, told from the point of view of the feuding clans.

As well as Neil Oliver’s take, the first episode includes fascinating insights from an impressive list of historians from the Universities of Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Glasgow and the National Trust for Scotland.

One of our favourite takeaways? Clan is the Gaelic word for children. Who knew?

Rise of the Clans begins on Monday 3 December on 大象传媒 One Scotland. Catch up with the series on 大象传媒 iPlayer.

Rise of the Clans on 大象传媒 iPlayer

What the Battle of Bannockburn might have looked like

Scene 1: First blood

A vanguard of English cavalry started to cross the Bannockburn...

A fresh-faced David Paisley on Holby City, 2003
Chris Pine as Robert the Bruce in Netflix's Outlaw King

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