AIDAN SCOTT
The number of people visiting the revamped Battle of Bannockburn visitor centre has trebled in the year since it opened.
More than 65,000 people have flocked to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) on the outskirts of Stirling since its doors opened on March 1 last year.
It compares with around 20,000 people who toured the centre annually before it was upgraded.
NTS invested heavily in interactive technology and upgraded facilities to inform visitors how Robert the Bruce routed Edward II's forces in 1314.
A spokesman said: "We are absolutely delighted by this as it signifies the increase in visitor numbers that we more or less expected to see upon opening the centre last year."
To celebrate Sunday's first birthday, schoolchildren from nearby Borestone Primary worked together with local residents to serve birthday cake to visitors. The celebrations will continue over the weekend.
They are among 6,000 schoolchildren who have visited the centre in the last year, with the Battle of Bannockburn educational experience proving to be particularly popular.
Ahead of the 700th anniversary of the battle, the visitor centre was opened with the world's first motion capture heritage experience. As part of it, visitors are able to fully immerse themselves in a historically accurate 3D medieval battle, giving them an idea of what it would have been like to fight at Bannockburn.
Battle of Bannockburn manager Scott McMaster said: "We have been blown away by the response to the new facilities here and look forward to sharing this site and its amazing story with many more visitors throughout 2015 and beyond."
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