The Declaration will be displayed from 3 June – 2 July 2023 at the National Museum of Scotland.- the first time it has been exhibited in 18 years. Entrance is free.
The Declaration of Arbroath is a letter to the Pope sent in 1320 from the barons of the Kingdom of Scotland seeking his recognition of Robert the Bruce as the country's lawful king.
"The Declaration of Arbroath is a key document from the formative period of the Kingdom of Scotland.
"The parchment itself is highly impressive but it’s the stirring language and evocative sentiments contained in the text that have given the Declaration of Arbroath its special distinction, in Scotland and around the world."
Despite the Scots' success at the Battle of Bannockburn, Robert I had not been recognised as king by either King Edward II of England or the Pope. At the time, the Pope desired peace between England and Scotland so that both kingdoms could help in a crusade to the Holy Land. The Declaration sought to influence him by offering the possibility of support from the Scots for his long-desired crusade if they no longer had to fear English invasion.
Written in Latin, it was sealed by eight earls and about 40 barons. It was authenticated by seals, as documents at that time were not signed. Only 19 seals now remain.
The surviving Declaration is a medieval copy of the letter, the original having been dispatched to the pope in Avignon.
This is a full translation and transcription-
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//research/declaration-of-arbroath/declaration-of-arbroath-transcription-and-translation.pdf
(Strangely I found out about this while researching a ship which sank in 1927!!)