Didn't Burns paraphrase Barbours epic (Thanks for posting it LJC - fantastic stuff) in the words to "Scots Wha Hae" ? He "wrote" the song to preserve a pipe tune and to protest at highly irregular legal procedings that were being levelled at a gentleman in Glasgow who was campaigning for electoral reform and human rights (dodgey thing to do during the 1790's). He wrote the song annonymously and it was banned as being inflamatory if not downright treasonable. Read about it in Tom Steele's book "Scotland's Story".

History is a funny thing - had Robert the Bruce had his way the battle would never have been fought. His little brother Edward got him into trouble and forced the confrontation.