School pupils from across Scotland are set to be given the opportunity to visit historic sites, including Bannockburn battlefield, following a £180,000 boost from the Scottish Government.

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) will receive the funding to subsidise school parties visiting Bannockburn - where Robert the Bruce led troops in the First Wars of Scottish independence - as well as Culloden and poet Robert Burns' birthplace near Ayr. Scottish schools minister Keith Brown also revealed that a new educational film using computer generated imagery will be used to tell the story of the Battle of Bannockburn for visitors to the historic battlefield.

Brown said: "The Battle of Bannockburn is a seminal point in Scottish history - a point which forged Scotland's national identity and paved the way to the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320. It has developed an iconic status around the world, synonymous with ideas of freedom, bravery, perseverance and triumph." NTS chief executive Kate Mavor added: "We have worked hard in recent years to develop these sites in a way that reaches out to young people and brings the past to life."