In 1306, Robert the Bruce a descendant of the Berwick claimant of 1291 took up Wallace's cause and had himself crowned King of Scotland. Edward seized the land owned by the Bruce family at Hartlepool and launched a new invasion of Scotland. However, Edward would never see battle. On his way north into Scotland Edward died of natural causes at Burgh on Sands near Carlisle. His son, Edward II, who proved to be a much weaker king, succeeded to the throne.

In 1312 Robert the Bruce burned and plundered the County Palatine of Durham in a raid that took him as far south as his former land in Hartlepool. The Scottish king caused chaos throughout the north and in a truce at Hexham the men of Northumberland had no choice but to pay him £2000 to leave. It was a lot of money in those days.

Bruce was invading England again in 1314 and successfully seized Tynedale, which though technically in England, declared him their king. Further successes continued for Bruce later that year when the English under Edward II were routed at the Battle of Bannockburn in Scotland. King Edward fled to Berwick by boat and from there to Hartlepool and York. Scottish raids in England followed Edward's departure and reached as far south as Swaledale.

In 1319 things went from bad to worse for Edward II when his army of 8,000 men failed to capture Berwick, a town recently retaken by the Scots. The English took flight. The Scots raided as far south as York. An army headed by Nicholas Flemming, Mayor of York was defeated at Myton on Swale by the Scots under the Earl of Moray.

Even in 1322 when Edward's forces successfully defeated the Earl of Lancaster, (a supporter of Robert Bruce) in battle at Boroughbridge the Scots were able to cause much havoc and plundered the towns of Stockton and Hartlepool. In October of that year King Edward was almost captured by the Scots during a raid at Byland in North Yorkshire. Two years later a peace treaty was drawn up at York between the English and the Scots but it soon lost the support of Bruce.

Edward II died in 1327 and was succeeded by his young son King Edward III who was aged only fourteen. This Edward would however grow up to become a formidable military leader and ruled for 50 years.

Robert the Bruce, the King of Scotland was unimpressed by the news of the new monarch in England and invaded Northumberland and Durham. In Weardale where a Scottish camp left behind 10,000 pairs of shoes Edward pursued Bruce. The Scots evaded the English army and the frustrated Edward encamped for a whole month in Weardale in the hope of encountering the Scots.

In 1329 Robert Bruce passed away at Cardross in Strathclyde and was succeeded by his son King David II.

David Bruce (David II) succeeded his father as King of Scotland in 1329 but was defeated in battle at Perth by a rival claimant Edward Baliol in 1332. Edward Baliol was the son of an earlier Scottish king called John Baliol. Like his father this Baliol was once again supported by the English king and was unpopular with most Scots. He was deposed and subsequently restored a number of times during his reign. Baliol had been deposed in 1333 when he sided with King Edward III of England at the siege of Berwick, a town then under the control of David's supporters. Berwick was successfully taken by the two Edwards along with some lands in the Lothians near Edinburgh.

Many Scots supported the rival claim of David II and resented the rule of Edward Baliol, who was effectively Edward III's puppet. In 1335 a force of Scots who supported David invaded the Tees valley via Cumberland as far as Hartlepool. Many Hartlepudlians took to the sea for refuge. David followed up the raiding in 1342 with an attack on Newcastle but failing to break the town walls seized Durham City instead after a seven-day siege and then fled to Scotland.

David invaded the north once again in 1346 but this time the raid was not so lucky for Scottish king.

Heading south through Hexham and Blanchland David and his forces plundered their way through County Durham. Assembling at Bearpark they eventually battled with English forces at Nevilles Cross on the outskirts of Durham City. The Scots were outnumbered by the English and were convincingly defeated. King David was discovered hiding under a bridge on the River Browney, a tributary of the Wear, and was held prisoner for eleven years.

After a treaty was signed at Berwick in 1357 David was eventually handed back to the Scots in return for a ransom. The Scots never paid the fee. The weakened David would pass away fourteen years later at Edinburgh Castle. Robert II, a less effective king succeeded David and reigned until 1290.