What Happened To Robert The Bruce's Heart After He Died?

Robert the Bruce's heart was allegedly taken from his body at his death and encased in silver. He had left instructions that it should be taken to the Holy Land in order to atone for the sins he had committed while alive, including that which had earned him excommunication from the church, his murder of his cousin John Comyn.

Sir James Douglas was charged with taking the heart of the dead king on its journey to the Middle East. While in Spain, however, he got involved in the struggle between the Christian and Muslim armies, fighting on the side of King Alfonso of Castile and Leon against the Saracens. In the course of the fighting he was killed but reportedly threw the silver casing, containing the king's heart, into the massed ranks of the enemy soldiers. Somehow the casing was recovered and taken back to Scotland where it was buried at Melrose Abbey.