Scotland 975-1034

It was not to be expected that the arrangements entered into in the middle and latter parts of the tenth century would go unchallenged. The unsettled earldom of Northumbria tempted the Scots. We cannot know whether Edgar, had he lived beyond 975, would have gone on to test the relationship with Scotland. His successor, Aethelred, to whom history has given the name of 'Unready' or devoid of counsel, was weak where Edgar had been strong. His inability to counter a renewal of the Danish attacks on England encouraged Malcolm II. In 1006 he mounted an invasion of Northumbria which like the rest of England was in a state of turmoil. Malcolm was repulsed by its earl and lost the Lothians.

The reverse was temporary. Aethelred's position deteriorated and he was ousted by Sweyn I 'Forkbeard , king of Denmark, in his third invasion of England in 1013. When, a year later, he died suddenly, Aethelred was restored briefly until 1016. A further struggle for control of England ensued, culminating with the crowning of Cnut of Denmark as king of England. These continuing upheavals in England were not overlooked by Malcolm II. At the Battle of Carham which was fought on the Tweed either in 1016 or 1018, in alliance with Owen, titular king of Strathclyde, he destroyed the Northumbrian army and regained the Lothians. Owen of Strathclyde died about this time, either in the Battle of Carham or in its aftermath, and Malcolm made Duncan, his grandson, king of Strathclyde.

Duncan came into an inheritance in 1034, as successor to Malcolm, of a kingdom which roughly covered modern Scotland with the exception of those areas still held by the Vikings. What had been the territory of the Scots, Pictland, the Lothians, Cumbria and Strathclyde were now united.

This article is based on material taken from A Traveller's History of Scotland (© Andrew Fisher), published by The Windrush Press, and is by kind permission of its author Andrew Fisher.