History of Medieval Scotland #3

While David I was Normanizing his portion of medieval Scotland, extending her borders well into England, and, all in all, very capably ruling, the western clans were caught up in their own battles with the Norse. The 12th century is the age of Somerled, the great half-Viking king who recaptured Argyll and the Isles from the Norse. His descendants (the MacDonalds) styled themselves "Lord of the Isles" and were a thorn in the side of the Scottish monarchy for almost three hundred years.

Somerled



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David I was succeeded by an 11-year-old grandson, another Malcolm, who proved no match for Henry II, losing much of David's gain in northern England. Fortunately, his brother William (the Lion) who followed, was able to recoup while Richard I abandoned his English kingdom for the Crusades. William was a great warrior and wrested the northern portions of mainland Scotland (Caithness, Sutherland, Ross) from the Norse. His banner was the red lion rampant on a yellow background - the flag of the Scottish monarchy to this day.

Somerled had been killed in battle by Malcolm IV and his possessions nominally came under the rule of Scotland, though his descendants would conspire for centuries with various English kings to gain Scotland's rule for themselves. Nevertheless, it was under 13th century Canmore kings (Alexander II and Alexander III) that the western isles were finally ceded from Norway to Scotland. Only the Orkneys and Shetlands remained under Norse rule until they were peacefully ceded to Scotland as part of a dowry to James II in 1468.

In 1286, after a long and productive reign, Alexander III died, leaving as heir a three-year-old granddaughter, Margaret, the Maid of Norway (her mother had married King Eric II of Norway). A group of six "Guardians" served as regents for four years. At the age of seven, en route to her kingdom, the little girl died without ever stepping foot on Scottish soil. She left a chaotic Scotland, with no fewer than 13 claimants to the throne.

In the 400 years from Kenneth MacAlpin to Alexander III, Scotland traveled from the land of legend and myth into the realm of history. The Picts, Britons and Angles merged into one people with a common law, language and religion. The depth of their national feeling was as yet unmeasured, but the blood of those who had fought tooth and nail against the Vikings flowed strongly in their veins. While having more in common with the Scots than with the Norse or Irish, yet the western lands had never wholeheartedly embraced the Scottish monarcy and its new ways. The highland clan system had also developed during these years, with the great clans growing stronger and their loyalties rigid.

Could medieval Scotland in 1296 hope to retain her independence against the wily Edward I of England? Would the feudal magnates with lands on both sides of the border be willing to die to maintain Scottish sovereignty? Would the clans come down from the mountains to fight for a monarchy and a nation they felt despised them? Could any of the many claimants to the throne win the hearts and minds of the Scots people?

History tells the tale.

History from heartoscotland.com