General Notes

Malcolm II., born about 954, died November 25, 1034. He succeeded to the throne in 1003, and had a troubled reign
of about thirty years. He defeated Kenneth IV., at Monievaird in Strathearn, and in consequence became king. His
annoyance came from the Danes who, in previous reigns, had made several attempts to effect a settlement in Scotland, but
had been defeated in all of them. They had secured a firm footing in England, and the year after Malcolm's accession to the
throne, they commenced the most formidable preparations, under their celebrated king, Sweyn, for a new expedition to the
Scottish coasts. Malcolm finally defeated this initial invasion in 1010. There was a second attempt made to gain a foothold
in Northern England, but it too was defeated. In 1014, another Danish force landed on the coast of Buchan. The Danes on
this occasion were led by Sweyn's celebrated son, Canute, afterwards King of England and Denmark, and again they
experienced a signal overthrow. A treaty was drawn up which stipulated that the Danes agreed to quit every part of the
Scottish coasts, and this was followed by the final departure, the same year, of these invaders from Scotland. Malcolm was
next engaged in war with the Northumbrians, and, having in 1018, led his army to Carham, near Werk, on the south bank of
the Tweed River, he was met there by Uchtred, Earl of Northumberland, when a desperate battle took place. The victory
was claimed by Uchtred, who was, soon after, assassinated, when on his way to pay his obeisance to the great Canute. He
killed Kenneth III., son of Dub. He had no sons. Having succeeded as King of Alba in 1005, Malcolm II. secured Lothian by
the battle of Carham about 1016 and about the same time obtained Strathclyde for his grandson, Duncan, thus forming
the kingdom of Scotland.

The title of 'last of the Alpin rulers' fell to Malcolm II, and thankfully for Scotland Malcolm II had more on his mind than blood and war, and by 1034 a true - and well defined Scottish Kingdom had emerged.

It might seem by this remark that Malcolm II was completely different to his predecessors, but in fact he wasn't in his early days. He had gained the throne by murdering Kenneth III and his son in the town of Perth.

He even tried the usual march south to claim back the southern regions, but was swiftly defeated and forced to return home. So he turned his attention north and tried his hand at the Scandinavians based in Moray. Again he was unsuccessful.

Now rather than war he set about the plans to marry off his daughters to the Scandinavians and at least try and get some kind of foot hold in the north. This was not such a hot idea, and after many 'in-house' fights and battles he once again turned his attentions to the south and Lothian. This time with success.

He regained the lands and struck a bargain with the English that Lothian and south of the Clyde would be his so long as he didn't change the traditions and language of the area. Thus formed the border between Scotland and England again which remains today. As for who was next in line for the crown? Malcolm II sorted that one out for good. He himself had no sons and so he named Duncan - the son of his eldest daughter Bethoc to be king after him, and then proceeded to slaughter the remaining male descendants of Kenneth III.

When Malcolm II finally died in 1035, at the ripe old age of 80 (which was amazing for a king), Duncan was proclaimed King of Alba and inherited the lands from the Tweed in the south, to Moray in the north - and this is where we leave the unflagging efforts of the 'House of Alpin' and what they managed to achieve.