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The House Of MacAlpin |
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Malcolm II
1005-1034
King Malcolm II, known in Gaelic as Mael Coluim mac Cinaeda, who succeeded Kenneth III was the last of the ancient line of the House of MacAlpin. Malcolm was much respected by his contemporaries, the Irish Annals refer to him as 'honoured among all men.' To his name was added the Gaelic epithet 'Forranach' meaning the destoyer. Contemporary chroniclers record of him that 'He was skilled in brandishing the sword and hurling the spear' and that he was ' A victorious warrior in battle.' He was the first to reign over the extent of land equivalent to modern Scotland.
Malcolm married his daughter to Sigurd, the Viking Earl of Orkney. When his son-in-law was killed in battle in Ireland, his Scottish lands were divided between the Mormaer of Moray, who was married to Malcolm's sister and Sigard's son, who was also Malcolm's grandson. He married his elder daughter, Bethoc, to Crinan, lay Abbot of Dunkeld, from this fateful union was to spring the House of Dunkeld.
Malcolm II invaded England , believing the English too preoccupied with the Danish raids to successfully withstand a Scots invasion. Unfortunately he was wrong and they defeated him at Durham. The English were lead by Earl Uhtred, who gathered men from all over the region to halt the King of Scot's advance. The heads of the Scots killed in battle were displayed on the walls of Durham but Malcolm himself escaped from the bloody battlefield alive.
The King of Scots allied himself with the King of Strathclyde and together they burnt much of Northumbria. He defeated Earl Uhtred at Carham on the river Tweed. King Owen 'the Bald' of Strathclyde was klled in the battle and Malcolm made his grandson, Duncan, their King, naming him King of Cumbria. Canute, the Danish king of England, responded with alarm, sending an army north tp deal with the troublesome Scots King and seized Lothian.
Before he had time to react, Malcolm was murdered by his nobles at Glamis Castle, Angus, on 25th November, 1034, probably resulting from his decision to alter the established Pictish tanist pattern of inheritance, by naming his grandson, Duncan I, as his successor.