The Kingdom of Scotland (843 – 1707)

The Kingdom of Scotland was a sovereign state located in what is now modern-day Scotland. It has a long and complex history, with its origins dating back to the 9th century. The Kingdom of Scotland was known for its rich culture, including the Gaelic language and the traditional dress and music of the Highlands. It also had a strong tradition of clan loyalty and a history of conflict with its southern neighbor, England. Despite facing many invasions and attempted annexations by England over the centuries, the Kingdom of Scotland was able to maintain its independence for much of its history, eventually becoming a part of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707.
The Scottish monarchy played a central role in the government and political life of Scotland during the Middle Ages. The Scottish kings were responsible for the administration of justice, the defense of the kingdom, and the protection of the rights and interests of the people. They relied on a network of officials, such as sheriffs and bailiffs, to help them carry out these duties, and they also had a Privy Council to advise them on matters of state. The Scottish Parliament, which emerged as a major legal institution in the late Middle Ages, had a limited role in the government of the kingdom, but it did gain some oversight over taxation and policy.

In the late 8th century, Viking raids on monasteries such as those at Iona and Lindisfarne caused fear and turmoil across the kingdoms of north Britain. The Orkney Islands, Shetland, and the Western Isles eventually fell to the Norsemen. These events may have contributed to a process of Gaelicization in the Pictish kingdoms, which adopted Gaelic language and customs. There was also a merger of the Gaelic and Pictish kingdoms, although the specifics of this process are debated by historians. This ultimately led to the rise of Cínaed mac Ailpín, also known as Kenneth MacAlpin, as “king of the Picts” in the 840s. His reign and that of his successor, Domnall II, marked the beginning of the Kingdom of Alba, also known as Scotland. The reign of Domnall’s successor, Causantín, is often seen as a key period in the formation of the Kingdom of Alba, and he is credited with bringing the Scottish church into conformity with the Catholic Church.
Máel Coluim I, also known as Malcolm I, was a king of Scotland who ruled in the 10th century. He is believed to have annexed the Kingdom of Strathclyde, a territory that had probably been under the authority of the kings of Alba since the late 9th century. His successor, Indulf, was also referred to as the King of Strathclyde before inheriting the throne of Alba. He is credited with annexing parts of Lothian, including Edinburgh, from the Kingdom of Northumbria.

David I, who ruled Scotland in the 12th century, is known for implementing significant reforms in the country, including introducing a system of feudal land tenure, establishing the first royal burghs in Scotland, and issuing the first recorded Scottish coinage. He also continued a process of religious and legal reforms. The border between Scotland and England was not fixed during this time, and Northumbria was briefly annexed to Scotland by David I. However, it was lost again under his grandson, Malcolm IV, in 1157. The Treaty of York in 1237 established the modern border between the two countries.

Alexander III, who ruled Scotland in the 13th century, was able to annex the remaining western seaboard of Norway after the Battle of Largs and the Treaty of Perth in 1266. The Isle of Man, which had been controlled by Norway, was taken by the English in the 14th century, despite several attempts by the Scots to seize it. In the 15th and early 16th centuries, the Stewart dynasty, which ruled Scotland at the time, gained greater political control and regained much of the territory that had been lost to England in the Wars of Independence (1296-1357). The dowry of the Orkney and Shetland Islands, given by the Norwegian crown to Scotland in 1468, was the last major land acquisition for the kingdom. In 1482, Berwick, a border fortress that was the largest port in medieval Scotland, was captured by the English for the last time. The Auld Alliance between Scotland and France led to the defeat of a Scottish army at the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513 and the death of King James IV. This was followed by a period of political instability in Scotland.
The history of Scotland in the 16th and 17th centuries was marked by significant political and religious upheaval. The reigns of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots saw the emergence of the Renaissance in Scotland, with a focus on cultural and intellectual pursuits. However, the country was also beset by civil wars and interventions by the English and French. The Scottish Reformation, which took place in the mid-16th century, was heavily influenced by Calvinism and led to the introduction of a Presbyterian system of organization and discipline.

James VI, who inherited the thrones of England and Ireland in 1603, moved the center of royal patronage and power to London, leading to the Union of the Crowns. When Charles I, James’ son, tried to impose elements of the English religious settlement on Scotland, it resulted in the Bishops’ Wars and a virtually independent Presbyterian Covenanter state in Scotland. This also contributed to the outbreak of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, in which the Scots played a significant military role.

After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Scotland regained its separate status and institutions, but the center of political power remained in London. The Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689, in which James VII was deposed by Mary and her husband William of Orange, led to the Claim of Right Act 1689 and the acceptance of Mary and William as rulers in Scotland. However, this also led to the emergence of Jacobitism, a political movement focused on the deposed Stuart line, and a series of invasions and rebellions in the Scottish Highlands.

In the late 17th century, economic dislocation in Scotland led to moves towards political union with England as the Kingdom of Great Britain. This union, which took effect in 1707, involved the creation of a combined Parliament of Great Britain, with Scottish representation, and the replacement of the Scottish currency, tax system, and trade laws with those of England.