From: phys218@csc.canterbury.ac.nz
Subject: Scottish Kings and Queens (long)
Organization: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 20:51:35 GMT

Since someone asked, here is a list of the Kings and reigning Queens of
the Scots up to James VI who became also James I of England.

The Scottish royal lineage goes back to the tiny Irish kingdom of Dal
Riata on the Antrim coast which extended its rule in the second or
third centuries A.D.to Irish settlers on the adjacent Argyll coast of
Scotland.  The sons of Fergus, himself a son of Erc, king of Dal Riata,
made themselves kings of Dal Riata in Alba and in due course became
independent of the parent Irish kingdom, styling themselves somewhat
grandiosely kings of Alba.

The house of Mac Eirc ruled in Argyll until the Norse invasions in the
seventh and eighth centuries forced them eastwards into the Pictish
lands.  The final union of the Picts and Scots was achieved under
Kenneth I Mac Ailpin who was, no doubt, relieved to be able to move his
kingdom into the centre of Scotland and abandon the western isles and
mainland coast to the Norse.  He styled himself king of the Picts and
Scots and so this list starts with him.

I apologise in advance for giving most of the king's names in their
English form, since I do not have a Gaelic list to hand and I do not
trust my memory to get them all right.  At least up to Edmund in the
eleventh century, no Scottish king would have used the English names
given here.  I have taken the dates from The Guinness Book of Kings,
Rulers and Statesmen by Clive Carpenter.

DATE                    KING OR QUEEN

853-858 or 859          Kenneth I, son of Alpin, king of Alba.
858 or 859-862 or 863   Donald I, brother of Kenneth I.
862 or 863-877          Conn I, son of Kenneth I.
877-878                 Aedh, son of Kenneth I.
878-889                 Eochaid, nephew of Aedh, a minor.
878-889                 Giric, guardian of Eochaid, possibly a usurper.
889-900                 Donald II, son of Conn I.
900-942                 Conn II, son of Aedh.
942-954                 Malcolm I, son of Donald II.
954-962                 Indulf, son of Conn II.
962-966 or 967          Dubh, son of Malcolm I.
966 or 967-971          Cuilean, son of Indulf.
971-995                 Kenneth II, son of Malcom I.
995-997                 Conn III, son of Cuilean.
997-1005                Kenneth III, son of Dubh.
1005-1034               Malcolm II, son of Kenneth II.
1034-1040               Duncan I, grandson of Malcolm II.
1040-1057               MacBeth, great-grandson of Kenneth II.
1057-1058               Lulach, great-grandson of Kenneth III.
1058-1093               Malcolm III, son of Duncan I.
1093-1094, 1094-1097    Donald III, brother of Malcolm III.
1094                    Duncan II, son of Malcolm III.
1094-1097               Edmund, son of Malcolm III, co-ruler.
1097-1107               Edgar, son of Malcolm III.
1107-1124               Alasdair I, son of Malcolm III.
1124-1153               David I, son of Malcolm III.
1153-1165               Malcolm IV, grandson of David I.
1165-1214               William, brother of Malcolm IV.
1214-1249               Alasdair II, son of William.
1249-1286               Alasdair III, son of Alasdair II.
1286-1290               Margaret, grand-daughter of Alasdair III

(1290-1292              Interregnum on the death of Margaret who died
                        without setting foot in Scotland.)

1292-1296               John Balliol, great-great-great-grandson of
                        David I.

(1296-1306              Interregnum during which Edward I of England
                        attempted to conquer Scotland.)

1306-1329               Robert I (the Bruce), great-great-great-great-
                        grandson of David I.
1329-1371               David II, son of Robert I.
(1332-1338              Edward Balliol, son of John, usurper.)
1371-1390               Robert II (Stewart), half-nephew of David II.
1390-1406               Robert III, son of Robert II.
1406-1437               James I, son of Robert III.
1437-1460               James II, son of James I.
1460-1488               James III, son of James II.
1488-1513               James IV, son of James III.
1513-1542               James V, son of James IV.
1542-1567               Mary, daughter of James V.
1567-1625               James VI, son of Mary.

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Lyndon Watson                              L.Watson@csc.canterbury.ac.nz
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