THE HOUSE OF ALPIN

Little has been written about many of the early kings since written records were not kept.     As written records were later kept, we are able to learn more about Scotland's  kings and queens.  Alpin was king of the Dalriadic Scots.  The kingdom after the Romans withdrew from  Caledonia (the name the Romans called the land north of Britannia) in 407 was divided among four tribes, three of which were Celtic, and the fourth  the Angles.  Those tribal divisions were the Picts, the Scots, the Britons and the Angles. 

Kenneth MacAlpin (843-859)

In 843 Kenneth acquired Pictland. The united Celtic kingdom was known as Scotia.  Kenneth unsuccessfully invaded Lothian six times.   He moved the  center of his kingdom from Dalraida to the Pictish east, set the ancient Stone of Destiny in Scone where he was crowned King of Scotia and transferred St. Columba's relics from Iona to Dunkeld.  King Constantine II later had them taken to St. Andrews.  The unification of Scotland began when Kenneth MacAlpin became king of the Picts and the Scots.

The coronation chair containing the
Stone of Destiny.  Kenneth MacAlpin
moved it to Scone for his coronation in 843.

Malcolm II (1005-1034)

Malcolm II was the final king of the House of Alpin. He was crowned at Scone like all his predecessors. In 1018 his victory at the battle of Carham added Lothian to the kingdom of Scotia. He failed to produce a son. His grandson Duncan murdered the grandson of Kenneth III.

(Kenneth III and Malcolm II were cousins).

DONALD I (860-863)

Donald I succeeded his brother Kenneth I in 858 but very little is known about his three-year reign.

CONSTANTINE I (862-877)

Constantine was the son of Kenneth I.   He was killed in battle in 877.

AED (877-878)

Aed was another son of Kenneth I and succeeded his brother in 877.   He was killed a year later by Giric who then seized the throne.

GIRIC  and EOCHAIN (878-889

Some think that Giric was the son of Donald I and some thing that he was the son of another man.  He ruled jointly with Eochain who had some claim to the Pictish throne.  It is believed that Giric invaded Northumbria.  He died in 889 in Perthshire.

DONALD II (889-900)

The son of Constantine I, Donald fought the Norse invasions and died in 900.

CONSTANTINE II (900-943)

Constantine was the sone of Aed and ruled for 40 years.  He invaded Northumbria and successfully fought the Norse invaders.  To establish peace wit the Norsemen in Ireland, he married his daughter to Olaf III.  He was finally defeated in 937 by the Anglo-Saxton king Athelstan at the Battle of Brunanburh.   During that battle his eldest son was killed.  In 943 he abdicated his throne, entered a monastery in St. Andrews and died in 952.

Continue to the House of Dunkeld