Alexander II seems to have been something of a man on mission, determined to remove all the grey areas in Scotland by imposing his authority across the whole country. Previously rebellious or non-Scottish areas like Moray, Caithness and Galloway were...

William the Lion's life and reign was defined when as a teenager in 1157 he had the earldom of Northumbria taken away by Henry II. From then on, it was his life's ambition to get it back but he had the mighty Plantagenets standing in his way....

After the successful reign of David ended in 1153 with Scotland in possession of most of northern England, Scotland was at the peak of its medieval powers. Unfortunately, the new king was a 12 year-old boy faced with numerous regional threats and an...

David came to the throne in 1124 as the last of Malcolm III and Saint Margaret's six sons following a period of internal fighting and short reigns. However, unlike his brothers, David had luck on his side. He won favour and wealth in England as a...

Alexander's peaceful succession in 1107 marked a move away from the chaos of the preceding decade of internal conflict but that's not to say that Alexander himself would have an easy time of it. Pressured by his younger brother, David, and th...

The death of Malcolm III in 1093 led to something of a succession crisis in Scotland and by 1097, Malcolm's brother (Donalbain) and one of his sons (Duncan II) had not done a very good job of ruling the country. Next up was Edgar, backed by the En...

The death of Malcolm III and his queen, Margaret of Wessex, sent Scotland back into the chaos of dynastic conflict. Malcolm's brother, Donaldbain, stole the throne in 1093 but there were many sons of Malcolm ready to challenge him and first up was...

The death of Malcolm III in 1093 (as well as his son and queen) left a power vacuum in Scotland. Despite having 5 sons, it was Malcolm's brother, Donald III (Donaldbain in Shakespeare's Macbeth), who decided to take advantage and steal the th...

With the reign of Malcolm III, Scotland emerges from the dark ages and into the chaos of 1066 and the Norman Conquest of England. With his marriage to the Saxon princess (and future saint) Margaret, Malcolm is set on a collision course with the Normans...

Macbeth's death at the hands of the future Malcolm III did not mark the end of the Moray dynasty, for into the breach stepped Lulach. Sandwiched between two of the more notable of Scotland's medieval monarchs and equipped with a less than fla...

Yes, Macbeth was a real king! But, was he the murderous, tyrannical villain as depicted by Shakespeare or has the bard done the real-life Macbeth a disservice? In this episode, we look at Shakespeare's version of Macbeth before considering the rea...

William Shakespeare portrayed Duncan as a good, kind and elderly king murdered by the scheming Macbeth in his bed. But was this the true story? After Malcolm II wiped out most of his family tree to ensure that Duncan would succeed him as King of Scots,...

A decade after the assassination of his father, Kenneth II, Malcolm II finally came to the throne in 1005. Faced with enemies from within his own family, the territory of Moray and the presence in England of the most powerful man in Europe, Cnut...

The dynastic conflict continues in Scotland when Kenneth III comes to the throne in 997. Team Red is no more but Kenneth (Team Purple) still has to face the challenge of Malcolm (Team Blue) to hold on to the throne. Find out who comes out on top in the...

After the stability of Kenneth II, in 995 Constantine III usurped the throne and restarted the dynastic conflict of the Alpin dynasty. Scotland now had three men vying for the throne: Constantine III (Team Red), Malcolm (Team Blue) and Kenneth (Team...

The dynastic conflict at the heart of the Scottish monarchy continues with Kenneth II's accession in 971. Kenneth (Team Blue) is taking on Olaf (Team Red) in a bid to win dominance, but will Kenneth be able to succeed where the previous monarchs h...

The dynastic warfare continues in Scotland, with Cuilean usurping the throne in 967. The rival branches of the Scottish royal family continue to dispute the throne and the violence continues. Will Cuilean be able to deliver a good reign for team red or...

Dubh (or Duff) comes to the throne in 962 and marks the beginning of a period of dynastic conflict in Scotland. The system of an alternating succession has made family ties rather distant and rival claimants rather numerous, and Dubh must taken on his...

Indulf became the King of Scots in 962 and while there is not a lot written about him, there's quite a bit for us to get our teeth into. Edinburgh, Vikings and an unintentionally amusing account of Indulf's demise all await...

Malcolm has to wait a long time to become king and when Constantine II finally abdicates in 943, there's a lot going on. The death of the Saxon king Athelstan has left a power vacuum in Northumbria and Malcolm is very much at the centre of events...

After a succession of short and unsuccessful reigns, Constantine II's reign would be crucial in the formation of the Scottish nation. Coming to the throne in 900, his intray included a country still divided by internal strife, facing invasion from...

After the Alpin dynasty was sent packing by Giric and/or Eochaid, it came roaring back in 889 with Donald II, winning back the throne after a decade in Irish exile. However, it's one thing to defeat Giric but there are still the tricky issue of Vi...

After the memorably unmemorable reign of Aed (#RememberAed) came to  an end in 878, things get rather uncertain in Scotland. So, this week we review Giric...or Eochaid...or is it Giric AND Eochaid? Who is really wearing the crown and will they deserve...

The year 877 was not an easy time for Aed to come to the throne. After a decade of Viking raids, Aed's brother, Constantine I, had been killed and the kingdom was in a precarious position. It would take a strong and skillful ruler to overcome such...

It's Vikings o'clock in this episode, with saga legends like Olaf the White, Ivar the Boneless and the Sons of Ragnar swarming across Britain. The Great Heathen Army of the 860s-70s has its mind on conquest and the action is ceaseless across ...