Kenneth the the son of Duf, was sirnamed the Grim. Ethelred, king of England, almost depopulated Cumberland. The English fleet attempted to circumnavigate Scotland with the view of intimidation. A treaty was concluded on the for mer basis of common defence. Malcolm, the son of Kenneth the Third, availed himself of the opportunity to urge his pretensions to the crown; the competitors met in Upper Stratherne, and Kenneth the Grim was mortally wounded.
Malcolm the reign of Malcolm was vigorous; he defended his country from the attacks of the Danes and the incursions of the English. Three successive attacks were made by the former, during the first eleven years of his reign, to obtain a perma nent settlement on the north-east shares of Scotland.
The first was at Mortlach, in Moray, where the in truders were compelled to yield to the Scots. The second descent was made on the shores of Angus. The Danes, though discouraged by defeat, made a third descent upon the coast of Buchan, near Slaines Castle; but they were overthrown. At length Sueno entered into a treaty with Malcolm, by which Scot land was finally exempted from the piratical incur sions of his countrymen.
Being relieved from the attacks of foreign enemies, Malcolm wrested the Lothians from the Earl of Nor thumberland, which was thus attached to the Scottish monarch v.
Malcolm died, or was assassinated, at Glammis, in Angus.
The events of Duncan's reign were few and unim portant. His grandfather had slain Kenneth the Foil rth, and sup0anted his family. Kenneth's granddaughter, the lady Gruach, was married, first to the maormor or chief of Moray, who was burnt with many of his clan. Her second husband was Macbeth, who was the grandson of Malcolm the Second. Lady Macbeth assassinated the king at Bothgowanan, near Elgin, whither he had been drawn by some duty. Duncan left two sons, Malcolm who fled to England, and Do nald who was chased to the Western Isles.
Macbeth was, by birth, the thane of Ross, and by his marriage thane of Moray. Supported by the lieges of Ross and Moray, and the partisans of Kenneth the Fourth, he hastened to Scone, where he was crowned king. Conscious of his defective title, he endeavour ed to acquire stability by a beneficent and vigorous ad ministration.
For ten years he reigned in apparent security. An unsuccessful effort was made by the abbot of Dunkeld to drive him from the throne, and to restore the le gitimate heir. To protect himself from the nobility, he is said to have built Dunsinnan castle, exacting heavy contributions, and requiring their personal at tendance.
Macduff, Thane of Fife, declined obedience, fled to England, and encouraged Malcolm to assert his right to the crown of his ancestors. Siward, Earl of Nor thumberland, having received the command of 10,000 men from the English king, marched into Scotland and defeated Macbeth, who fled to the north, resolving still to contend for the sovereignty; but he was slain in battle the following year by the hand of MacdufF.
Lulach, lady Macbeth's son, was acknowledged king by the lieges of Ross and Moray. But Malcolm dis covered his lurking-place, and slew him in Strathbo gie. Macbeth and Lulach were buried in Iona.
Malcolm, the Third, sirnamed Canmore, was induced to cultivate peace with England, until the death of Edward the Confessor. Harold, the last prince of the Saxon line, succeeded; but he was opposed by his bro ther Tostig, who, aided by a body of Norwegians, in vaded England. The intruder was repulsed, and fled to Scotland, where he obtained an asylum. But in a second attempt upon England, he and his confederate, Harold king of Norway, were slain at the battle of Staneford Bridge.
The alliance between Scotland and England was su perseded by the victory and accession of William the Conqueror. Edgar Atheling, the heir of the Saxon line, was supported by the malcontent lords, who fled with him and his family to Scotland, and sought the protection of Malcolm, Thu soon after espoused Mar garet, the sister of the fugitive prince.
A formidable attack was meditated against England by the adherents of Atheling, in conjunction with the Danes and Scots. The Saxons and Danes made a de scent upon Yorkshire. The Conqueror had the ad dress to dissolve the confederacy. Edgar and his ad herents found safety in flight and concealment. Mal colm, when too late, led his forces into England by the western borders, and wasted and pillaged the country.