Background: The Golden Age of Scotland

The Golden Age of Scotland

Background

• The reign of Alexander III has often been described as the Golden Age of Scotland

• His reign saw a steady increase in wool export to Flanders, an increase in the amount of money in circulation and the Western expansion of the kingdom

Alexander III (1241-1286)

Background

At the beginning of Alexander’s reign, the Western Isles, including Orkney and Shetland, were controlled by the King of Norway – Haakon IV

Background

• Haakon assembled his fleet in order to protect the Western Isles– But delays meant that he was not able to sail until

July 1263• The fleet reached the Western Isles in the

autumn however it was wrecked by a storm near Largs

Background

Largs

Background

On 1 and 2 October, the (smaller) Scots army met the Norwegian army. Haakon withdrew his forces and retreated to Orkney, where he died in December.

Background

Alexander followed this victory by invading the Isle of Man in 1264.

In 1265, Alexander launched a campaign into Ross, Caithness and Skye

Background

He forced the nobles, who were somewhat independent of the King, to submit to his will

In 1266, Alexander signed the Treaty of Perth with the Norwegian King – this officially transferred ownership of the Western Isles to Scotland

Background

This is one of the Norwegian seals attached to the Treaty. Two copies

were once in existence.

Background

Scotland was now seen as a profitable trading partner and political ally.

Ships built in Inverness were used in the Crusades, Aberdeen was an important economic hub and Berwick was prosperous due to the wool industry

Relationship with England

Relationship with England

For the most part, relations between Scotland and England were good – only two issues remained:1.Lack of permanent borders2.Question of Overlordship

Background

The disputed land was Northumbria and Cumbria.

However, the Scots formally gave up their claims in 1237 at the Treaty of York

Relationship with England

Background

The issue of Overlordship was seen as the major sticking point in Anglo-Scots relations

William the Lion agreed to English Overlordship in 1174 when he signed the Treaty of Falaise

This meant that the King of Scotland had to answer to the King of England and pay homage to him – either in the form of taxes of military aid

Relationship with England

Background

However, in return for financial aid to help with his Crusade, Richard I agreed to release Scotland from the Treaty.

Relationship with England

Background

• Problems arose again during the reign of Alexander III, due to the young age he ascended to the throne

• When he assumed his personal rule of Scotland, he protected her independence

• He told Edward I:Alexander III came to power at the age of 7

Relationship with England

Background

Alexander III (1241-1286)

No man has the right to homage for my kingdom, as I hold it of God alone

Despite this, relations were overall good: Edward I holidayed in Scotland and Alexander was married to Edward’s sister Margaret.

Relationship with England

Tragedy Strikes Scotland

Tragedy strikes

In the mid-1280’s, Alexander’s wife Margaret and his children all died - he was left with no living heirs

In 1285, Alexander married Yolande, a daughter of a powerful French noble family

In 1286, after a meeting in Edinburgh, Alexander rode to be with his wife. He never made it.

EdinburghDalmeny

Angus

Kinghorn

Dundee

Brechin

King Alexander fell to his death here

Ferry crossing King Alexander attended a meeting here

Fife

Yolande, his new Queen, was waiting here

Tragedy strikes

Tragedy Strikes

It was thought that Yolande was pregnant – however this was not the case.

It was feared the the ambitions of the Bruce and Balliol families would engulf Scotland in a Civil War – however there was one other potential heir

Tragedy Strikes

Tragedy Strikes

Alexander had a granddaughter – Margaret the Maid of Norway – whom he got the nobles to accept as his heir in 1284 if he were to die without a direct heir.

Tragedy Strikes

• However there were 2 issues:1. The Maid was only 3 at

the time2. Margaret was a female

and therefore could not rule on her own

Margaret the Maid of Norway

• It was decided that Margaret would marry the future King of England, Edward.

• This was formalised in the Treaty of Birgham in 1290

• Other terms of the Treaty were that Scotland would remain independent of England and that no Scottish Parliament would be held outside its borders

Tragedy Strikes

Tragedy Strikes

• With this Treaty signed and civil war avoided, the nobles set about bringing their new queen to Scotland

Historians’ Views

Historians’ Views

If there ever was a golden age in thirteenth-century Scotland, then it was in the 1260s and 1270s between the treaty of Perth and the death of Queen Margaret.

G.W.S Barrow

Revision

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/history/warsofindependence/background/revision/1/

Revision