| Edgar was brought to the throne by a powerful group of supporters,
including his brother Alexander, Edgar Atheling, William, the son
of the overthrown Duncan II, and Constantine
Macduff as well as the English. Unlike many of the Scottish monarchs
of this period Edgar was a man of peace and this seems to have been
popular amongst his subjects. He was the first Scottish monarch
to use sealed writs and it is this evidence that points to good
government. His interest in the northern and western parts of the
kingdom was minimal, however, he abandoned Iona and lost the Western
Isles to the Norwegian King Magnus Barelegs without a fight. Edgar
spent most of his time at the royal residences of Dunfermline and
Edinburgh.
In one of the stanger stories in Scottish history Edgar gave a
present of a elephant or camel to the Irish King, Murcertach! It
is not known what the reaction of the king was, but amazement must
have been involved. In 1107 Edgar died, unmarried, at Edinburgh
after an unusually peaceful reign.
|
History Books on this time period:
| Author |
Title |
Published |
Price |
Order
Now From: |
| Duncan, A. A. M. |
Scotland: the Making of the Kingdom |
1975 |
£16.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
| Scotland: the Making of the Kingdom is the first "straight"
history of Scotland from pre-history to 1286 to be published
since 1862. It starts with the evidence on pre-historic
and Roman Scotland and covers in some detail the incursions
and amalgamations of races who made up the Celtic Kingdom,
the impact of the Vikings and the forging of a single
kingdom. Professor Duncan looks at the Anglo-Norman influence
on Scotland and gives a full account of Anglo-Scottish
relations up to 1214. The growth of towns is discussed
together with the expansion of trade and the place of
Scottish evidence in the evolution of rural and urban
society in north-west Europe. The closing chapters narrate
the progress which made possible the establishment of
an efficient and unoppressive administrative system. |
 |
|
| Barrow, G. W. S. |
Kingship & Unity: Scotland 1000-1306 |
1989 |
£9.95
or
$20.00 |
Amazon.co.uk
or
Amazon.com |
Professor Barrow takes up the history of a Scotland
which in the eleventh century already has the beginnings
of a clear sense of identity, and a successful expansion
policy.
Emphasising in particular the kingdom's political growth
and the evolution of a distinct Scottish nation, Professor
Barrow narrates the story of Scotland's remarkable Medieval
kings and their development of a kingship and the institutions
of government which provided the unity and administration
to fend off Edward I's onslaughts in the thirteenth century.
This is a thoroughly readable and comprehensive account
of the building of medieval Scotland, and a welcome reissue
from the New History of Scotland series (formerly published
by Edward Arnold). |
 |
|
|
