--- title: Malcolm III of Scotland author: Mark Cartwright source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/ format: machine-readable-alternate license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) updated: 1970-01-01 --- # Malcolm III of Scotland _Authored by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/)_ Malcolm III of [Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Scotland/) (aka Máel Coluim mac Donnchada) reigned as king from 1058 to 1093 CE. He took the throne after his young predecessor Lulach (r. 1057-1058 CE), the stepson of [Macbeth, king of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Macbeth_King_of_Scotland/) (r. 1040-1057 CE), was killed in an ambush. Malcolm thus restored the ruling house of Dunkeld, founded by his father Duncan I of Scotland (r. 1034-1040 CE). He had been helped in removing [Macbeth](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Macbeth/) and Lulach from the throne by the English king [Edward the Confessor](https://www.worldhistory.org/Edward_the_Confessor/) (r. 1042-1066 CE) who hoped to make Malcolm his puppet across the border. The [Norman Conquest of England](https://www.worldhistory.org/Norman_Conquest_of_England/) in 1066 CE then upturned English-Scottish relations and Malcolm married Margaret, sister of a [Saxon](https://www.worldhistory.org/Saxons/) claimant to the English throne now occupied by [William the Conqueror](https://www.worldhistory.org/William_the_Conqueror/) (r. 1066-1087 CE). Repeated raids in both directions continued to sour relations, and Malcolm was killed in one such expedition in [Northumbria](https://www.worldhistory.org/Kingdom_of_Northumbria/) in 1093 CE. Malcolm was succeeded by his brother, Donald III of Scotland (r. 1093-1097 CE). Remarkably, four of Malcolm's sons would rule as kings of Scotland while his daughter became the Queen of [England](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/england/). ### Macbeth & the Dunkelds Duncan I of Scotland (aka Donnchad ua Maíl Choluim) was born c. 1010 CE and he had inherited the throne via his mother Bethoc, who was the daughter of the previous king, Malcolm II of Scotland (r. c. 1005-1034 CE), the last of the McAlpin kings. Duncan, whose father was Crinán, lay abbot of Dunkeld, thus founded the House of Dunkeld, which would rule Scotland until 1286 CE. Duncan proved to be a less than capable ruler, and his failure to expand his kingdom in Scotland and a disastrous attack on Durham in England in 1039 CE tested the loyalty of his most powerful allies. One such man was his cousin Macbeth Macfinlay, *mormaer* (ruler or 'earl') of the region of Moray in the north of Scotland. Duncan and Macbeth met in [battle](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/battle/) at Pitgaveny in 1040 CE, and Duncan was killed. Macbeth took over the throne on 14 August. Meanwhile, Duncan's sons, Malcolm (b. 1031 CE) and Donald (b. c. 1033 CE), fled the country. It was a lucky escape, but when Malcolm reached adulthood he would prove to be Macbeth's nemesis. ### Malcolm's Early Life When Malcolm's world was turned upside down in 1040 CE, he sought safety in Northumberland in northern England. There he was looked after by Siward, earl of Northumbria (r. 1041-1055 CE) who had his own ambitions to acquire territory in southern Scotland. By the time Malcolm reached maturity, he had acquired another, even more powerful ally, the king of England, Edward the Confessor. The English king saw an opportunity to restore a Dunkeld to the throne and make Malcolm his puppet ruler. [ ![Posthumous Portrait of Macbeth, King of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/13158.jpg?v=1776707234) Posthumous Portrait of Macbeth, King of Scotland Jacob Jacobsz de Wet II (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13158/posthumous-portrait-of-macbeth-king-of-scotland/ "Posthumous Portrait of Macbeth, King of Scotland")Macbeth's Scottish kingdom was far from unified. Sutherland and Caithness were still under [Viking](https://www.worldhistory.org/Vikings/) control. Another threat was the regular incursions in the north from Earl Thorfinn of Orkney (d. c. 1065 CE). Malcolm's grandfather Crinán, the lay abbot of Dunkeld led an uprising against Macbeth in 1045 CE. Crinán was defeated and killed but Macbeth's problems were only delayed. The next year Siward led an army into Scotland and defeated Macbeth. Siward may have briefly grabbed control of Lothian and perhaps Strathclyde before Macbeth gathered a second army and drove Siward south. For now, the threat had been dealt with, but Macbeth's enemies were prepared to bide their time. Malcolm would have to wait eight more years to get the better of Macbeth. ### The English Invasion of Scotland In 1054 CE Edward the Confessor, Siward, and Malcolm joined forces, and an English army again invaded southern Scotland. Macbeth was defeated at Dunsinane (in Perthshire) on 27 July of the same year and so lost control of Perth and Fife. Then, in 1057 CE, Macbeth was fatally wounded in a skirmish at Lumphanan (Aberdeenshire) against a group of Malcolm's supporters. Macbeth was succeeded on 8 September 1057 CE by his stepson Lulach (b. c. 1032 CE), but Malcolm disputed his right to reign. Malcolm controlled most of southern Scotland, and he had Lulach murdered in an ambush at Essie in Strathbogie on 17 March 1058 CE. Malcolm became king as Malcolm III of Scotland, and the Dunkeld line was restored. ### Forging a Kingdom In 1059 CE Malcolm solidified his alliance base and married Ingibiorg, the widow of Thorfinn of Orkney, greatly helping to unify northern and southern Scotland. In the same year, he visited - or was obliged to attend - the court of Edward the Confessor to swear his loyalty. Details of Malcolm's reign are scarce, but his one defining achievement was to better unify Scotland, as the historian D. Crouch here notes: "Máel Coluim's adroit handling of his multilingual collection of realms did more than anything else to define in contemporary consciousness the kingdom of Scotland out of Alba, Lothian, Galloway and Moray" (24). It is for this reason that Malcolm became known as Malcolm Canmore, from the Gaelic *ceanmor*, meaning 'Great Head' or 'Chief'. The king was able to maintain a sizeable infantry army through military service and to raise money from taxes. Not content with this, Malcolm also harboured ambitions south of the border, and he raided Northumberland in 1061 CE, looting the monastery at Lindisfarne. This was a continuance of a wide and deep border dispute between England and Scotland that rumbled on and off throughout the medieval period. [ ![Map of Feudal Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/13161.jpg?v=1701206590) Map of Feudal Scotland Unknown Artist (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/13161/map-of-feudal-scotland/ "Map of Feudal Scotland")### Queen Margaret One of the most significant actions of Malcolm's reign was the king's decision to marry again in 1070 CE, about one year after the [death](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Death/) of Ingibiorg. His choice was Margaret, an Anglo-Saxon princess who in 1068 CE fled her native country following the Norman [Conquest](https://www.worldhistory.org/warfare/) of England in 1066 CE. Margaret was a keen supporter of the Catholic Church, and her promotion of it continued the demise of Gaelic [Christianity](https://www.worldhistory.org/christianity/) in Scotland. Malcolm's reign saw an increase in Anglo-Saxon influence in Scotland as the king seems to have bent to his queen's wishes in most things. He allowed his children to be given Saxon names, permitted English to replace Gaelic as the language of the court at Dunfermline, and invited English monks and priests into his kingdom. He himself spoke English, Gaelic, and Latin. Margaret was made a saint in 1250 CE for her efforts to spread [Roman](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Roman/) Catholicism and charity work for the poor. For this reason, she is today better known as [Saint Margaret of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Saint_Margaret_of_Scotland/). ### Edgar Ætheling & William the Conqueror Margaret brought to Scotland one other important consideration. She was the elder sister of Edgar Ætheling, son of Edward the Exile (d. 1057 CE), great-grandson of King Ethelred II of England (r. 978-1013 & 1014-1016 CE), and the great-nephew of Edward the Confessor. Edgar had missed out on inheriting the throne of England from Edward the Confessor in 1066 CE because he had then only been in his teens and the Saxon lords had preferred to back the military experience of [Harold Godwinson](https://www.worldhistory.org/Harold_Godwinson/) (r. Jan-Oct 1066 CE). When the Norman duke William the Conqueror took over England in 1066 CE and declared himself king, Saxon rebels chose Edgar as their figurehead and candidate number one to replace the Conqueror, now crowned William I of England. The Normans proved impossible to shift, though, and William secured his new throne by defeating rebellions in various parts of his realm, including the north of England. Edgar did not give up hope and sought shelter with his future brother-in-[law](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/law/) Malcolm, taking with him his mother and two sisters Margaret and Christina. [ ![William the Conqueror, Bayeux Tapestry](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/750x750/9835.jpg?v=1744599364) William the Conqueror, Bayeux Tapestry Myrabella (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/9835/william-the-conqueror-bayeux-tapestry/ "William the Conqueror, Bayeux Tapestry")Harbouring a serious rival to the English throne proved to be a very dangerous strategy, especially against such an accomplished military leader as William the Conqueror. Further, any children of Malcolm and Margaret might well later claim a right to the English throne. Several times already Saxon and Danish lords had combined to see if they could wrest the north of England from Norman control. Edgar Ætheling was usually their nominal figurehead and cloak of legitimacy, for he, they claimed, was the rightful king of England. In 1070 CE Malcolm unwisely ravaged Yorkshire. William eventually put an end to the troublesome raids on northern England with a combined land and sea operation in 1072 CE. Scotland itself was threatened, and Malcolm, whose army was no match for the disciplined Norman cavalry, sued for peace before any battle broke out. The terms, known as the Abernethy agreement, included Malcolm swearing allegiance to William as the superior monarch, providing his son Duncan as a hostage, and ensuring Edgar's exile to Flanders (where died in obscurity around 1125 CE). ### Death & Successor Malcolm never could resist the tempting riches of Northumbria, though. It was a short-term strategy that brought plunder but no lasting territorial gains. He attacked in 1079 and again in 1090-1 CE. William I's successor, his son [William II of England](https://www.worldhistory.org/William_II_of_England/) (r. 1087-1100 CE), responded with more castle-building, including one at Carlisle. In 1091 CE William II sent a fleet to attack Scotland, but it was wrecked in storms off the coast of Northumberland. Nevertheless, a land army ravaged the Scottish lowlands sufficiently to force another formal declaration of submission from Malcolm. In the event, it was William II who broke this latest agreement when he annexed the region of Carlisle and part of Cumbria in 1092 CE. Malcolm travelled to meet William II in Gloucester in August 1093 CE to air his grievances, but the Norman king refused to see him, perhaps in a deliberate provocation to finally settle the disputed territorial borders between the two kingdoms. [ ![William II of England](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/11536.jpg?v=1772165968) William II of England Unknown Artist (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/11536/william-ii-of-england/ "William II of England") It was during a third Scottish raid on Northumberland in late 1093 CE that Malcolm was killed in an ambush on 13 November at the gates of Alnwick Castle. Malcolm was misled into thinking the castle was about to be surrendered following a siege, but he was fatally stabbed in the eye. The king's son Edward was fatally wounded, too, in the same deception. Queen Margaret, then in [Edinburgh castle](https://www.worldhistory.org/Edinburgh_Castle/), died on 16 November shortly after hearing the terrible news. There then began a reaction against the anglicisation of Scotland, and Malcolm's other children with Margaret - including Edgar (b. c. 1074 CE), [Alexander](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Alexander/) (b. c. 1077 CE), Edith (1080-1118 CE) and David (b. c. 1084 CE) - were forced into exile in England. Malcolm III's remains were buried at Tynemouth but subsequently reinterred at Dunfermline. As a consequence of the hostility against the dead king's immediate family and entourage, Malcolm's younger brother inherited the throne and became Donald III of Scotland. Donald's reign was interrupted in 1094 CE by his nephew Duncan (the son of Malcolm and Ingibiorg, b. c. 1060 CE), who became Duncan II of Scotland (r. May-Nov 1094 CE). Donald then regained the throne after Duncan II's murder and ruled on until 1097 CE. In that year, Malcolm III's son Edgar returned to Scotland and took back the throne from his uncle. Edgar had the support of William II who wanted a more peaceful neighbour and so he became Edgar, King of Scotland (r. 1097-1107 CE). The dethroned Donald III was blinded and imprisoned until his death. Malcolm III's other two surviving sons would, in turn, inherit the throne as [Alexander I of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Alexander_I_of_Scotland/) (r. 1107-1124 CE) and [David I of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/David_I_of_Scotland/) (r. 1124-1153 CE). The Dunkelds, now as the branch historians sometimes call the House of Canmore, would continue to rule Scotland until the death of [Alexander III of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Alexander_III_of_Scotland/) (r. 1249-1286 CE). Meanwhile, as the royal houses of England and Scotland became closer allies; in 1100 CE, Malcolm III's daughter Edith became the first queen of [Henry I of England](https://www.worldhistory.org/Henry_I_of_England/) (r. 1100-1135 CE) and changed her name to a more suitable Norman one, Matilda. Thus, the two kingdoms enjoyed, if only for the moment, peaceful relations. #### Editorial Review This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/). ## Bibliography - [Cannon, John & Hargreaves, Anne. *The Kings and Queens of Britain.* Oxford University Press, 2009.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0199559228/) - [Cavendish, Richard. *Kings & Queens.* David & Charles, 1970.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B00NPNQIRS/) - [Crouch, David. *Medieval Britain, c.1000-1500.* Cambridge University Press, 2017.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0521149673/) - [Lynch, Michael. *The Oxford Companion to Scottish History.* Oxford University Press, 2011.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0199693056/) - [MacQuarrie, Alan. *Medieval Scotland.* Sutton Publishing Ltd, 2004.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0750929774/) - [Oram. *Kings and Queens of Scotland.* Tempus, 2002.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/075243814X/) - [Phillips, Charles. *The Complete Illustrated Guide to the Kings & Queens of Britain.* Lorenz Books, 2006.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0754816281/) ## About the Author Mark is WHE’s Publishing Director and has an MA in Political Philosophy (University of York). He is a full-time researcher, writer, historian and editor. Special interests include art, architecture and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share. ## Timeline - **1031 CE**: Birth of future [Malcolm III of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/), son of Duncan I of [Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Scotland/). - **1040 CE**: Following the [death](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Death/) of his father Duncan I of [Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Scotland/), future [Malcolm III of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/) is forced into exile in [Northumbria](https://www.worldhistory.org/Kingdom_of_Northumbria/). - **1040 CE - 1057 CE**: Reign of [Macbeth](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Macbeth/) Macfinlay, king of [Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Scotland/). - **1054 CE**: An English army invades [Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Scotland/). - **27 Jul 1054 CE**: An English army defeats [Macbeth, king of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Macbeth_King_of_Scotland/) at Dunsinane. - **12 Aug 1057 CE**: [Macbeth, king of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Macbeth_King_of_Scotland/), is fatally wounded in a skirmish at Lumphanan against supporters of future [Malcolm III of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/). - **Sep 1057 CE - 1057 CE**: Lulach, stepson of [Macbeth](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Macbeth/) Macfinlay, becomes the king of [Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Scotland/). - **Sep 1057 CE - Mar 1058 CE**: Reign of Lulach as king of [Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Scotland/). - **1058 CE - 1093 CE**: Reign of [Malcolm III of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/). - **1059 CE**: [Malcolm III of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/) marries Ingibiorg, the widow of Thorfinn of Orkney. - **1061 CE**: [Malcolm III of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/) raids Northumberland in and loots the monastery at Lindisfarne. - **25 Dec 1066 CE**: [William the Conqueror](https://www.worldhistory.org/William_the_Conqueror/) is crowned William I, king of [England](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/england/), in Westminster Abbey. - **1070 CE**: [Malcolm III of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/) marries his second wife, Margaret, sister of Edgar Ætheling. - **1070 CE**: [Malcolm III of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/) ravages Yorkshire. - **1072 CE**: [William the Conqueror](https://www.worldhistory.org/William_the_Conqueror/) launches a land and sea attack on [Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Scotland/). [Malcolm III of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/) sues for peace. - **1079 CE**: [Malcolm III of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/) attacks [Northumbria](https://www.worldhistory.org/Kingdom_of_Northumbria/). - **1087 CE - 1100 CE**: Reign of [William II of England](https://www.worldhistory.org/William_II_of_England/). - **1090 CE - 1091 CE**: [Malcolm III of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/) once again attacks [Northumbria](https://www.worldhistory.org/Kingdom_of_Northumbria/). - **1091 CE**: [William II of England](https://www.worldhistory.org/William_II_of_England/) sends a fleet to attack [Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Scotland/), but it is wrecked in storms off the coast of Northumberland. - **1093 CE - 1097 CE**: Reign of Duncan III of [Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Scotland/) (interrupted in 1094 CE by his nephew Duncan II). - **13 Nov 1093 CE**: [Malcolm III of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/) is killed during a raid on Northumberland. - **16 Nov 1093 CE**: Queen Margaret ([Saint Margaret of Scotland](https://www.worldhistory.org/Saint_Margaret_of_Scotland/)) dies in [Edinburgh Castle](https://www.worldhistory.org/Edinburgh_Castle/). ## Cite This Work ### APA Cartwright, M. (2020, November 26). Malcolm III of Scotland. *World History Encyclopedia*. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm\_III\_of\_Scotland/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/) ### Chicago Cartwright, Mark. "Malcolm III of Scotland." *World History Encyclopedia*, November 26, 2020. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm\_III\_of\_Scotland/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/). ### MLA Cartwright, Mark. "Malcolm III of Scotland." *World History Encyclopedia*, 26 Nov 2020, [https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm\_III\_of\_Scotland/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland/). ## License & Copyright Submitted by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/ "User Page: Mark Cartwright"), published on 26 November 2020. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.