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James II of Scotland
James II of Scotland ruled as king from 1437 to 1460. Succeeding his murdered father James I of Scotland (r. 1406-1437), James inherited the throne as a child. The first part of his reign witnessed intense rivalries between rival barons...
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Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England ruled as king from 1509 to 1547 CE. The second Tudor king after his father Henry VII of England (r. 1485-1509 CE), Henry had inherited a kingdom which enjoyed both unity and sound finances. Famous for his six wives as...
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Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor, also known as Saint Edward the Confessor, reigned as king of England from 1042 to 1066 CE. Edward was reliant on the powerful Godwine (aka Godwin) family to keep his kingdom together but his achievements included a relatively...
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Map of Feudal Scotland
A map of feudal Scotland. Created in 1876 CE.
Definition
Picts
The Picts were a people of northern Scotland who are defined as a "confederation of tribal units whose political motivations derived from a need to ally against common enemies" (McHardy, 176). They were not a single tribe, nor necessarily...
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Mary of Guise
Mary of Guise (aka Marie de Lorraine, 1515-1560) was a French noblewoman who became the second wife of James V of Scotland (r. 1513-1542). With the premature death of her husband, her daughter Mary, Queen of Scots (r. 1542-1567) became queen...
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Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located on a strategically important rocky outcrop by the River Forth in central Scotland, was a key royal residence from the late 11th century into the early modern period and subject to many battles and sieges, particularly...
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Dunfermline Abbey
Dunfermline Abbey, Fife, Scotland. The abbey was re-founded around 1150 CE during the reign of David I of Scotland (r. 1124-1153 CE). It contains the remains of Saint Margaret of Scotland and Robert the Bruce, amongst others.
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Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots was the queen of both Scotland (r. 1542-1567) and briefly, France (r. 1559-1560). Obliged to flee Scotland, the queen was imprisoned for 19 years by Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603) and finally executed for treason...
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Scotichronicon
The Scotichronicon is a 15th Century CE legendary chronicle by Walter Bower (c. 1385 – 1449 CE) which recounts the history of Scotland and the Scottish people. The Scotichronicon begins with the Biblical Creation story and ends with...