The National Flag of Scotland

MY HISTORY NOTES

Of all the Ancient British Tribes that had occupied the Island of Britain before the Roman Invasion, only the Picts tribe of the northern part of the country, had remained un-subdued by the time the Roman Army had left the Island.
The tribes that lay beyond the Roman defensive boundary lines of their Empire, (the furthermost built into what is known as present day Scotland being called the Antoinne Wall and the lower defensive works called Hadrian’s wall) now became known as the Welsh (or one who has lived under Roman Rule).
After the Roman Legions left, the Celtic tribes of Ireland sought to inhabit, then occupy and control the Island of Britain, but found that the Roman influenced Welsh tribes (who wished to re-effect their own rule) sought to prevent them from doing so and a clash of tribal arms, between previously peaceful (to each other) Celtic cousins, became eventually, inevitable.

The Irish 'Scots' tribe, gave their own name to the North of the country, joining forces with the Picts tribe, who were still very suspicious of the Welsh tribes which had been under Roman rule. Gaelic became the dominant language in the new Scotland and the Irish Scots expanded their land as the culture flourished.
The Welsh leader of Pict decent, Cunedda, retreated from his base near present day Stirling in Scotland (400BC) to re-establish, defensive positions in the present day Welsh hills (as had the original Britons retired there, after suffering defeat at the hands of the Roman legions on the flat plains of present day England). The Gaelic Scots advance, inhabitation and domination of the entire island, was stopped by this leader.
With the following invasion by the Anglo Saxon culture and tribes (present day English) the Scots and Welsh were geographically split, by many newly formed Kingdoms and tribal areas, although, both Scots and Welsh Cultures, remained free until the eventual Norman Invasion of 1066 and subsequent expansion and dominance of the island.

Some General Events

Kenneth I first united both the tribes of Scots and Picts.

In 1174 Scotland became a fiefdom of England.

In 1189 Richard I granted Scotland’s freedom. But, closely allied with France, Scotland became more politically active and remained a threat to the English crown. Edward I subdued Scotland and William Wallace lead a Scottish rebellion.

1314 Robert I (The Bruce) defeated the English army at the battle of Bannockburn.

1328 English accept Scotland’s independence. Internal power struggles of government weaken Scotland.

1513 James IV and the majority of Scotland’s noblemen killed at the battle of Flodden.

The protestant Reformation, via the preacher John Knox, split the country between both Catholic and Protestant methods of Devine faith. In both external cultural differences and attempts to create influence, England supported the Protestants and France supported the Catholics.

1513 James V married French Catholic Mary of Guise, whose subsequent daughter, eventually became Mary Queen Of Scots.

1567 Mary relinquished Scotland’s crown under Protestant pressure. Her son James VI assumed the crown of Scotland and in 1601 he also assumed the crown of England (becoming James I of England).

Scotland and The English Civil War

Scotland initially supported the anti royal parliamentarians during the English Civil war. But a Pro-Catholic King Charles I, to enlist Scottish support and remain in power, gave concessions` (basically forms of bribery) to the influential Presbyterian (Protestant) faith movement. Although this act allowed Presbyterianism to become the National Church of Scotland, it did not enable the free and willing support toward the English King by the Scottish people and the King was beheaded by the English Parliamentarians after the English Civil War.

1688 King James II forced into exile for his support of Catholic beliefs.

1692 William III massacred the Macdonald Clan at Glencoe.

1707 Jacobite (mainly Highland Clans) unrest and rebellion to restore a Stuart King, forced the Act of Union (Constitutional merger of the Scottish and English Crown, to prevent any future Independent king or Queen of Scotland)

The Jacobite Rebellion

While living in Rome, James Edward, son of King James II and whom most Scots believed to be their rightful King. Allowed his own son, Charles Edward Stuart, better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, to return to Scotland and with Jacobite support, seize the kingdom for him.
The Roman Catholic King of France (Louis XV) had, initially, agreed to invade England and restore the Stuart Kingship, but had then changed his mind.
With the support of the largest and most powerful clans (MacDonald’s and Cameron’s) other clans joined the Prince, to form a Tartan army who, within two months, had captured Edinburgh without a battle and sent England itself, into a panic. The Scottish army destroyed an English army at Preston pans near Edinburgh a week later, who had marched to retake the Capital.
After these victories many Scots flocked to the Tartan army and the French King again promised his support. With growing confidence, Bonnie Prince Charlie resolved to march on London itself and oust the English King, hoping for local support as his army marched, from anti royal, English recruits.
In December the army marched toward London, through the English towns of Preston, Manchester and Derby. The support of the French King did not again come, neither did many Englishmen join his cause and with the news of a large English Royal army, of some 30,000 strong approaching, the Tartan army retreated back to Scotland.
The French King then sent a token force of three, expendable regiments to show his continuing `support` for the Scottish revolt, but remained sure not to alienate the English King with an overt display of French Force, preferring to watch events and side with any eventual victor.
The Tartan army defeated English armies at Stirlingshire and Falkirk and laid siege to Stirling Castle. During this Castle siege, many Clansmen returned to their homes depleting the Tartan army to a dangerous level. Their basic way of life, farming in the Highlands, meant that Clansmen could not endure long periods away from home, as their families would starve without their support.
With a large English force again marching into Scotland, the remaining Tartan army split, retreated and then reunited at Inverness.
1746 (Wednesday 16th April) The Jacobites and their Tartan army were finally defeated at the battle of Culloden Moor, where no prisoners were taken by the English army, they executed everyone they captured. Following this defeat, the Highland Clan villages were also destroyed, possessions seized and culture violated by the new laws of not to speak Gaelic, not to wear tartan, own weapons of any sort, play bagpipes and the Clan Chiefs, to now have no authority over the basic Clan social structure. A unified fight for an independent Scotland with it's own Royal family, was now at an end and Scotland eventually became part of the United Kingdom.

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ALPIN LINE
847-858 KENNETH I Mac ALPEN
858-863 DONALD I
863-877 CONSTANTINE I
877-878 AEDH (AED)
878-889 EOCHA (EOCHAID) JOINT RULE WITH GIRIC
889-900 DONALD II
900-943 CONSTANTINE II
943-954 MALCOLM I
954-962 INDULF
962-966 DUBH (DUB)
967-971 CULEN
971-995 KENNETH II
995-997 CONSTANTINE III
997-1005 KENNETH III
1005-1034 MALCOLM II (AFTER DEATH LINE OF SUCCESION IS DISPUTED)
1034-1040 DUNCAN I (KILLED BY MACBETH WHO SEIZED THRONE)
1040-1057 MACBETH
1057-1058 LULACH
1058-1093 MALCOLM III
CANMORE LINE
1093-1097 DONALD III (BANE)
1094 DUNCAN II
1097-1107 EDGAR #
1107-1124 ALEXANDER I
1124-1153 DAVID I
1153-1165 MALCOLM IV
BRUCE AND BALLIOL LINE
1165-1214 WILLIAM I
1214-1249 ALEXANDER II
1249-1286 ALEXANDER III
1286-1290 MARGARET #
1292-1296 JOHN BALIOL (BALLIOL) #
1306-1329 ROBERT I THE BRUCE #
1329-1371 DAVID II
STEWART LINE
1371-1390 ROBERT II (STEWART)
1390-1406 ROBERT III
1406-1437 JAMES I
1437-1460 JAMES II
1460-1488 JAMES III
1488-1513 JAMES IV
1513-1542 JAMES V
1542-1567 MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS
1567-1625 JAMES VI (OF SCOTLAND) ALSO KNOWN AS KING JAMES I (OF ENGLAND)