Kenneth II.
Kenneth II ( Cináed mac Maíl Coluim ; † 995 at Fettercairn ) was Scottish king from 971 until his death. He was the son of Malcolm I , third cousin of his predecessor Culen and third uncle of his successor Constantine III.
He could not consolidate his rule over all of Scotland until 977 after he had killed Culen's brother Amlaib. Kenneth led a looting campaign in the north of England, but lost a large part of his troops on the Cornag River. Soon afterwards he attacked the troops of Eadulf, the count of the northern half of Northumbria , and devastated all of its territory. He had the fords attached to the Forth , marched again into Northumbria and kidnapped the count's son. He donated the town of Brechin in Angus to the church.
In the north, the troops of Kenneth's vassals fought against Sigurd the Norwegian, the Count of Orkney , for rule over Caithness in the far north of Scotland. But the Scots could not record any decisive success in this conflict.
At some point in his life, Kenneth married, but details are sparse. His wife is said to have been the Princess of Leinster . Their name, parentage and fate are unknown. From the connection came Malcolm II , who came to the throne in 1005.
Kenneth died at Fettercairn in Kincardineshire in 995 . According to some sources, he was murdered by his own subordinates after falling victim to an intrigue by Finella, daughter of Count Concur of Angus. Kenneth was buried on the island of Iona .
See also
Web links
- Kenneth II, King of Alba on thepeerage.com , accessed July 26, 2015.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Culen |
King of Scotland 971–995 |
Constantine III |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kenneth II. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Cináed mac Maíl Coluim |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | King of Scotland |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 10th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 995 |
| Place of death | at Fettercairn , Kincardineshire |