Dumbarton Castle (5)
The absorption of the ancient kingdom of Strathclyde into the new kingdom of Scotland was a gradual process, with the Scots heir apparent often acting as ruler of Strathclyde. When Malcolm II died in 1034, his grandson, Duncan of Strathclyde ascended the throne as King Duncan I (only to be killed in battle by MacBeth in 1040). In 1113, Prince David, later King David I, governed southern Scotland, including Strathclyde, while his elder brother, Alexander I, ruled as King of Scots. Quite what purpose Dumbarton served during this time, is not known, but eventually, owing to a new threat in the west, it must have become necessary to fortify it again.
The new threat came about because in 1098, King Edgar was forced to concede Argyll and the Hebrides to the King of Norway, which meant that Dumbarton was only ten miles from the Norwegian border! While this would suggest Dumbarton was re-fortified, there is no mention of a stronghold until 1222, when King Alexander II's foundation charter for the burgh of Dumbarton mentions the 'new castle' here.
By this date, relations between Scotland and Norway were extremely strained. Alexander had recently led an expedition into Argyll to try to reclaim it. Haakon IV of Norway retaliated in 1230 by sending a fleet into the Clyde. Haakon himself led another armada in 1263, which ended in tactical stalemate (but strategic Scottish victory) at the Battle of Largs. Three years later, Haakon's successor King Magnus, and Alexander III of Scotland, signed the Treaty of Perth, that returned the Hebrides to Scotland. Dumbarton was a frontier post no more.
Dumbarton Castle (5)
The absorption of the ancient kingdom of Strathclyde into the new kingdom of Scotland was a gradual process, with the Scots heir apparent often acting as ruler of Strathclyde. When Malcolm II died in 1034, his grandson, Duncan of Strathclyde ascended the throne as King Duncan I (only to be killed in battle by MacBeth in 1040). In 1113, Prince David, later King David I, governed southern Scotland, including Strathclyde, while his elder brother, Alexander I, ruled as King of Scots. Quite what purpose Dumbarton served during this time, is not known, but eventually, owing to a new threat in the west, it must have become necessary to fortify it again.
The new threat came about because in 1098, King Edgar was forced to concede Argyll and the Hebrides to the King of Norway, which meant that Dumbarton was only ten miles from the Norwegian border! While this would suggest Dumbarton was re-fortified, there is no mention of a stronghold until 1222, when King Alexander II's foundation charter for the burgh of Dumbarton mentions the 'new castle' here.
By this date, relations between Scotland and Norway were extremely strained. Alexander had recently led an expedition into Argyll to try to reclaim it. Haakon IV of Norway retaliated in 1230 by sending a fleet into the Clyde. Haakon himself led another armada in 1263, which ended in tactical stalemate (but strategic Scottish victory) at the Battle of Largs. Three years later, Haakon's successor King Magnus, and Alexander III of Scotland, signed the Treaty of Perth, that returned the Hebrides to Scotland. Dumbarton was a frontier post no more.