Battle of Dunsinane

As the ruler of Moray, Macbeth came into conflict with Duncan I of Scotland.[1] This resulted in Duncan's death on 14 August 1040 in the battle of Pitgaveny, near Elgin, after which Macbeth became King of Scotland.[1] Following the death of Duncan, his son Malcolm Canmore became an exile living with the court of Edward the Confessor, King of England.[2]

In 1054 Malcolm was present when his uncle, Siward, Earl of Northumbria, invaded Scotland on his behalf.[2][3] Some sources state this was on the orders of Edward the Confessor,[3] in which case it is possible that Edward sought a puppet king in Scotland to strengthen his hand against Norman and Scandinavian factions who challenged his succession.[4] An alternative scenario is that Siward hoped a friendly king in Scotland would aid his claim to the rule of Cumbria and took the chance to act while Edward was busy in the south.[4]

The 14th-century historian John of Fordun writes that the invasion caused confusion among the locals who were unsure who to support, suggesting that there may have been Scots loyal to Malcolm fighting alongside the English under Siward.[5] On Macbeth's side were some Norman allies,[3] including two knights who had been expelled from England in 1052 and had been taken into service by Macbeth.[6]

The decisive battle of Siward's campaign was fought in Perthshire, north of the river Tay,[3] traditionally on Dunsinane Hill although this connection is based on literary as much as historical tradition.[2][7] The battle is also known as the battle of the Seven Sleepers, as it was fought on the day of the Seven Sleepers (27 July).[8]

The battle ended in defeat for Macbeth.[9] According to the Annals of Ulster 3,000 Scots and 1,500 English were killed.[10] Siward's son Osbeorn and his nephew, also called Siward, were both killed in the battle.[3]

According to the 12th-century chronicler Henry of Huntingdon, Siward ravaged the kingdom after his victory over the Scots and their Norman allies.[3] The earl returned home relatively quickly with much plunder, weakening the invading force.[11] Siward would die in York in 1055.[3]

After his defeat Macbeth was forced to give lands and position to Malcolm.[1] The exact positions are unknown but it is probable that Macbeth still controlled the area north of the Mounth while Malcolm controlled the area south of the rivers Forth and Clyde, with the area in between possibly disputed territory.[11] From this position Malcolm was able to challenge Macbeth, with Macbeth being defeated and killed at Lumphanan in Mar on 15 August 1057.[1] Following Macbeth's death his stepson Lulach was installed as king.[10] Malcolm ambushed and killed Lulach near Rhynie in Strathbogie in March 1058 before himself being crowned king.[2] Once king, he would begin the long process of removing the Gaelic culture from the mainstream of Scotland.[12]

William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Macbeth is based on the life of Macbeth, King of Scots,[13] with the historical details being drawn from Ralph Holinshead's Chronicles, published in 1577.[1] In this version Malcolm has his forces cut branches from the trees of Birnam Wood which are then used to camouflage their approach to Dunsinane, fulfilling a prophecy made within the play that Macbeth would not be defeated until Birnam Wood came to Dunsinane.[14] In Shakespeare's telling Macbeth is killed by Macduff during the battle of Dunsinane,[15] running together several encounters in different places, including the battle of Lumphanan.[16] Historic Environment Scotland have highlighted that the connection between Dunsinane Hill and Macbeth in literary tradition has given the site a place in the national consciousness of Scotland.[7]

• Adam, R. J. (June 1957). "The Real Macbeth: KING OF SCOTS, 1040-1054". History Today. 7 (6): 381–387.
• Aird, William M. (2004). "Siward, earl of Northumbria". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/25652. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
• Archibald, Malcolm (2016). Dance If Ye Can: A Dictionary of Scottish Battles. Creativia. ISBN 978-1536821796.
• Barrow, G. W. S. (2008). "Malcolm III [Mael Coluim Ceann Mór, Malcolm Canmore]". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/17859. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
• Broun, Dauvit (2004). "Macbeth [Mac Bethad mac Findlaích]". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/17356. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
• Cannon, J. A. (2015). "Lumphanan, battle of". In Crowcroft, Robert; Cannon, John (eds.). The Oxford Companion to British History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-967783-2. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
• Crofton, Ian (5 November 2012). A Dictionary of Scottish Phrase and Fable. Birlinn. ISBN 978-0-85790-637-3.
• Green, Jonathan (2010). Scottish Miscellany : Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. ISBN 9781628732207. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
• Historic Environment Scotland. "Dunsinane Hill, fort". Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
• Taylor, Cameron (1 October 2015). On The Trail of the Real Macbeth: King of Alba. Luath Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-910324-61-5.