Alexander I of Scotland

Alexander I of Scotland, known posthumously as Alexander the Fierce, reigned from 1107 until his death in 1124. Although the sobriquet is not recorded in contemporary sources and appears only in fourteenth-century chronicles, it reflects his reputation in later tradition for forceful and sometimes severe rule. Born around 1078, he was the fifth son of King Malcolm III of Scotland and Queen Margaret, sister of Edgar the Ætheling and a descendant of the pre-Conquest English royal line. Alexander succeeded his brother Edgar and was, in turn, followed on the throne by his younger brother David I.

Family Background and Early Position

Alexander was named in honour of Pope Alexander II and grew up within a dynasty that combined Gaelic, Anglo-Saxon, and ecclesiastical influences. As Edgar had no children, Alexander was heir presumptive by at least 1104. That same year he attended the ceremonial examination of the relics of St Cuthbert at Durham, suggesting a role already significant in the kingdom’s public affairs. His landed authority before his accession included territories north of the River Forth and estates in Lothian.
Upon Edgar’s death in 1107, Alexander was crowned king, but Edgar’s will had made provisions to partition the realm in favour of their brother David. David received extensive lands in southern Scotland, including the former kingdom of Strathclyde and later additional lands in Lothian. Although Alexander remained the senior monarch and ultimate ruler, David held considerable semi-autonomous authority. This division, agreed by the brothers and sanctioned by Henry I of England, reshaped the political geography of Scotland in the early twelfth century.
Gaelic poetry of the period laments the division of Alba, suggesting that it was unpopular in some circles. Nevertheless, the brothers maintained largely amicable relations, and the political arrangement endured without major conflict.

Relations with England and Royal Marriage

Alexander’s relations with Henry I remained generally stable. In 1114 he joined Henry’s Welsh campaign against Gruffudd ap Cynan of Gwynedd, demonstrating cooperation between the Scottish and English crowns.
His marriage to Sybilla of Normandy—an illegitimate daughter of Henry I—probably took place around 1114. Although some medieval accounts portrayed Sybilla unfavourably, contemporary evidence suggests that the couple enjoyed a close and affectionate relationship. Sybilla was noted for her piety, and her death in 1122 at Eilean nam Ban on Loch Tay affected Alexander profoundly. She was buried at Dunfermline Abbey, and Alexander may have intended to found an Augustinian house on the island in her memory. The marriage produced no legitimate heirs.
Alexander fathered at least one illegitimate son, Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair. This son later became involved in rebellions against David I during the 1130s and was subsequently imprisoned for many years, possibly until his death after 1157.

Church Patronage and Religious Policies

Alexander was, like his brothers Edgar and David, a markedly pious ruler. He was responsible for significant monastic and ecclesiastical patronage across Scotland. His foundations included the religious house at Scone and the monastery at Inchcolm, the latter associated with his safe escape from a storm at sea.
At Dunfermline Abbey—a major centre of royal devotion connected to Queen Margaret—Alexander commissioned the construction of the twin western towers, enhancing the church where his mother was buried. He played a decisive role in appointing Turgot of Durham as Bishop of St Andrews in 1107, although later disputes over episcopal appointments revealed the limits of his influence, particularly when ecclesiastical factions aligned with either the Archbishop of Canterbury or of York.
Alexander’s gifts to St Andrews and his interest in bringing Augustinian orders into Scotland reflect his broader effort to strengthen ecclesiastical institutions and develop closer ties with reformed religious movements of the period.

Conflict and the Origin of “the Fierce”

Despite his piety, Alexander was not universally remembered as a peaceful monarch. Accounts by later chroniclers describe him responding with vigour to unrest in the north. According to Andrew of Wyntoun, Alexander was attacked while holding court at Invergowrie. He pursued the assailants northward to Stockford near Beauly, where he defeated them. This episode—although difficult to date precisely—formed the basis for his later epithet, “the Fierce.”
Violence in the north was connected to longstanding tensions with the rulers of Moray, a region associated with the descendants of Macbeth and Lulach. These families had ruled parts of Alba within living memory and retained semi-royal status. The Annals of Ulster record the killing of Ladhmann, a grandson of Malcolm III, by the men of Moray in 1116, suggesting significant instability in the region. Similarly, the province of Mearns, where the mormaer had earlier been responsible for the murder of King Duncan II, was another centre of potential resistance. Alexander’s campaigns sought to maintain royal authority over these areas, which had histories of semi-independence.

Final Years and Succession

Alexander died on 23 April 1124 at his court in Stirling. With Sybilla dead and no legitimate offspring surviving, his brother David—already ruler of southern Scotland—succeeded him without contest. David’s accession marked a new phase in Scottish governance, characterised by the expansion of monastic reform and feudal structures already developing under Edgar and Alexander.

Cultural Depictions

Alexander has appeared occasionally in historical fiction. In one modern fantasy novel he is portrayed as troubled by his lack of an heir and conscious of the expectations of his English father-in-law Henry I. Although fictionalised, this theme reflects a genuine concern of his reign, given the political implications of his childlessness.