Consolidation of Royal Power under Alexander II of Scotland

Timeline

1. 1214–1224Scottish Lowlands · LowlandsAfter the death of William I in 1214, the young Alexander II acceded with the support of regents and the church. The Western Isles remained under Norwegian overlordship, Gaelic nobles in the north were powerful, and royal control over outlying regions was limited.
2. 1225Northern and western borders of Scotland · HighlandsIn 1225 Alexander II personally led an army through the north, suppressing or compelling local lords to renew their oaths of fealty, and strengthening feudal control over the earldoms of Ross, Moray, and others. Royal finances and judicial institutions extended into outlying regions along the progress.
3. 1225–1230Perth · Perth and KinrossAfter the progress, the crown strengthened permanent administration and the tradition of parliamentary assemblies at Perth and elsewhere, and the frequency of noble rebellions declined. The consolidation of royal power created the political conditions for defeating Norway in 1263 and recovering the Western Isles, and for the 1237 Treaty of York demarcating the Anglo-Scottish border.