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The Long Scottish War was a series of conflicts between Anglia and Scotland, triggered by disputes between the Kings of each country. Lasting for 78 years, it is by far the longest war on the British Isles.
Causes[]
Throughout the 12th Century, Scotland and Anglia had a precarious relationship. Cnut III had disputes with Scotland over Lordships in Cumbria which, though did not amount to much, could be seen as the calm before the storm. Things would change later on however when Northumbria would fall under a conflict over whether the powerful Magnusson family or Prince Charles of Anglia would inherit the land. The escalating tension eventually would result in a divide in Anglia between Charles and Harold III. Meanwhile in the North, Malcolm V would become agitated by Charles' abrasive demeanour on the border yet Charles would be negligent towards this change in Scottish relations and his brother continued to be the focal point of his interest. This proved to be a terrible choice. On December of 1212, Charles II would at last ascend to the throne upon his brother's death. He made his way south to claim full dominance over the now vacant throne but Malcolm took this as an opportunity to make headway into Anglia and resolve their quarreling with violence.
The First Chapter (1212-1213)[]
Malcolm V and his Royal Family being exiled from Scotland
Taking complete advantage over Charles' absence, Malcolm would begin to make good work of Northumbrian and Jorvikshire defenses. Jorvik fell in May of 1213 and would only be about 100 miles from the King's residence. However, to Scottish dismay, a capable Anglian defense would route them at Leeds. The Scottish defeat there meant Charles had breathing room to rally his doubting nobility and, preparing an army that would overawe the Scottish forces, could take the offensive. The Anglian army would make immediate progress, forcing the Scottish army, recuperating at Ripon, into complete retreat through sheer weight of numbers. However, Scotland's misfortune continued as now the Anglians ransacked southern Scotland, manning the castles captured and issuing laws, putting Scotland's autonomy into question. Charles captured Stirling and Malcolm would surrender but refused to pay homage to the conqueror. Charles outlawed Malcolm who crossed the Irish Sea to Leinster to plot a return. The Scottish resistance crumbled away after the exile of their leader and all but a few nobles would submit to Anglia. The following year, the Scottish Nobility was forced to sign the Treaty of Berwick which finally ended all hostilities between the two Kingdoms and where they promised to reconfirm their fealty to Anglia upon any new King. Scotland had effectively been vassalised.
Following the Battle of Stirling and the capitulation of Scotland, Charles shifted his attention firmly to the continent. Taking advantage of Charles' absence several Scottish nobles took up arms and revolted against the Anglian administration. The violence strained strained Charles treasury further and a round of taxation nearly resulted in revolts in southern Anglia too. The tired Anglian King relented to the Scottish demands and installed Malcolm V's son David as the King of Scotland, under the provision that the newly crowned David II swore fealty to him. This allowed Charles breathing space to focus on his own matters to the south and left Scotland to its own devices though retained ownership of several border castles. In around 1230, the Scots turned their attention once again northwards to Hordaland where Eric II of Hordaland had ascended to the throne. A few inconclusive battles were fought, mostly to try and extract payments from the Hordalandic king for the Hebrides, Orkney & others islands which remained under Hordalandic control.
The Second Chapter 1236-1237[]
In the summer of 1236, Charles II of Anglia passed at the age of 68, his final decade of reign blighted with quarrels with his family, wife and pope. He was succeeded by his second son, John. Meanwhile the third of Malcolm V's sons, Malcolm VI had just ascended the Scottish throne after the mediocre reigns of David II and Alexander III. At John's coronation, Malcolm VI and his nobles had to swear fealty (as per the terms of the Treaty of Berwick) however, the Scottish Nobility who had travelled to Lincoln for the ceremony disregarded this demand and tried to make a quick getaway. John was infuriated by this response, and captured any nobles he could and executed them. The horrific result became known as the Lincoln Bloodbath. When news reached Scotland of the massacre, the Scots declared war once again officially reopening the Long Scottish War to its second Chapter. Repeating their earlier successes, the Scottish army quickly made good progress through their own Lowlands and into Northumbria. However, as before, Anglia soon had the advantage and advanced into the Scottish Kingdom. With their independence threatened once again, Malcolm and his allies retreated to Gorebridge, where they set a trap for the invaders. The Scots took a commanding position on a hill and confidently routed the Anglian army which tried to dislodge them. Eager to direct his forces to the continent John made peace. Scottish independence was secured.
1237-1290[]
John would die in 1241 but not before restoring the Magnussons to their Northumbrian estates. The new head of the family, Earl Jon Magnusson, was not as forgiving toward the Scots as his predecessors had been. The new king of Anglia, Conrad, never set foot in Anglia and, as long as he received enough taxes to pursue his interventions in Imperial politics, left his nobles to mostly get on with their own feuds. The Magnussons therefore pursued the Scottish War on their own terms raising private armies and raiding over the border. Slowly, piecemeal, and not without occasional reversals, the Magnussons' estates crept northward. Laws and justice dispensed by the Anglian Witenage followed in their wake and many feel that in general the Scottish lands were better governed under the Witenage than they were say under Charles III's direct rule. That does not forgive the often brutal tactics used by both sides as they grappled for power.
Charles III was a much more hands-on monarch than his father and in 1277, sensing the Magnussons were far too powerful, tried to seize their Scottish castles. Berwick and Selkirk were grudgingly handed over. Charles then attempted to further the Anglian grip on the kingdom but failed to win a decisive battle or siege any major town. With supplies running low he would hand control back to the Magnussons and continue the family tradition of leaving for the continent as soon as he could.
In 1283 he was back, having planned out a full scale war against Scotland, only to hear that David III had allied with Edward IV of Wessex. It brought an immediate end to Charles' schemes as the Witenage, now controlling the taxation of Anglia, refused to grant Charles money for a Scottish war. A war against isolated France was one thing, a broad war against a potent Wessex, even if Man and Hordaland honoured their vague agreements, was quite another.
Aftermath[]
With Scotland now protected from Anglian invasion, the focus of the Anglian kings would be trained more or less solely on France and the Empire, at least for a few hundred years more. Scotland itself found peace harder to deal with than when they had an identifiable enemy; after the death of David III's son in 1316 the kingdom would be plunged into an extended succession crisis which would last a century.
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