Section A
1. The succession problem following the death of Alexander III
Scotland’s problems began in 1286 when Alexander III was killed. His horse fell from the cliffs at Kinghorn in Fife. Why was this such a problem?
1. Alexander’s first wife and all his children (two boys and a girl) were already dead.
2. Alexander had only recently married his second wife and they had not yet had children.
3. Alexander’s closest surviving relative was his grand daughter but she was an infant AND she was in Norway.
4. There were plenty of powerful nobles in Scotland who would be very happy to take on the job of King but this would mean war between the noble families of Scotland and their followers.
Revision Task A1: Make up a mind map. In the centre, put the title “Why was Alexander’s death a disaster for Scotland?”. Around the outside of the mind map, write all the reasons why Alexander’s death was a disaster.
Revision Task A2: Read the Source below and answer the question .
Source A
The Scottish nobles were not keen to have a female ruler because they wanted a warrior to lead them. The tragic death of Alexander III in 1286 left them little choice. They saw the main problem as who she was to marry. If she married a Scot, he would gain a lot of power which would make other noble families jealous. If she married a foreigner, then Scotland might be taken over by a foreign power.
Why were there problems when the Maid of Norway became queen? (Use Source A and recall.)5 marks
