House of Dunkeld

The House of Dunkeld, in Scottish Gaelic Dùn Chailleann (meaning Fort of the Caledonii or of the Caledonians), is a historiographical and genealogical construct to illustrate the clear succession of Scottish kings from 1034 to 1040 and from 1058 to 1290. The line is also variously referred to by historians as "The Canmores", and "MacMalcolm".

It is dynastically sort of a continuation to Cenél nGabráin of Dál Riata, "race of Fergus", as "house" an originally Celtic concept to express one of the two rivalling leader clans of early medieval Scotland, whose founding father is king Fergus Mor of Dalriada. This Ferguside royal clan had rivalled the crown (of Dalriada, then that of Alba) against the Cenél Loairn, the later House of Moray for the preceding four or more centuries. The Cenél nGabráin were represented by the so-called House of Alpin before Dunkeld.

Sir Iain Moncreiffe made the case that Crínán of Dunkeld actually belonged to a Scottish sept of Irish Cenél Conaill royal dynasty, a branch of the Uí Néill. This of course would not exclude his descendants from also being a (female line) continuation of the Cenél nGabráin through Bethóc.

Dunkeld

Coordinates: 56°33′52″N 3°35′06″W / 56.564341°N 3.584886°W / 56.564341; -3.584886

Dunkeld (Scots: Dunkell, from Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Chailleann, "fort of the Caledonians") is a small town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is about 15 miles north of Perth on the eastern side of what is now the A9 road into the Scottish Highlands, and on the opposite (north) side of the River Tay from the village of Birnam. Dunkeld and Birnam share a railway station, (Dunkeld and Birnam railway station) on the Highland Main Line. Population 1,170 (2004).

On the western side of the A9 is The Hermitage, a National Trust for Scotland site. Dunkeld Cathedral is on the north bank of the River Tay.

Early history

The name Dùn Chailleann means Fort of the Caledonii or of the Caledonians. The 'fort' is presumably that on King's Seat, slightly north of the town (NO 009 440). Both these place-names imply an early importance for the area of the later town and bishop's seat, stretching back into the Iron Age.

Dunkeld (Duncalden and variants in early documents) is said to have been 'founded' or 'built' by Caustantín son of Fergus, king of the Picts (d. 820). This founding likely referred to one of an ecclesiastical nature on a site already of secular importance. Probably originally constructed as a simple group of wattle huts, the monastery - or at least its church - was rebuilt in the 9th century by Kenneth I of Scotland (reigned 843–858). Caustantín of the Picts brought Scotland's share of the relics of Columba from Iona to Dunkeld at the same time others were taken to Kells in Ireland, to protect them from Viking raids. Dunkeld became the prime bishopric in eastern Scotland until supplanted in importance by St Andrews since the 10th century.