Amlaíb mac Illuilb, Early Scotland King

Amlaíb didn’t have a typical Scottish name. His name actually sounds Norse, like the Vikings. That’s probably because his mother may have been from a Viking family, maybe even related to famous Norse leaders in Dublin like Amlaíb Cúarán. During this time, Viking and Gaelic people were starting to mix, especially around the Irish Sea. A name like his showed how cultures were blending and hinted at the kind of multicultural kingdom that would develop later in Scotland. Amlaíb came from a powerful royal family called the Alpínid dynasty. His father, Illulb mac Custantín, had also been king. But unlike today, power didn’t always pass from father to son. Instead, different branches of the same royal family took turns ruling. This idea was meant to keep things fair, but it actually caused a lot of fights. When Illulb died in 962, the throne didn’t go to one of his sons. Instead, another relative, Dub mac Maíl Coluim, took over.

This decision caused a lot of tension. Amlaíb’s brother, Cuilén, challenged Dub and managed to take the throne in 966. But just five years later, Cuilén and another brother were killed, probably by enemies from a nearby kingdom called Strathclyde. After that, Dub’s brother, Cináed, became king. Here’s where the story gets confusing. Scottish records say Cináed became king right away. But Irish records from the same time say Amlaíb was king. These sources don’t even call Cináed a king at all. That tells us Amlaíb probably managed to take the throne, even if it was just for a short time.

Some historians think that Amlaíb and Cináed might have shared power for a little while. But if that did happen, it didn’t last long. Amlaíb was a threat, and Cináed eventually got rid of him. By the year 977, Amlaíb was dead, likely killed by Cináed, who then took full control of the kingdom. All of this fighting happened during a break in Viking attacks. Instead of battling invaders, the Scottish royal family turned on itself. After Illulb’s death, a pattern of violence started—Dub versus Cuilén, and then Amlaíb versus Cináed. Without a clear system for choosing the next king, power struggles were almost guaranteed.

While Scotland was dealing with this chaos, King Edgar of England was working to show off his strength. In 975, he held a big meeting with six other kings to show they supported him. Cináed was probably there, but Amlaíb was not, which suggests Amlaíb may have already lost the throne or died by then. Soon after this event, both King Edgar and Dyfnwal, the king of Strathclyde, died. That created even more uncertainty. Some old stories say Edgar gave Cináed the land of Lothian in exchange for his support. If that’s true, it would have helped Cináed gain the upper hand and remove Amlaíb.

Amlaíb didn’t rule for long, but his time as king was full of important moments. He was part of a larger fight between different branches of the royal family. He also represented a mix of cultures—Norse and Gaelic—that were becoming more common in Scotland. Even though he died young and likely in violence, his life shows us how dangerous and uncertain being king was during that time.