Constantine II of Scotland

Constantine II of Scotland (874 - 952) was king of Scotland from 900 to 943. He was the son of King Aed, first cousin of the previous king Donald II, and first cousin once removed of his successor Malcolm I, to whom he left his kingdom upon abdicating and becoming a monk.

During his reign, Constantine had to fend off Viking raids from the north and west and struggled to win land from, or at least not lose land to, his neighbor to the south, the Saxon kingdom of Wessex. His daughter married Olaf III Guthfrithson, the Norse king of Dublin at the time, in order to establish more stable relationship with the Norse. If the marriage was intended to contribute to holding back Wessex, it did not.

Constantine was defeated at the Battle of Brunanburh by Athelstan in 937. Constantine's eldest son died in this battle. In 943, Constantine abdicated in favor of Malcolm and entered a Culdee monastery in St. Andrews, Fife. He died in 952.

Preceded by: Donald II

List of British monarchs

Succeeded by: Malcolm I