Editing Alpín mac Echdach

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox royalty
| succession   = [[King of Dal Riata]] (?)
| reign        = {{circa}} 831 - July or August 834
| predecessor  = [[Áed mac Boanta]]?
| successor    = [[Kenneth MacAlpin]]
| birth_date   = {{circa}} 778
| death_date   = 20 July 834 (or August 834)
| death_place  = [[Galloway]], Scotland
| issue        = [[Domnall mac Ailpín]] <br/> [[Kenneth MacAlpin]] <br/> Grigair mac Ailpín
| house        = 
| father       = 
| place of burial = |
}}
'''Alpín mac Echdach''' was a supposed [[king of Dál Riata]], an ancient kingdom that included parts of Ireland and Scotland.

Alpín was included in a [[pedigree chart]] created in the 10th century to connect the kings of [[Alba]] (Scotland) to legendary [[Dál Riata]]n and Irish ancestors. In this pedigree, Alpín's father is [[Eochaid mac Áeda Find|Eochaid]], an Irish name, yet he becomes the father of Cináed ([[Kenneth I of Scotland|Kenneth MacAlpin]]) and [[Domnall mac Ailpín]].

[[Ciniod I|Cináed]] and [[Alpín II of the Picts|Alpín]] are the names of [[Pictish]] kings in the 8th century: the brothers Ciniod and Elphin who ruled from 763 to 780. Alpín's alleged father [[Eochaid mac Áeda Find|Eochaid IV]] is not mentioned in any contemporary source.<ref>[[Alex Woolf]], ''From Pictland to Alba 789-1070'' (Edinburgh University Press 2008), pp. 96, 220-1.</ref>

== Parentage and death ==
The Chronicle of the Scottish historian [[John of Fordun]] records the succession of "''Alpin the son of Achay''" in 831, his reign of three years, and his defeat by the Picts "20 July".<ref>[[John of Fordun]] (Skene), Book IV, II, p. 135. </ref> The 12th century ''[[Cronica Regum Scottorum]]'' lists "''Alpin filius Eochal venenosi iii, Kynedus filius Alpini primus rex Scottorum xvi…''" as kings, dated to the [[9th century]].<ref>Skene (1867), XVI, Chronicle of the Scots 1165, ''Cronica Regum Scottorum'', p. 131. </ref> Alpín's parentage is not stated in the earlier chronicles.

Alpín's mother was the sister and heiress of [[Causantín mac Fergusa|Causantín mac Fergusa, King of the Picts]]. Alpín married a 'Scottish Princess' and fathered two sons.

Alpín is chiefly remembered for his fatal war with the [[Picts]], who had seized upon and arrogated the kingdom. Alpín resolved to remove the king and met him with his forces near a village of [[Angus, Scotland|Angus]], where the fight was maintained with great obstinacy until the Pictish king was slain, whereby the Scots won. However, a new king of "high descent and noble achievements" (possibly [[Drest IX|Drest]]) was elected king of the Picts, turned the scale, and at [[Galloway]] defeated and took King Alpín, anno 834, and put him with many of his nobles to death. It is said that Alpín's head was fastened to a pole, and carried about the Pictish army, and at last set up for spectacle in [[Abernethy, Perth and Kinross|Abernethy]], their chief town, which was afterwards severely revenged by the Scots, who called the place where he was slain Bas Alpin.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Matthew Duncan|url=http://archive.org/details/historykingssco00duncgoog|title=The History of the Kings of Scotland, from Fergus I. to the End of Q. Ann's Reign: With an ...|date=1722|publisher=Printed by W. Duncan|others=University of Michigan|language=English}}</ref>

Alpín died on 20 July or in August 834 when he was either killed while fighting the [[Picts]] in [[Galloway]] or beheaded after the battle.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Burke's peerage limited|url=http://archive.org/details/burkesguidetoroy00lond|title=Burke's guide to the Royal Family|date=1973|publisher=London, Burke's Peerage|others=Internet Archive}}{{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> His place of burial is not recorded. His son [[Kenneth I of Scotland|Kenneth MacAlpin]] succeeded him.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Kings of Dál Riata}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alpin Mac Echdach}}
[[Category:Kings of Dál Riata]]
[[Category:Medieval Gaels from Scotland]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]


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