The kingdom of Alba was formed by the union of the Picts and Scots under
Kenneth I MacAlpin in 843. Their territory ranged from modern Argyll and Bute to
Caithness, across much of southern and central Scotland. This was one of the few
areas in the British Isles to withstand the invasions of the Vikings. The
ancient link with Ireland (from which the Celtic Scots had emigrated) was broken
as a cordon of Scandinavian settlements were established in the Western Isles
and Ireland. With southern England also conquered by the Norsemen and Danes,
Alba was left isolated. With the withdrawal of the Norsemen, England, under the
English, then launched invasions against Alba but were ultimately repelled by
Malcolm II at the Battle of Carham (1016/18). When Malcolm's grandson and successor
Duncan I came to the throne in 1034, he united Alba with Strathclyde, Cumbria,
and Lothian. Thereafter, the name Alba began to fade away, and every king, at
least in retrospect, was normally styled "king of Scots." The first recorded use
was by Duncan II, the "Rex Scotie," in 1094.