Towns > Dundee > 1809-1912 - Dundee directory > 1853-1854

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a king, is said to have taken place in tlie beginning of the third cen-
tury, the town certainly did some service in the days of Alpine, King
of the Scots, in the early part of the ninth century ; and in the days
of the Malcohns TI. and III., between 1010 and 1098, often aided
the country in providing assistance and refuge to the Scottish
armies in their struggles against the repeated invasion of the Danes
and the northern nations. It seems then to have been too strong for
the invading forces to reduce, as, in all their movements between Mon-
trose and Perth by the coast, they appear to have left it untouched.
The Danish monarch having fitted out two fleets, the one in Norway
and the other in England, placed both under the command of Camus,
one of his ablest officers, who, after being repulsed from the Tay,
effected a landing at Lunan Bay, burned to the ground the town
and castle of Brechin, and then proceeding along the country towards
Panbridge, plundering and burning everywhere, he pitched his camp
at Carnoustie ; Malcolm taking up his position at Barrie. The battle
fought was most sanguinary on the part of the Danes ; but resulted
in their overthrow, and the triumph of the Scottish army and Scottish
independence, as also the safety of this town, into which the Norse-
men never were able to penetrate. Subsequently, about the year 1070,
Malcolm III, after having ascended the throne, usurped for a time by
Macbeth, showed his gratitude to the town by building or improving
itsjpa'ace, and making it a royal residence, which it continued occa-
sionally to be to the Scottish sovereigns up till the time of James VI.
The marriage of Malcolm to the English princess Margaret, sister
of Edgar, Earl of Oxford, about 1070, was the occasion of a palace or
royal residence being erected here ; although there is reason for conclud-
ing that there was one even prior to this date. It was, however, after
the disputes between John Baliol and the elder Robert Bruce, regarding
the succession to the Scottish crown, that it became conspicuous in
' history. In the great struggles for national liberty and independence
in which our , country was engaged under Wallace and Bruce against
the Edwards of England, it had a prominent part, which its strong
fortress both fitted it for and exposed it to. It is stated by some his-
torians that Wallace resided in this town in early life, which probably
was the case. When a youth, he was placed under the guardianship of
liis uncle, a wealthy ecclesiastic at Dunipace in Stirlingshire, who in-
stilled into his youthful mind those sentiments of heroism and love
of liberty which influenced his conduct, and impelled him to those deeds
of magnanimity and courage which marked his whole life. It is said