An assessment of the extent of the increase of central royal power in the reign of David I in Scotland

Reign of David I

David I became King of Scotland in 1124. His reign is often characterised as a period of radical change with a significant increase in the central power of the Scottish monarchy.

Central royal power refers to the control the monarch has over the governance of the country, directly from the centre, including territories and peoples beyond their private estates.

Following the Norman Conquest, the Anglo-Norman style of governance was introduced in Scotland by David I. The feudal principles of landholding and vassalage allowed him to increase his control over the Scottish nobles.
David I established royal burghs across Scotland. These were towns with special privileges granted by the king. The burghs increased trade, generated revenue, and became a means for the king to project his authority into areas of the kingdom previously beyond his direct control.
David I replaced the existing mormaers (the Gaelic nobility), with his own Norman-style earls and barons who owed him direct fealty. This helped increase his central power by creating a class that was more dependent on him.
David I built castles throughout his kingdom, particularly in strategically important locations. These served both as military strongholds and symbols of royal authority.
The ecclesiastical reform initiated by David I is often cited as an element of the centralisation of power. The king reorganised the Church in Scotland along the lines of the European model. This moved the Church away from the traditional Celtic model, thereby consolidating his control over the Church and its vast resources.

David I can be seen as succeeding to a significant degree in centralising royal power in Scotland. His reforms in governance, law and the Church gave the Scottish monarchy an unprecedented degree of control, particularly over the nobility.
However, it is important to note, that many of these changes were in line with broader European developments and similar changes were taking place in neighbouring countries, including England.
The limits of this centralisation should also be acknowledged, particularly the regions of the kingdom still largely beyond royal control, notably the Highlands and the Isles.
Resistance to these changes continued for centuries and eventually culminated in the Wars of Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.