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This item was provided by Peter Duncan with photographs by Simon Warren.
Dunning's Standing Stones
Doncha's stone.
Sketch by Ken Laing
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Doncha's stone looking
north from Dunning
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King Kenneth MacAlpine died in 860, and the succession, according to the Pictish custom of the Law of Tanistry (chosen from his immediate family by election), brought his brother Donald as his successor. Then followed Constantine and then Aodh, both sons of Kenneth MacAlpine.
From these two we get the House of Constantine, the senior faction, and the House of Aodh, the junior faction. These two factions were the cause of the succession wars which lasted until the reign of Malcolm II in 1005.
Maor's stone looking north to Dunning
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This was the background to the Battle of Duncrub in 965. Doncha, Abbot of Dunkeld and Maormar (steward) of Atholl were slain. Duff (house of Constantine) defeated Colin (house of Aodh). The standing stone a little to the north-east of the village along the old road to Leadketty marks the spot where Doncha, Abbot of Dunkeld, was slain. A similar stone south of the village at a farm of 'The Knowes' marks the spot where Maormar died of his wounds.
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