As Moderated Games (and of course actual history
) seem to show, an independent Scotland is generally eventually defeated by the English simply due to having more resources and being able to, and generally having, a larger population. I have decided that if the Scots had Northumbria from an early time, such as pre-1000, they would be much better off and possibly able to retain their independence. Of course, to have Northumbria worth anything, they would have to fully "Scoticize" it. However, taking OTL as an example, the English seemed easily able to do that pretty quickly in the Scottish Lowlands.
My question to you is how could Scotland acquire Northumbria pre-1000? How successfully would they be able to integrate it into the rest of Scotland, and in your opinion, would that allow them to be more equal opponents for the English?
My question to you is how could Scotland acquire Northumbria pre-1000? How successfully would they be able to integrate it into the rest of Scotland, and in your opinion, would that allow them to be more equal opponents for the English?