One of his first moves was to try and reverse many of the previous reforms in both the church and society and he also faced a power struggle from the sons of Malcolm III. Following the rules of Tanistry, Donald was fully entitled to be king but in these days political intrigue and plotting was commonplace.

The biggest threat to his reign came in 1094, when Duncan II returned from the court of William Rufus and supported by a Norman army drove Duncan III back to his Hebridean homeland. Six months later Duncan II had been assassinated and Duncan III was back in charge.

Again this did not last long and William Rufus again intervend helping Edgar (fourth son of Malcolm and Margaret) to raise another army to march North. At this point hisotry becomes a little unclear, as instead of a large scale battle, the fight appears to have taken place between two "champions". One from each side. The Scots lost and Donald was deposed and blinded. He died a prisoner in 1099 and was given a royal funeral, being buried on Iona.

The Scots Norman Empire