on the Coronation Stone of Scone,’ originally read before the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, in which he overthrew the Scottish legend that this stone was the ‘Lia Fail’ on which the Irish kings were crowned at Tara, with as acute and unbiassed criticism as that he had applied to Irish and Welsh legendary history. He afterwards edited ‘The Chronicles of the Picts and Scots’ (1867) for the series of ‘Chronicles and Memorials’ published under the direction of the lord-clerk register of Scotland, and a critical edition with a translation of the chronicles of John of Fordun and his continuators (1871) for the series of ‘Scottish Historians’ published by Edmonstone & Douglas.
The former work collected for the first time the earliest fragments of Scottish history from Irish and Welsh sources, as well as the older mediæval legends and annals which had not been absorbed into the chronicles of Wyntoun and Fordun. In the latter work he put into the crucible the ‘Scotichronicon’ as published by Goodall, and by a thorough inspection of the manuscripts discriminated the portion written by Fordun himself from the additions of Walter Bower or Bowmaker [q. v.], the abbot of Inchcolm, and other continuators. In the notes he contributed the results of several important special inquiries, in particular as to the origin of Scottish thanages. He subsequently published in the same series, under the editorship of his nephew, Mr. Felix Skene, the ‘Liber Pluscardensis,’ the authorship of which he attributed to Maurice Buchanan, treasurer of the unfortunate dauphiness Margaret, daughter of James I of Scotland, and wife of Louis XI when dauphin. Along with his cousin, Bishop Forbes of Brechin, he published in 1874, again for the same series of ‘Scottish Historians,’ a rearranged introduction, somewhat condensed, of Bishop Reeves's edition of Adamnan's ‘Life of St. Columba,’ along with the text and a translation.
Thus thoroughly equipped for the undertaking he always had in view, and comparatively free from the cares of business, Skene published in three volumes (1876–80) his chief work, ‘Celtic Scotland: a History of Ancient Alban.’ ‘History and Ethnology’ form the subject of the first, ‘Church and Culture’ of the second, and ‘Land and People’ of the third volume. Following in the path of sound criticism in Celtic history first opened by Father Thomas Innes [q. v.], and provided with better and fuller texts, as well as better methods from his acquaintance with the German schools of criticism, both in philology and history, Skene accomplished more for the annals of his native country than any writer of the present century. He extended the period during which it is possible to have some certain light from the reign of Malcolm Canmore to the era of St. Columba, a period of more than five centuries.
Skene was eminently ingenious as well as critical, and his reconstruction of Scottish history is in some points assailable. His application of Ptolemy's geography and his explanation of the Roman invasion of Scotland are instances of this. The Celtic portion proper also contains views which may be deemed hypothetical, e.g. the supposed suppressed century of Dalriad history and the theory of Pictish kings in the early portion of the Scottish royal genealogy. But he will be an ungrateful follower in their steps who does not acknowledge that Father Innes, Lord Hailes, and Skene have cleared more stumbling-blocks out of the way than all other Scottish historians. Skene's only other publications (besides papers contributed to the Society of Antiquaries for Scotland, a list of which will be found under his name in the ‘Proceedings’ published in 1892), consist of ‘A Humorous Story for Children: the History of Tommy Brown and the Queen of the Fairies,’ and a ‘Gospel History for the Young’ (3 vols. 1883–4), all published by his friend Mr. David Douglas of Edinburgh.
His versatile activity was not limited either by his extensive business or historical labours. An ardent but discriminating philanthropist, he acted as secretary for the relief committee in the highlands, rendered necessary by the potato famine, from 1846 to 1850, which distributed about a quarter of a million in relief and relief work; and he was for many years a director of one of the leading Scottish banks. He was keenly interested in St. Vincent's Church in Edinburgh, a congregation belonging to what was often, though not accurately, called the English episcopal church; and having become satisfied, towards the end of his life, that the position of that body was untenable, he successfully carried through a union of St. Vincent's Church, acquired and largely maintained by his contributions, with the episcopal church of Scotland. Skene received honorary degrees from the universities of Edinburgh and Oxford (in 1879), and on the death of John Hill Burton in 1881 was appointed historiographer royal for Scotland. He died at Edinburgh on 29 Aug. 1892.
Skene did not marry, but brought up with the care of a father several members of a large family of one of his nieces. Through life he was looked up to by many as a kind
