Economy of Scotland in The High Middle Ages - Trade

Trade

The Scottish economy of this period was dominated by agriculture and by short-distance, local trade. There was an increasing amount of foreign trade in the period, as well as exchange gained by means of military plunder. Generally, continental trading centres were confined to the eastern seaboard, and exchange with Scandinavia and Ireland on the western seaboard. The first Scottish coins were minted in the reign of David I, perhaps in the silver gained by David's acquisition of the Pennine silver mines. By the end of this period, coins were replacing barter goods, but for most of this period most exchange was done without the use of metal currency.