The four nations that started Scotland

The Picts were the first people to occupy Scotland, probably in neolithic times. Picti or “Painted Ones” was probably a Roman nickname for what was the emerging tribe of northern Scotland but they probably started as a mixture of the Beaker People who probably originated from Iberian people. They were called the “Beaker People” because of a beaker that they used, with a bell-shaped profile that was widely distributed through Europe.

The Picts do seem to emerge as the strongest of the four people which suggests their dominance of the other tribes. They were also a cultured people with art and a sophisticated form of warfare.

The Britons were possibly the second most important Kingdom. The Britons of Strathclyde includes not only Strathclyde but Cumbria in north-west England. It is from this tribe that Britain actually gets its name. The rule of this kingdom was at its height in the 7^th century but came to an end with the battle of Carham in 1018. The last king of Strathclyde, Owain the Bald was killed in this battle.

The Scots, or the “Scoti” were tribes that came over from the north-east of Ireland. When the Romans were here they kept themselves quite quiet but once the Romans had left their attacks became much more severe, especially during the fifth century, when under King Niall they established the kingdom of Dál Riata along the west coast of Scotland.

The Angles came to Scotland, initially, as auxiliaries to the Romans. They were named after the shape of the land that they came from, Holstien, in North Germany.

They were ruled, in 547AD, by King Ida and covered the land from the Tees to as far north as the Firth of Forth on the east coast of what is now Scotland.

The Picts and the Scots took over the future Scotland. They fought the Angles, Ecgfrith, King of Mercia and his army were destroyed and the Picts took over Lothian again. The Picts and Scots, strangely, were still at odds, fighting it out for another 150 years, until the Scottish border was finally defined.