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The Scots and the Picts

© Matthew White

As I said in a previous article, the Scots came from Ireland! In fact they came from the Kingdom of Dalriada (approximately Country Antrim). The names of their kings can be found in the Book of Ballymote. According to this, the Kings of Dalriada came from Tara, which is the ancient hall of the High Kings of Ireland. This implies that they were descended from the High Kings. It should be noted that the Book of Ballymote was written in medieval times - centuries after the events it recorded so it may not be correct.

The Scots of Dalriada crossed from Ireland to Kintyre in Scotland and established a new kingdom in Argyll. The first mention of Scots in Scotland occurs in 258 AD in Roman writings, although the first settlement probably occurred much earlier. There was probably enmity between this group and the Pictish tribes. Some Irish legends tell of a battle in the fifth century which was won by the Picts.

The list of kings in the Book of Ballymote ends with Fergus, son of Erc. It is believed that Erc was a ruler who died around 501 AD. It is difficult to separate fact from fiction when dealing with this period in history.

Various mediaeval historians - such as Boece and the earlier authorities of Fordun, Wyntoun and Bowyer - tell us that the first Scots' king to arrive in mainland Britain was Fergus, King of Ireland, the son of Feradach. These sources relate that the Scots and the Picts were both settled on the mainland and were allies. The British [Welsh], led by King Coilus, stole cattle from the Scots and blamed the Picts. This subterfuge led to a war between the Scots and Picts. King Fergus discovered the true culprits and treated with the Picts. Coilus then decided on a dawn attack on the Scots in Ayrshire and Galloway. However the Scots' forces attacked during the previous night, defeating the British. Legend states that Coilus drowned in Loch Carron, giving Coylton near Ayr its name.

Historically, there is some backing for this story. Coel Hen Guotepauk was a British ruler who reigned over the area bordering Scotland circa 420 AD. Some modern scholars (such as Graham Philips and Martin Keatman in "King Arthur - The true story") believe that by the fifth Century AD the Dumnoni of Strathclyde were already under Scots' rule and that Ayrshire, was inhabited by Scots.

It is not unlikely that King Coel, concerned by the Scots/Picts alliance, tried to set them against each other, thereby protecting his own territory from possible invasion.

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