Origins of the Kingdom of Scots

The kingdom of Scotland is one of the oldest in Europe. Likewise, the adoption by the Scots of St Andrew, the first disciple of Christ, as their patron saint, is also old. Of the four nations which inhabit the British Isles, the Scots, Welsh and Irish are of Celtic origin, while the English are of Anglo-Saxon, or Germanic, origin. The Irish language belongs to the Goidelic branch of Celtic and shows more archaic features than Welsh, which belongs to the Brittonic branch of Celtic. English language is based on Anglo-Saxon, a Germanic dialect, mixed with many words of Latin origin, introduced through medium of French as a result of the Norman conquest of England. The first defining event in our history was the arrival of the Romans, who conquered the south of Britain. However, they failed to conquer the Celtic people of the north, the Picts and Caledonians, and drew the line at Hadrian’s Wall. The second defining event was the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons, who drove the Roman Britons westward, and occupied the land now known as England. Also very important was the fact that, as the Roman empire fell, Christianity took hold in Ireland and Scotland, brought by Christian Britons. Meanwhile, the south of Britain fell to pagan Anglo-Saxons, who took a century and a half to become Christian. When they did accept Christianity, it came direct from Papal Rome, whereas the Irish, Scots and Welsh continued to follow certain ecclesiastical traditions coming from a time when Christianity was being persecuted by imperial Rome. It is remarkable that Scotland, of all the four nations, represents elements of the other three. The word ‘Scot’ meant ‘Irish’ until about year 1000. The Scots from the north of Ireland established their kingdom of Dalriada, in Argyll, c 500. Kenneth mac Alpin, a king of Dalriada, united the Picts and Scots in 842. By about 1018, the kingdom of Scots absorbed the British (or Welsh) kingdom of Strathclyde, as well as the Northumbrian (Anglo-Saxon) province of Lothians. Certain Anglo-Saxon kings tried to claim suzerainty over the kings of Scots. The threat from the south became even more intense after the Norman Conquest of England. Only with the victories of Robert Bruce over the English was the independence of Scotland fully recognised, on the European level. This book attempts to show the development of the kingdom of Scots from its legendary origins with Goidel Glas to full independence under Robert Bruce.