Early History - Iain Laird's Family History Project

Early Scottish History

3000 BC: Skara Brae, Orkney.

2600 BC: Ring of Brodgar, Orkney.

400-300 BC: The Celts arrive in Ireland and Scotland.

100BC – 100 AD: Brochs built in Scotland.

71 – 74 AD: Quintus Petilius Cerealis, Governor of Roman Britain, sent a reconnaissance expedition into South West Scotland.

79 – 81 AD: Agricola crossed the Clyde and engaged the Celts.

83 AD: Calgacus united the Celtic Caledonian tribes and with 10,000 of his menwas killed by the Roman Army led by Agricola at the Battle of Mons Graupius.

c 85 AD: The Romans abandoned their fort at Inchtuthil.

85 AD: Agricola was recalled to Rome.

90 AD: The Romans evacuated all their positions north of the Forth.

122-136 AD: Hadrian built the wall that bears his name 80 miles long, from the Solway to the Tyne.

142 AD: The Antonine Wall, turf built, from the Clyde to the Forth.

154 AD: The Romans abandoned the Antonine Wall.

180-185 AD: Hadrian’s Wall overrun and the Romans were defeated in Caledonia.

196 AD: The Romans withdrew from Northern Britain.

208-221 AD: Severus campaigned in Southern Scotland.

297 AD: The Picts were first mentioned in Roman Literature by Eumenius.

c 360 AD: St Ninian who preached Christianity in Scotland, born.

c 360 AD: Picts and Scots crossed Hadrian’s Wall.

367 AD: Picts and Scots invade Northern England.

368 AD: Picts and Scots with Saxon Tribes attacked London

c 368 AD: General Theodosius drove the Picts and Scots out of Roman Britain.

383 AD: The Roman Legions began to evacuate from Britain.

390 AD: General Flavius Stilicho came to Britain to drive out Pictish Invaders.

c 397 AD: St Ninian established a monastery, called Candida Casa, at Whithorn, Galloway.

418 AD: Picts and Scots driven from southern England by Anglo-Saxons.

428 AD: Teutonic Woden worshipping migrants established themselves in Lowland Scotland.

c 432 AD: St Ninian died.

c 500 AD: Fergus Mór mac Erc, ancestor of the Scots Kings of Dalriada died.

c 503 AD: The Scots left Ireland to establish the Kingdom of Dalriada in what is now Argyll.

c 521 AD: St Columba born.

537 AD: King Arthur killed at the Battle of Camlann.

563 AD: Iona community established by St Columba.

565 AD: Celtic Christianity established in Pictland.

574 AD: St Columba ordained Áedán mac Gabhráin as King of the Scots Dál Riata.

c 585 AD: Bridei mac Mailchon, King of the Picts, died.

8th or 9th June 597: St Columba died.

c 573 AD: St Kentigern, also known as St Mungo, in South Eastern Scotland.

603 AD: Áedán mac Gabhráin defeated by Ethelfirth at the Battle of Degsastan.

13th January 603: St Kentigern, also known as St Mungo, died.

c 608 AD: Áedán mac Gabhráin died.

629-642 AD: Domnall Brecc was King of Scots and was killed by Strathclyde Britons at the Battle of Strathcarron.

651 AD: St Cuthbert entered Melrose.

672-693 AD: Bridei son of Bili, was King of Picts.

20th May 685: Battle of Nechtansmere, south of Forfar in Angus, Picts under Bridei son of Bili, defeat the Angles effectively halting their northern progress.

710 AD: Roman Christianity established in Pictland.

711 AD: Picts slaughtered by Nothumbrian Army at the Plain of Manaw (probably in West Lothian).

1st September 714: St Giles, patron saint of Edinburgh and Elgin, died.

c 712 AD: Egbert arrived at Iona an persuaded the Clergy to accept Roman usage.

780-806 AD: The Book of Kells created on Iona

793-1093 AD: The Norse Era, Norse invade and settle the British Isles.

794 AD: Viking raids in the Hebrides.

795 AD: Viking raids on Iona, Inishbofin and Skye.

802 AD: Viking raid plundered and burned Iona.

806 AD: Viking raid killed 68 monks on Iona.

811-820 AD: Constantine, son of Fergus, King of Scots and Picts.

815 AD: Johannes Scotus (John the Scot) Eriugena born in Ireland.

820-834 AD: Oengus II, son of Fergus, King of Scots and Picts.

839 AD: Picts massacred by Vikings at Forteviot.

843 AD: Kenneth MacAlpin crowned the first King of Scotland, and united the Kingdoms of the Scots and the Picts.

858-862 AD: Donald I was King of Scots.

866-869 AD: Norse King of Dublin, Olaf the White campaigned against the Picts.

870-871 AD: Olaf the White and Ivar sacked Dumbarton.

879 AD: Ecclesia Scoticana first used as a term.

889 AD: Giric, King of Scots, and Eochaid son of Rhun, King of Strathclyde Britons, expelled.

900 AD: Strathclyde annexed by Scotland. The Strathclyde aristocracy migrated to North Wales.

900-943 AD: Constantine II King of Scots.

903 AD: Ivar’s grandsons plundered Dunkeld.

904 AD: Ivar grandson of Ivar killed by Scots at Strathearn.

934 AD: Athelstan of Wessex invaded Scotland.

936 AD: Constantine II, Olaf Gothfrithsson and Owen of Strathclyde defeated by Athelstan at the Battle of Brunaburh.

943-954 AD: Malcolm I King of Scots.

945 AD: Edmund invaded Cumbria and granted it to Malcolm I.

954-962 AD: Indulf was King of Scots. Edinburgh was occupied and the Scots annexed Lothian.

966-1005 AD: The descendants of Constantine I succeed in excluding the descendants of his brother Aed to the throne.

989 AD: Gothfrith Haroldsson, King of the Hebrides, killed by men of Dál Riata.

25th March 1005: Kenneth II killed by Malcolm II.

1006 AD: Malcolm II’s unsuccessful raid on Durham.

1006 AD: Malcolm II gained Lothian after defeating the Saxons at the Battle of Carham.

Source: The Scottish Invention of America, Democracy and Human Rights, Klieforth and Munro, 2004, ISBN 0-7618-2791