Undiscovered Scotland

  • Home
  • Scotfax
    • Scotfax Main Page
    • Background ▼
      • Introduction to Scotland
      • Scottish Weather
      • Politics in Scotland
      • Economy of Scotland
      • Public Holidays
      • Disabled Access
      • Christmas & Hogmanay
      • Tartan
      • The Kilt
      • The Saltire
      • Scottish National Anthem
      • Tipping in Scotland
      • Smoking in Scotland
      • Weights & Measures
    • Society ▼
      • Scottish People
      • Scottish Media
      • Education in Scotland
      • Scottish Universities
      • Marrying in Scotland
      • Religion in Scotland
      • Scottish Gaelic
    • Travelling ▼
      • Getting to Scotland
      • Passports & Visas
      • Travelling Around Scotland
      • Rail Travel in Scotland
      • Driving & Roads
      • Distances by Road
      • Driving Single Track Roads
      • Postbuses
      • Hitch-Hiking
      • Fishing Boat Registration
    • Outdoors ▼
      • Scottish Mountains
      • The Munros
      • Outdoor Access
      • Deer Stalking & Access
      • Wild Camping
      • Cairngorms National Park
      • Loch Lomond & Trossachs NP
      • Big Grey Man of Ben Macdui
      • Scottish Midges
      • Ticks in Scotland
    • History ▼
      • History of Scotland
      • Timeline of Scottish History
      • On This Day in Scottish History
      • Scottish Enlightenment
      • Scottish Reformation
      • Scottish Castles
      • Military Scotland
      • Highland Clearances
      • Lordship of the Isles
      • The Curse of Scotland
      • Dalriada
      • Stone of Scone
    • Geography ▼
      • Geography of Scotland
      • Geology of Scotland
      • Councils, Regions & Counties
      • City Status in Scotland
      • Cities & Towns by Population
    • Music, Art, Literature ▼
      • Scottish Art
      • Scottish Literature
      • Traditional Scottish Music
    • Food & Drink ▼
      • The Haggis
      • Scotch Whisky
      • Making Malt Whisky
  • Discover
    • Site Index
    • A-Z Indexes
    • Categories
    • Find Accommodation
    • Tours & Holidays ▼
      • Tour Operators
      • Walking Holidays and Guiding
      • Wildlife Tours & Holidays
      • Golf Tours and Holidays
      • Motorhome Hire
      • Cruising & Charter
      • Arts, Crafts & Photo Holidays
  • Site Resources
    • Late Availability
    • What's On?
    • What's New?
    • Links Collections
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Scotfax
    • Biography
    • eBooks
    • Book Reviews
    • Bookshop
  • Site Info
    • Contact
    • Site Information
    • How to Feature
    • Website Design Services
    • Twitter: Follow Us
    • Cookies & Privacy
    • Copyright, T & C

Dalriada

Location and Extent of Dalriada Around 700
Location and Extent of Dalriada Around 700
Base Image by NASA: See Note About Image Copyright
 

The Kingdom of Dalriada or Dál Riata occupied much of modern day Argyll as well as Arran and part of northern Ireland.

The people of Dalriada were known as the Scoti and probably originated in north-east Ireland. The "probably" is because no trace of the large scale migration of people this would imply has been found on the ground, and some experts believe that the Scoti were actually descendents of the Epidii tribe who were earlier recorded as living in western Scotland.

Either way, the Scoti, or Scots, remained a force in their part of Scotland from before 500 until after 800. The last King of Dalriada was Kenneth I, who went on to gain control of the Pictish crown in 834 and merge the crowns of the Scots and the Picts to make a single kingdom, Alba: what we would today call Scotland - though its borders took centuries more to define.

The seat of power in Dalriada was at Dunadd in Argyll, which served as the capital of the Kingdom and was where its Kings were anointed.

For administrative purposes, Dalriada was divided up into three or four "kindreds" or subdivisions. The Cenél nGabráin covered Kintyre, Arran, Bute and Cowal the Cenél Loairne covered Lorn, Ardnamurchan and Mull; and the Cenél nOengusa covered Islay and Jura. Later on the Cenél Comgall was created to include Bute and Cowal.

Dunadd
Dunadd
     
Clickable Index Map

 

Copyright Undiscovered Scotland © 2000-2022