 | 'Calgacus said of the Romans. They create a desert and call it peace. Gordon Brown has co-authored a calamity and called it a triumph.' First Minister the Rt Hon Alex Samond MP MSP, 19 th October 2008. |  |
| 'Calgacus said of the Romans. They create a desert and call it peace. Gordon Brown has co-authored a calamity and called it a triumph.' First Minister the Rt Hon Alex Samond MP MSP, 19 th October 2008. | |
The Emperor Domitan agrees to the Roman Governor of Britain, Julius Agricola's request to invade Scotland.
A Roman fleet supporting the military expedition of the Roman Governor of Britain, Julius Agricola, completes an exploratory voyage to the Western Isles.
A fort is constructed at Inchtuthill on the river Tay as a base for the 20 th Legion.
Battle of Mons Graupius, possibly at Bennachie. 30,000 Caledonia tribesmen under Calagus are defeated by two Roman legions, the 9 th and the 20 th, commanded by the Governor of Britain, Julius Agricola. Agricola's biographer Tacticus pens the following speach for Calagus: "The Romans rob, rape and kill and call it Roman rule. They make a desert and call it peace."
After seven years as Governor of Britain, Julius Agricola is recalled to Rome by the Emperor Domitian, who is allegedly jealous of Agricola's military successes.
The Emperor Antonius orders the consruction of a new 40 mile long earthwork between Old Kirkpatrick on the Firth of Clyde and Credigone (Carriden) on the Firth of Forth. It is intended to be a new frontier for the Roman Empire and replace Hadrian's wall which was constructed in 122 between the Solway Firth and the mouth of the river Tyne. Beyond the wall are several tribes: the Venicones, the Taexali, the Vacomagi, te Epidii, the Caledones, the Creones, and the Decantae. Between the Antonie wall and Hadrian's wall are the Votadini, the Dumnonii, the Selgovae and the Novantae.
A rebellion by the Brigantes in the Pennines forces the Roman Governor of Britain, Julius Verus, to abandon the Antonine wall.
The Antonine wall is re-garisoned following the suppression of the rebellion by the Brigantes.
The Antonine wall is abandoned again and Roman troops withdrawn to Hadrian's wall.
Birth of St Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, at Dumbarton.
St. Ninian founds a Christian church and monastery at Whithorn in Galloway.
Coroticus, the Christian King of Strathclyde, is excommnicated by Patrick, Bishop of Ireland for selling Irish Christians into slavery.
Comgall, King of Dalriada dies after a 30 year reign.
The Gododdin, based in Edinburgh, are defeated by Scots of Dalriada raiding in the valley of the Forth.
Columba is accused of causing a bloody battle in Ireland and sets off for exile with 12 companions.
St Columba lands at Iona.
St Columba is welcomed by the pagan Brude mac Maellchon, King of the Picts, at Inverness.
Aidan mac Gabhran, King of Dalriada, conquers the Orkney Islands.
Aidan mac Gabhran, King of Dalriada, conquers the Isle of Man.
Death of Brude mac Maellchon, King of the Picts, who remained a pagan despite attempts by St Columba to convert him to Christianity.
Aidan mac Gabhran, King of Dalriada, raids Pictland.
Athelfrith, son of Athelric, becomes King of Bernicia.
Death of St Columba at Iona, aged 76.
Battle of Catterick. An army of 300 Gododdin warriors from the Kingdom of Manau around Edinburgh are defeated by Athelfrith, King of Northumbria, which was recently formed from Bernicia and Deria.
Battle of Degastan in Liddesdale. The army of Athelfrith, King of Northumbria defeats that of Aidan mac Gabhran, King of Dalriada. Aidan's son is killed and most of his army is lost.
Death of Aidan mac Gabhran, King of Dalriada who dies at over 70 year of age. He was King of Dalriada for 34 years.
Death of the monk and hermit St Baldred on the Bass Rock.
The missionary Kentigern, or "Mungo", who founded several churches including one in Glasgow, dies aged over 90.
Following the defeath and death in battle of Athelfrith, King of Northumbria by Edwin in 618, his three sons seek assylum with the Picts. One of them, Eanfrith marries a Pictich princess and their son, Talorgen, becomes King of the Picts in 653.
The Irish missionary Donnan and almost 150 followers are burnt to death by Picts from Skye following a dispute concerning sheep grazing rights.
Battle of Mag Rath in Ireland. Domnall mac Aedo, High King of Ireland, defeats and kills Ulaid leader of the Ulaid. Domhnall Brecc, King of Dalriada, loses his Dal Riata lands in Ireland.
Battle of Strathcarron. In his fourth major military defeat, Domhnall Brecc, King of Dalriada, is killed in battle by an army led by Owen, King of Strathclyde.
Talorgen, son of Eanfrith, and nephew of Oswy, King of Northumbria, becomes King of the Picts. Eanfrith married a Pictish princess during his exile, and because of matrilinear succession, his son has become King.
Death of Talorgen, King of the Picts, after a four year reign.
At Whitby, the Celtic church loses a debate with the Roman church on the calculation ofthe date of Easter.
Drest, King of the Picts, and brother of Egfrieth, King of Northumbria, is exiled. Brude Mac Bile, younger brother of the late Owen, King of Strathclyde, becomes King of the Picts.
Egfrith, King of Northumbria, invades Pictland following the exile of his brother Drest. The Pictish army is defeated by the Northumbrians.
The monastry at Coldingham is destroyed by fire.
Egfrith, King of Northumbria, releases Bishop of York after nine months imprisonment at Dunbar after Queen Eormenburg falls ill.
The Picts under King Brude Mac Bile conquer the Orkney Islands.
Battle of Dunnichen, near Forfar. The Picts under King Brude Mac Bile defeat an invading army of Angles under Ecgfrith, King of Northumberland. The invaders were drawn into the Sidlaw hills then cut off, ambushedand routed.
Following the death of Egfrith, King of Northumbria, his illegitimate half brother, Aldfrith leaves his exile on Iona to rule Northumbria.
Abbot Adoman of Iona negociates with Aldfrith, King of Northumbria for the release of Irish captives.
Six monks from Iona are drowned in a storm.
Abbot Adoman of Iona, who has completed his biography of St Columba, prepars to leave for ireland having failed to impose the Roman rather than Celtic calculation of the date for Easter.
Bridei, King of the Picts, is buried on Iona after a 21 year reign.
Abbot Adoman of Iona dies a year after completing his De Locis Santis (Of Holy Places) which he dedicated to Aldfrith, King of Northumbria.
Nechtan succeeds his brother Bridei as King of the Picts in defiance of custom.
Nechtan, King of the Picts is defeated by a Northumbrian army thus ending the Pictish expansion southwards.
Abbot Egbert of Iona managed to impose the Roman way of calculating Easter rather than the Celtic way upon the monks of Iona.
Nechtan, King of the Picts expells those monks on Iona who refuse to give up the Celtic calculation for Easter in favour of the Roman dating.
Nechtan, King of the Picts is forced to abdicate and retire to a monastry. There is civil war between four possible sucessors to the throne.
Death of Abbot Egbert who persuaded the monks of Iona to accept the Roman way of calculating Easter rather than the Celtic way.
The Pictict civil war ends after five years when Angus kills the final claimant, his cousin Drest, and becomes undisputed King of the Picts.
Death of Eochaid, King of Dalriada. The kingdom is leaderless.
Angus, King of the Picts defeats the Scots of Dalriada, captures the fortesss of Dunadd and becomes overlord of the Dalraida.
Edbert, King of Northumbria, wrests Kyle from the control of the King of Strathclyde.
Teudubr, son of Bili, King of Strathclyde becomes overlord of the Picts after beating King Angus in battle at Mugdock near Glasgow.
King Edbert of Northumbria, in alliance with King Angus of the Picts, takes control of Strathclyde.
Strathclyde fights back against the Northumbrians and Picts, forcing them to withdraw.
Death of Angus, King of the Picts, after a record reign of 32 years.
Following the death of Talorgen, King of the Picts, his sucessor Conall mac Tadc is defeated by Constantine mac Fergus.
Norsemen raid Iona abbey.
On Iona, 68 monks and laymen are killed by Norsemen who also burn the abbey. After this, the third raid in 11 years, Abbot Cellach decides to leave the island and found a new abbey at Kells in Ireland. A few monks refuse to abandon the abbey.
Constantine, King of Dalriada, founds a new church at Dunkeld to replace Iona Abbey as the spiritual heart of his realm.
Death of Constantine, King of the Picts. Angus II becomes King of the Picts. The capital is moved to Forteviot due to the risk of Norse raids.
Blathmac, leader of the monks who remain at Iona, is killed by Norsemen.
Death of King Angus II of the Picts in Fife. He founded a church at St Andrews.
Norse raiders begin to settle in the Hebrides and northern Scotland.
The Scots ruling classes are decimated during Norse invasions with King Eógan mac Oengusa of Fortrui, his brother King Aedh mac Boanta of Dalriada and many others being killed.
Kenneth MacAlpin becomes King of Dalriada.
King Kenneth MacAlpin unites the kingdoms of Dalriada (Scots) and the Picts to form Scotland after a seven year war with the Norse.
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