Kingdom of the Picts

Tribes in northern Britain c 150 AD

From AD 161, Hadrian’s Wall was once again the northern frontier of the Roman Empire. With the exception of some minor border skirmishes, a period of peace was established along this frontier that lasted for more than a century. During this time the tribes to the north of the wall were left unmolested and (perhaps still wary of the might of the Roman Army) the tribes united to form the Pictish nation. (The Picts’ name first appears in 297 AD and comes from the Latin Picti, meaning ‘painted people’.)

On several fronts throughout Europe, the tide slowly began to turn against the mighty Roman Empire. By 306 AD the Picts began attacks on Hadrian’s Wall.
As Rome weakened the Picts became bolder, until in 360 AD they launched a raid across Hadrian’s Wall. Legions fought back, but the Pictish raids cut deeper and ever deeper into the south.

The Roman system of law and order broke down and the wall itself was eventually abandoned. 50 years later in 411 AD. the Roman Legions left British shores to deal with the barbarian crisis at the heart of the empire.

Pictish kings

The names and dates of early kings are poorly recorded with the list thought to have been compiled in the early 8th century, probably by 724, placing them in the reigns of the sons of Der-Ilei, Bridei and Nechtan.

The early kings listed here are thought to represent overkings of the Picts, at least from the time of Bridei son of Maelchon onwards. In addition to these overkings, many less powerful subject kings existed, of whom only a very few are known from the historical record.

Early kings

538–549Talorc IIAn entry in the king lists549–550Drest VAn entry in the king lists

Early historical kings

The first king who appears in multiple early sources is Bridei son of Maelchon, and kings from the later 6th century onwards may be considered historical as their deaths are generally reported in Irish sources.

554–584Bridei IBrude son of Melcho. His death and other activities are recorded, he is named in Adomnán’s Life of Saint Columba; the first Pictish king to be more than a name in a list584–595Gartnait II

Later historical kings

843-843Ciniod IIPossibly the brother of the previous king. Said to have reigned one year in some lists

Kings of the Picts traditionally counted as King of Scots

Cináed mac Ailpín (Kenneth MacAlpin in English) defeated the rival kings, Bridei VII and Drest X winning out by around 845–848. He is traditionally considered the first “King of Scots”, or of “Picts and Scots”, allegedly having conquered the Picts as a Gael, which is turning history back to front. As most modern scholars point out, he was actually ‘King of Picts’, and the terms ‘King of Alba’ and the even later ‘King of Scots’ were not used until several generations after him.

King of Picts

House of Alpin (848–1034)