Formation of the Scottish Kingdom

Early in the fifth century the Roman legions were withdrawn. At the end of the century the Scots, a Gaelic branch of Celts in Ireland, migrated to the coastal region of Scotland northwest of the Firth of Clyde. They established a kingdom named Dalriada; the region became known as Argyll (from “coast land of the Gael").

In the seventh century the Anglo-Saxons, a Germanic people who had conquered central Britain, extended their rule to the Firth of Forth. In the Highlands, the Picts (Caledonians) grew in strength and gradually imposed overlordship on the Scots.

Early in the ninth century Norsemen—mainly Norwegians—began raiding Scotland in the north and down the west coast. Kenneth MacAlpine, king of Scots, gained the Pict throne about 843 and united the Picts and Scots in the kingdom of Albany (or Alba), consolidating resistance to the Norsemen. However, many Norse coastal settlements were founded in the 10th century. The Picts and Scots (whose country soon took the name of Scotland) fought the Anglo-Saxons (English), but were defeated by them in 937. About 1016, however, Malcolm II, king of Scotland, won a victory over the English north of the Tweed River, extending Scotland's southern boundary to its approximate present location.

There was constant rivalry for the Scottish throne. Malcolm II killed all the rivals of his grandson Duncan, who succeeded him in 1034. Macbeth, whose wife was the heir of one of Duncan's slain rivals (possibly Kenneth III), murdered Duncan in 1040. In 1057 Macbeth was slain by Duncan's son Malcolm (III) Canmore, whose house then ruled Scotland for the next 200 years.