Farewell to Scotland

Today was our last day in Edinburgh visiting Holyrood Palace. Since we head home tomorrow morning, as a final posting, I thought it appropriate to attempt a brief history of the kingdom.

 Prehistoric  Scotland was dominated by the Pics which I commented upon in the post on St Andrews and whose people originally migrated from Central Europe. In AD 83 the Romans defeated the Pics but their rule was never consolidated and after their withdrawal Scotland reverted to tribal rule. The Pics ruled the Orkney islands and down to the Forth, whose current archeological diggings indicate a rich heritage and considerable influence as depicted in the earlier posting on the Island. But it was the Scots who emerged to shape the nation as it is now known. It was an Irish Scot, Columba,who brought Christianity to the nation and conversion of the Pics. But a battle ensued with the Dalriadic Pics until the warring tribes were finally united under the house of Alpin.