Friends of Grampian Stones

KINGLISTS
Pictish kinglists are exceedingly difficult to cross-reference and confirm, particularly as, once the Scots were in power in Forteviot (from ADc.843), annals were consistently adjusted - written and re-written - to the glorification of the Scots line and to the detriment of Pictish lineage.

Even as late as the Letter by the Barons of Scotland to Pope John XXII (otherwise known as the 'Declaration of Arbroath') in 1320, it was felt necessary to explain to the holy father how ancient was their ancestry and how famous was the nation of Scots - 'having expelled the Britons and entirely rooted out the Picts'.

However recent scholarship by remarkable historians such as Marjorie O Anderson, David N Dumville and others have added light to the darkness and within a relative framework of intermarriage between the reigning houses of neighbouring states at the time, a tentative list emerges.

As research and new knowledge produce results, these lists will be updated and revised. They are offered in the spirit of true academic thirst for knowledge and we hope that they will be received in the same way.

KINGS OF THE PICTS
While it is known that the journeys of Columba brought him to the fortress of Bridei son of Maelchon, king of the Picts, 'near Inverness', the extent of his dominion is not known. It may be that he ruled over the 'Northern Picts' as several annals from that time refer to the kingdom of the Picts as being divided by the range of the Mounth into northern and southern kingdoms. Bridei is known to have died ADc.585.

617-633 Edwin King of Northumbria [Oswald, Eanfrith, Oswiu exiled in Pictland]
634-641 Oswald returned from exile, reigned as King of Northumbria
641-670 Oswiu reigned in Bernicia & from 655 over Northumbria
653-657 Talorgan son of Eanfrith (N'umbria) king of Picts
670-685 Ecgfrith king of N'umbria [672 Picts deposed Drest from kingship]
[672 Pictish army slaughtered by Ecgfrith]
672-693 Bridei son of Bili king of Picts [Adomnan became 9th abbot of Iona in 679]
[681 Siege of Dunnottar; 682 Bridei laid waste the Orkneys]
[683 Siege of Dunadd and Dundurn]
[685 Battle of Dunnichen Moss, called 'Nechtansmere'; Bridei/Pictish army killed Ecgfrith]
[Adomnan wrote his Law of Innocents and made visits to Pictish king in 697, d.704]
697 Tarachin, king of Picts expelled from his kingdom
706-724 Nechtan son of Derile king of Picts
[711 Picts slaughtered by N'umbrians on 'plain of Manaw'. Nechtan request of Northumbrian architectural expertise in building a church 'in the manner of Rome' , dedicated to Saint Peter, possibly at Restenneth]
[717 Nechtan request Columban 'familia' return to Iona, leaving Pictish kingship in control of
the Pictish Church]
724 - 734 Nechtan retired to monastic life; Drust ruled
727 Oengus defeated Drust in three battles
728 Oengus defeated Alpin; Nechtan came out of retirement, defeated Alpin
729 Oengus defeated Nechtan who again retired, d. 734
729-761 Oengus I, son of Fergus, king of Picts [735 death of historian Bede]
Oengus as overlord in Dál Riata, d.761
739 Oengus had drowned Talorgan son of Drust
750-752 Teudubr son of Bili, king of Strathclyde, overlord of Picts
752 Battle of Asreth in Circenn (Mearns) between Picts; Bridei son of Maelchon d.
782 Dubh Talorc, king of the Picts on 'this side of the Mounth' died
789 Battle among Picts where Conall, son of Tadc escaped; Constantine the victor
802-806 Devastation of Iona by Vikings
811-820 Constantine, son of Fergus, king of Picts and of Dál Riata; founded Dunkeld [he is thought to be king commemorated on Dupplin Cross]
820-834 Oengus II, son of Fergus, king of Picts and of Dál Riata; founded Saint Andrews
839 major victory by Vikings over Picts; death of Eoganan son of Oengus - used by macAlpin as opportunity in takeover
c.840 Kenneth macAlpin king of Dál Riata
c.847 Kenneth macAlpin king of Scots and Picts - called King of Alba

KINGS OF SCOTS
858-862 Domnall (Donald I) king of Alba, brother of Kenneth
Constantin, son of Kenneth, king of Alba
Aedth, brother of Constantin, king of Alba
- 889 Giric, brother of Donald mac Dunstan, king of Picts & Alba d. 889
900-943 Constantine II, son of Aedth, king of Scots
[937, after treaties negotiated with N'umbria, Constantine defeated at Brunanburh by Athelstan
939 death of Athelstan
943-952 Constantine II retired to seclusion of St Andrews
943-954 Malcolm I, son of Donald mac Dunstan, king of Scots
954-962 Indulf son of Constantine II, king of Scots
966-1005 descendants of Constantine I excluded descendants of Aedth (son of macAlpin) from kingship
[962-967 Culen macIndulf & Constantin macCulen interregnum with Dubh son of Malcolm and his brother Kenneth II son of Malcolm 971-995]
997-1005 Kenneth III, son of Dubh and his son Girc joint rule
1005-1034 Malcolm II king of Scots
1034-1040 Duncan I, grandson of Malcolm II through eldest daughter Bethoc
It was through his grandfather Malcolm II's line via Malcolm's second daughter Doada that Macbeth claimed kingship in 1040
1040-1057 Macbeth, grandson of Malcolm II, king of Scots
1057-58 (6 months) Lulach, son of Gruoch, lady Macbeth, by Gillecomgan, king
1058-1093 Malcolm III Canmore, son of Duncan I, king of Scots