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Dalriada: The Land of the First Scots |
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The kingdom of Dalriada was not formed as a single state with a unified system; rather it was a confederation of tribes, based on the system of government in their native Ireland. Tribes were ruled by a king known as a ri, with the rulers of individual tribes owing allegiance to an overking, or ruiri.
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North of this new Scots territory lay the kingdom of the Picts; to the south lay the British kingdoms, which stretched as far as Galloway; whilst in far off Northumbria lay the centre of the other great kingdom of this time, that of the Angles.
The powerbase of Dalriada was centred on the hillfort of Dunadd, the seat of the overking, a formidable fortress built on a rocky outcrop. It seems likely that Dunadd was used by the Scots for the coronation of their kings, as the most secure bastion they had.
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Excavations at Dunadd have also uncovered evidence that the Scots were adept at metalwork and were also manufacturing ornate jewellery there, not only in the Celtic style but also showing traces of the styles of the Angles. This shows that the Scots were interacting with their neighbours on a regular basis through trade and via religious links, an interaction that was to have a big impact.
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