HOMECOMING SCOTLAND, SCOTLANDS EARLY HISTORY AS RECORDED PART 2.

HOMECOMING SCOTLAND, SCOTLANDS EARLY HISTORY AS RECORDED PART 2.

HOMECOMING SCOTLAND, SCOTLANDS EARLY HISTORY as recorded Part 2.

The Scots;
During the later years of the Roman occupation the garrison was continually harassed by Pictish tribes north of the Wall, aided by Scots (the Gaelic tribe then dominant in Ireland) and when the garrison was withdrawn these Picts and Scots were the principal enemies of the Celtic Brythons, who are believed to have called in the Saxons to protect them from the invasions of their neighbours. A relic of the struggle between Pict and Brython is stillo to be seen in the Catrail, or Picts' Work Dyke of Roxburgh (from Torwoodlee, near Galashiels, to Peel Fell in the Cheviots). Christianity was introduced into Southern Caladonia about 380 by Missionaries from Romanized Britain, who penetrated to the northern districts and islands. After the withdrawal (or absorption) of the Roman garrison of Britain there were many years of tribal warfare between the Picts and Scots, the Brythonic Waelisc (Welsh) of Strathclyde (South west Scotland and Cumberland) and the Anglo-Saxons of the Lothians. The Waelisc were isolated from their kinsman in Wales by the victory of the West Saxons at Chester (613), and towards the close of the 9th century the Scots under Kenneth Macalpine became the dominant power in Caladonia. In the reign of Malcolm the first (943 - 954) the Brythons of Waelisc (Welsh) of Strathclyde were brought into subjection, the lowland kingdom of the English (Lothian) being conquered by Malcolm the second (1005 - 1034). From the close of the 11th century until the middle of the 16th there were constant wars between Scotland and England, the outstanding figures in the struggle being William Wallace, who defeated the English at Stirling Bridge (1297) and Robert Bruce, who won the victory of Bannockburn (1314). James the fourth and many of his nobles fell at the disastrous battle of Flodden (1513) and in 1603 James the sixth, the Stuart King of Scotland and the heir to the Tudor line of England (his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, was the great-grandaughter of Henry the seventh) succeeded Queen Elizabeth the first on the throne, his successors reigning as Sovereigns of Great Britain. After the abdication (by flight) of James the seventh, the crown devolved upon William the third (grandson of Charles the first) and Mary (daughter of James the seventh) and, their issue failing, upon Anne (second daughter of James the seventh). Anne's children died young, and the throne devolved upon George the first (great grandson of James the sixth). In 1689 Graham of Claverhouse "roused the Highlands" on behalf of James the seventh, but died after a military success at Killiecrankie. In 1715 armed risings led to the indecisive battle of Sheriffmuir, but the movement died down until 1745, when Prince Charles Edward defeated the Royalist troops under Sir John Cope at Prestonpans and advanced to Derby in England (1746). From Derby, the adherents of "James the eighth", fell back on the defensive and the Jacobite movement was finally crushed by the Royalist troops under the Duke of Cumberland at Culloden (April 16th 1746).