Dalriada birthplace of Scotland

Hill of Dunadd

This is a shot looking southeast at the Hill of Dunadd and the Glen. This area is the birthplace of Scotland. The Scotti from Ireland traveled by boat and settled into this fertile valley. The country combining Ulster in Ireland, islands, Argyll and Bute was called Dal Riata.

It was a “scramble” to the top late afternoon on a lightly overcast day. This particular place is famous for king making and has a footprint in stone that they were supposed to step into. It was a symbolic gesture that meant union with the land.

Of course I had to try, having been curious about this for a long time. If there had been a sword in a stone I would have tried to pull it out. I like legends.

My foot fit neatly, even the shape of my boot. “Scratch any Celt and you will find a queen or a king” my friend Margaret used to say. I was facing east, the wind was blowing. I was out of breath from the climb and could hardly look out at the hills on the horizon as I felt this surge of energy that made me feel dizzy. It was the connection with the land and history and continuity through time. My hand trembled as I took the photos. It is hard to explain, but some longing I had carried finally came to rest.

My brother Frank loved heights and he would have really relished this place. I thought of him a few times as I struggled with the climb.

I sat for a long while against a stone ledge at the top of Dunadd wondering about the people from Ireland who had the compulsion to move to this glen 3500 years ago. It was a water passage to a fertile valley and trade route – hunters and gatherers, but also highly skilled artisans in metalwork, pottery and many crafts. But some of them had this ability to create hundreds of sites of standing stones, burial sites and other stone structures – a culture I will have to research later because there is so much to learn.

English: Extent of the Kingdom of Dál Riata (in green), c. AD 590. Yellow areas show occupation by the Picts. Español: Mapa de Dalriada hacia el año 590. Las regiones pictas están marcadas en amarillo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)