The Tribes of Ancient Scotland

 

                                              The Nine Tribes

The Roman geographer Ptolemy working in Alexandria in the mid-second century AD on his map of the Roman world identified nine tribes in what is now modern Scotland.  While some of his information is considered of dubious worth there is enough accurate material in his writings to provide some information on the political organization of Iron Age Scotland.

                                                   The Northern Tribes

The Venicones. The first tribe mentioned by Ptolemy are the Venicones who inhabited the area around the River Tay and in to Fife. This region was a major objective of the Roman invasions. Given that the bulk of their supplies came by sea from their major naval base at South Shields. Such was its importance to the Romans that they constructed a  legionary base , ‘Pinnata Castra’ at Inchtuthill near modern Scone. Intended as the major northern base it was garrisoned by the XXth Legion (Valeria Victrix). After the abandonment of Pinnata Castra  the legion was based at York for the rest of its time in the province.

The  Vacomagii. The second was known as Vacomagi whose lands consisted of the fertile area of Strathmore. Their name ‘Vacomagi’ is thought by historians to mean ‘inhabitants of the curved fields.’

The Taexali. The third tribe was known as the Taexali.  They lived in what is now the Grampian region. Unlike their Vacomagi neighbours they lived in small farms and villages. There were no large tribal centres as elsewhere. Unlike their southern tribal neighbours there was no prolonged Roman occupation of their lands as there was further south.

 

                                                  The Southern Tribes

The Damnonii . The fourth tribe was known as the Damnonii ( ‘the lords’) whose lands covered the Clyde Valley and Strathclyde. Of all the nine tribes they were the most  frequently invaded and occupied by the Roman Army. The tribal centre is thought by historians to have been the settlement on Walls Hill near Howwood in Renfrewshire. Though there was also another major settlement at Dumyat Hill close to Stirling.

The Epidii. The fifth tribe was the Epidii ( ‘the horsemen’) who were in what is now Argyll including the islands of Islay, Jura and Arran. Their territory also included Kintyre.

The Votadini. The sixth tribe and in some ways the best known to historians is the Votadini who were based in south-east Scotland. Particularly the Lothians with the tribal centre being the large hill fort on Traprain Law in East Lothain with its hundreds of roundhouses revealed by excavations which also unearthed the famous Traprain Law treasure. The Votadini later became Roman allies and were known as the Gododdin in later centuries. They became prominent in the Dark Age period being centred on the great fortress rock of Din Eidyn, the modern Edinburgh.

The Novantae. The seventh tribe was known as the Novantae covered the modern area of Galloway. With major centres at Whithorn or Wigtown. They are thought to have been small scale farmers and herders.

The Selgovae. The eighth tribe was the neighbours of the Novantae, the Selgovae ( ‘the hunters’) based in the borders area with a major fortress on the Eildon Hills .Near the modern town of Melrose where there was also a major Roman base known as ‘Trimontium’.

 

                                                  The Largest Tribe

The Caledones .The ninth and final tribe was the largest and most extensive. Known as the Caledones (‘hardy people’ or ‘people with hard feet’) . Their territory extended between Loch Long and Loch Fyne in the west to the Beauly Firth in the east. Ptolemy seems to have confused a specific tribe based between Fort William and Inverness with the overall tribe. This tribe was also described by the Roman historian Tacitus in his ‘Agricola’.