The Viking Era

                                 The Viking Era

As in other areas of Europe the Viking onslaught radically altered the existing political structure. In addition like the Roman invasions 700 years before they caused significant changes to occur in the society of the time and in the political structure that emerged from it. The Pictish kingdom, and the Welsh kingdom of Strathclyde were destroyed while the Scottish kingdom was weakened. This Viking Era set in motion the creation of the new kingdom of Scotland called Alba in Gaelic. This during the course of the tenth century would successfully  overcome the worst of the Viking attacks. Though for a time it was doubtful if the new fledgling Scottish kingdom would survive as a political entity in to the future.

                                         The Successful Fightback

However, as in previous occasions the use of the geography and topography of Scotland enabled eventual victory over the Vikings. This resulted in the emergence  and survival of the new Scottish kingdom. It had successfully replaced the previous political entities that had existed. By the early eleventh century the new kingdom of Scotland or Alba encompassed what had been formerly the five independent kingdoms five hundred years earlier. Including the formerly Northumbrian area of south-eastern Scotland. The Viking Era persisted in parts of Scotland for much longer as the Western Isles and seaboard including the inner and outer Hebrides remained part of the Kingdom of Norway until the thirteenth century . While the Northern Isles including Caithness and Sutherland remained part of Norway until the fifteenth century.