Below you will find a timeline summarising some of the main events mentioned in the blog. As the blog proceeds through history, this timeline will contain an increasing amount of detail. Occasionally the blog will consider episodes from the past where the evidence is less well-established. In such cases I will try to clarify what we are dealing with, but with the acceptance of their historical unreliability. One way to look at them is that such episodes may have happened, and if they did, they may have happened at this time or in this place and possibly involved these characters. Often it will be impossible to be anything more than vague about these, but in all cases, I will try and show how they could add to the narrative. This timeline will reflect that premise, and less reliable dates and events will be highlighted in italics.
684: Ecgfrith, King of Northumbria, sends forces to raid Ireland. Birth of the hersir Eylaug from Sogn.
685: Battle of Dun Nechtain (Nechtansmere; Gueith Linn Garan) fought between the Picts, led by King Brude, and the Northumbrians, led by King Ecgfrith, on 20 May. Picts are victorious. Ecgfrith is killed and buried on Iona.
693: Death of Brude. Buried on Iona.
698: Ainfcellach, king of Loairn, loses Dal Riada overlordship and is deposed by his brother Selbach in Loairn.
701: Selbach destroys Dunollie.
704: Dal Riadan army defeated by the Strathclyde Britons.
705: Thorgerd daughter of Eylaug born.
706: Bridei, son of Derilei and Dargart, king of Picts, dies. Naiton (Nechtan), son of Derilei, becomes king of Picts.
710: Naiton expels the Ionan clergy beyond “Dorsum Brittaniae”. Two of Naiton’s sons are killed in internecine warfare in Dal Riada.
711: Picts defeated by Northumbrians at Mag Manonn. Dal Riadan army defeats Britons at Lorg Ecclet.
712: Congal, son of Dargart (and Derilei) killed. Tarbert burned. Selbach besieges Aberte (in Argyle).
713: Ciniod, brother of Naiton (son of Derilei and Dargart), killed – perhaps by Talorc, his half-brother, a (sub?) king of Atholl. Talorc (son of Dargart and Derilei(?)) imprisoned by Naiton.
714: Selbach rebuilds Dunollie.
717: Dal Riadan army defeats Britons at the rock called Minuirc.
719: Ainfcellach killed in Battle against Selbach at Finnglen. A sea-battle at Ard Nesbi between Dúnchad Bec (Cenél n’Gabráin) and Selbach (Cenél Loairn) in which Selbach is forced to retreat.
721: Dúnchad Bec, king of Kintyre, dies.
723: Selbach enters into clerical life.
724: Naiton withdraws from kingship to a monastery. Drust becomes king of Picts.
725: Elpin rules the Picts with Drust Drust’s son (Simul?) is captured. Hervor daughter of Thorgerd born.
726: Drust removes Naiton from the monastery to become his prisoner. Drust’s power wanes. Dumgal ejected from overlordship of Dal Riada and replaced by Eochaid mac Eachach of Cenél n’Gabráin. Selbach leaves the monastery.
728: Battle of Monid Chroibh (Moncreiffe): Forces of Alpin and Onuist fight. Alpin’s son is killed. Onuist and Naiton join forces. Alpin decisively defeated at Caisten Credi.
729: Battle of Monith Carno. Forces of Onuist defeat enemies of Naiton and kill three “exactores” (including the son and grandson of Drust, father of Talorc) Battle of Druim-Derg-Blathuug. Drust defeated and killed. Onuist now supreme.
730: Selbach of Dal Riada dies. His son Dumgal takes over and launches an attack on the Cenél n’Gabráin (Tarbert in Kintyre).
731: Eochaid enters clerical life. Dumgal burns Tarbert. Bridei, son of Onuist, defeats Talorc (of Cenél n’Gabráin) before entering monastic life. Bridei enters clerical life on Tory Island.
732: Naiton dies.
733: Eochaid dies. New king of Loairn is Muiredach son of Ainfcellach. Army of Cenél Loairn, led by Dúngal son of Selbach, raid the island where Bridei is living and capture him. Picts loan ships to the Irish.
734: Onuist leads a full-scale invasion in 734 of the Scots’ territories. As part of this and perhaps in an attempt to sue for peace, Talorc, son of Congus, is handed over by his own brother to the Picts who ritually drown him. Dumgal is defeated by the Picts and flees to Ireland. A separate Talorc, described as son of Drostan in the sources, is also captured and held in chanins near Dún Ollaig (Dunollie).
736: Dumgall returns and fights with Onuist. Onuist lays waste the territory of Dál Riata and seizes and burns Dundadd. He captures two sons of Selbach, i.e. Dumgal and Feredach. Bridei son of Onuist dies. Onuist effectively overlord of Dal Riada. Talorcan, brother of Onuist, defeats Muiredach, son of Ainfcellach, at Cnoc Cairpri.
737: Eadberht becomes king of Northumbria
739: The hostage from 734, Talorc son of Drostan, king of Athol is drowned by Onuist.
740: Peace treaty between Picts and Northumbrians collapses. Onuist in alliance with Aethelbald of Mercia. Weather-Grimm, son of Hervor born.
741: Onuist attacks the Scots. The smiting of Dál Riata (Percutio Dal Riatai la h-Onuist m. Forggusso, AU 741).
744: Onuist attacks the Strathclyde Britons but the outcome is unknown.
750: Picts repulsed by army of Britons led by King Teudulor at Mugdock. Talorc, brother of Onuist is killed. Eadberht of Northumbria conquers the plain of Kyle.
752: Attempt to topple Onuist (the battle of Asreth in the land of Circin) is unsuccessful. Onuist makes peace with Eadberht of Northumbria.
756: Joint attack on Strathclyde from Picts and Northumbrians. Dynfnwal, son of Teudubr, King of Strathclyde forced to sue for peace. On way home (10 August), Northumbrian army is ambushed and slaughtered.
758: Eadberht, king of Northumbria dies; succeeded by Oswulf.
759: Oswulf, king of Northumbria dies; succeeded by Aethelwald Moll.
760: Dynfnwal, king of Strathclyde, killed in battle.
761: Death of Onuist, succeeded by his brother Bridei.
763: Death of Bridei, succeeded by Ciniod, son of Vuredach
765: Aethelwald Moll, king of Northumbria enters clerical life; succeeded by Ahlred.
768: Aed Find re-establishes a separate Dál Riadan kingship.
770: Björn Buna, son of Weather-Grimm, born in Romsdal.
774: Ahlred, king of Northumbria deposed; succeeded by Aethelred.
775: Ciniod, son of Vuredach dies, succeeded by Elpin.
778: Aed Find, King of Dál Riada dies; succeeded by his brother Fergus.
779: Elpin dies. Drest, son of Talorcan rules in north Pictland, “Black” Talorcan son of Onuist in the south. Aethelred, king of Northumbria deposed; succeeded by Aelfwald.
780: Death of Drest son of Talorcan. Talorcan son of Drest takes over rule in north Pictland.
781: King Fergus of Dál Riada dies; succeeded by Donncoirce.
782: “Black” Talorcan, son of Onuist dies. Talorcan son of Drest unites Pictland and rules.
785: Death of Talorcan, son of Drest Conall son of Taidhg rules in Pictland.
788: Aelfwald, king of Northumbria murdered; succeeded by Osred.
789: Constantine I is installed as king of the Picts, expelling Conal son of Tadg. Viking raid on Portland in Dorset.
790: Osred, king of Northumbria deposed/clericatus; succeeded by Aethelred (2nd reign).
792: Donncoirce, king in Dal Riada dies.
793: 8 June – Viking raiders attack the Northumbrian coast, arriving in longships from Scandinavia, and sacking the monastery of Lindisfarne. Many of the monks are killed or enslaved.
794: Vikings sack the Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey in Northumbria. Northmen are defeated by storms and fighting. “Devastation of all the islands of Britain by heathens.”
795: Vikings attack the monasteries at Iona (Inner Hebrides), Inishbofin and Inishmurray.
796: Aethelred, king of Northumbria murdered; succeeded by Osbald. Vikings attack the southern Irish.
799: Helgi, son of Björn Buna born.
800: Hrapp, son of Björn Buna born.
802: The Vikings plunder the treasures of Iona Abbey.
805: Iona was burned by the Norsemen. Conal Tadg king in Dal Riada.
807: The vikings burn Inis Muiredaig and invade Ros Cam. Conal Tadg king in Dal Riada ousted by Conal mac Aedain.
808: Asbjorn, son of Björn Buna born.
810: Ketil Flatnose, son of Björn Buna, born in Romsdal Ingveldur. Ketilsdottir born in Ringerike.
811: Vikings defeated by thee Ulaid. Domnall, son of Constantine, gains control over Dal Riada.
819: Halfdan the Black born.
820: Constantin, King of Picts dies. His brother Onuist succeeds him. Björn Buna dies. Olaf the White born.
821: Viking attacks in Ireland: Edar (near modern-day Dublin) , Beg Eire and Dairinis Camhain (Begery island and St Camhain’s island, both off Wexford harbour).
822: Viking attacks in Ireland: Cork.
823: Viking attacks in Ireland: Bangor.
824: Viking attacks in Ireland: Scelec.
825: Viking attacks in Ireland: Dun Lethglaise (Downpatrick), Mag Bile (Movilla, County Down), Inis Daimle (Little Island, in the river Suit, south-east of Waterford. In battle, the Ulaid defeated the Northmen in Mag Inis Lecale (in County Down) but the “foreigners” also defeated another Irish kingdom – the Osraige. Grímur Kamban arrived at Faroe islands. Attack of Vikings on Iona – martyrdom of Blathmac.
827: Viking attacks in Ireland: Lusca (Lusk, north of Dublin) and Dun Laighen at Druim (County Wicklow).
828: Viking attacks continue in Ireland. The Northmen are defeated by an army of King Laethobar of Ulaid and also by Cairpre, Lord of Ui Ceinnsealaigh (Wexford) and by the community of Tech Munnu (Taghmon, also in County Wexford).
829: Columba’s relics taken to Scotland and Ireland. Halfdan the Black becomes king of Agder in Norway.
830: Auð the Deep-Minded born, daughter of Ketil Flatnose and Ingveldur Ketilsdottir. Rognvald Eysteinsson born.
832: Battle of Athelstaneford in which Onuist II of the Picts and Achaius of Dál Riada defeat Athelstan, leading to the legend of the Scottish flag.
834: Death of Onuist II, King of Picts. He is succeeded by Drest son of Constantine and Talorgen son of Vutholl
835: Death of Domnall, son of Constantine, Pitish overlord of Dal Riada. Aed Boanta in power in Dál Riada.
837: Deaths of Drest son of Constantine and Talorgen son of Vutholl. Uuen son of Onuist II succeeds them as king of Picts.
838: Helgi Bjola born, son of Ketil Flatnose and Ingveldur Ketilsdottir.
839: Picts defeated by Scandinavians. Uuen (Eogan) map Onuist, King of the Picts is killed along with his brother Bran, Áed mac Boanta, King of Dál Riada, and much of the Pictish warrior elite.
839: Uurad, son of Bargot, King of Picts. Eochaid, king in Dál Riada.
840: Jorunn Mannvitsbrekka born, daughter of Ketil Flatnose and Ingveldur Ketilsdottir.
841: Death of Eochaid. His son Alpin becomes (a) king in Dál Riada.
841: Norse establish longphorts at Linn Duachaill and Dublin. Mael Sechnaill prevents the overthrow of his father, Mael Ruanaid, king of Mide, by killing Diarmait.
842: Uurad, son of Bargot, King of Picts, dies and is succeeded by his son, Bred. Bred dies within a year. Bjorn “the Easterner” born, son of Ketil Flatnose and Ingveldur Ketilsdottir.
843: Kenneth son of Ferat, King of Picts. Alpin son of Eochaid killed in battle with the Picts. His son, Kenneth succeeds him as king in Dál Riada.
843: Brude son of Fodal, King of Picts.
844: þorunn hyrna born, daughter of Ketil Flatnose and Ingveldur Ketilsdottir.
845: Drust son of Ferat, King of Picts.
845: Turges drowned by Mael Sechnaill. Mael Sechnaill kills his brother Flann.
848: Jarl Tomrair, “deputy/heir of the king of Lathlinn” is killed in Ireland by by Ólchobar mac Cináeda, king of Munster. Ketil Flatnose and most of his family move to Scotland.
849: Kenneth MacAlpin ruling over Picts and Scots. The King of the Foreigners (vikings) sends a naval force to Ireland which subjugates the Foreigners who were already in Ireland. Auð marries Olaf.
850: Harald Fairhair born
850: Thorstein, son of Auð and Olaf is born
851: The dark foreigners come to Dublin and slaughter the fair foreigners
852: A fair foreigners’ fleet of 160 ships attacks the dark foreigners, but the dark foreigners get the upper hand
853: Amlaíb, son of the king of Lathlinn, comes to Ireland. The foreigners of Ireland submit to him, and he takes tribute from the Irish.
855: A viking force (probably the dark foreigners) ask Cerball, king of Osraige for help against other foreigners. This leads to further alliances between Cerball and the dark foreigners against other foreigners and Irish.
856: A great war between the heathens and Mael Sechnaill and his Gall-Gael allies.
857: Amlaíb and Ímar defeat Caitil Find and the Gall-Gaels in Munster.
858: Kenneth MacAlpin dies and is succeeded by his brother Domnall (Donald) as “king of Picts”.
858: Cerball and Ímar lead. a force of 6,400 mean against the Gall-Gaels in Ara Tyre, and defeat them.
859: Cerball, Ímar and Amlaíb attack Mide. A royal assembly results in Cerball pledging his allegiance to Mael.
862: Domnall MacAlpin dies and is succeeded by his nephew and son of Kenneth, Constantine (or Causantín).
The Northern Tapestry 