The Picts: A History

The Picts were an ancient nation who rules most of northern and eastern Scotland during the Dark Ages. Despite their historical importance, they remain shrouded in myth and misconception. In the ninth century they merged with the Gaelic-speaking Scots and lost their unique identity, their language and their vibrant artistic culture.

Amongst their few surviving traces are standing stones decorated with incredible skill and covered with enigmatic symbols. These stones are the vivid memorials of a powerful and gifted people who bequeathed no chronicles to tell their story, no sagas to describe the deeds of their kings and heroes.

In this expanded version of his acclaimed book, Tim Clarkson pieces together the evidence to tell the story of the Picts from their emergence in Roman times to their eventual disappearance.