xxxii HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



for the purpose of consulting the ancient records of that 

 country, and his chronicles bear ample evidence of the 

 mythic qualities by which the early history of the sister 

 island is so flagrantly characterised. To his patriotic zeal 

 were subordinated all considerations of accuracy, and 

 modern historians are unanimous in rejecting as baseless 

 that portion of his chronicles which is now under con- 

 sideration. 



We may, however, accept with a greater degree of con- 

 fidence, the historical accuracy of the accounts given of the 

 friendly relations which existed, prior to the third century 

 of our era, between the Pictish tribes who occupied the 

 parts of modern Scotland (or Alban as it was then called) 

 nearest to the coast of Ireland, and the Milesian Scots of 

 the latter country ; and we may readily believe that this 

 intercourse led to more or less unimportant emigrations of 

 the Scots to the Southern islands of the Hebrides, as well 

 as to the adjacent mainland. Probably these occupations 

 were accomplished, sometimes by friendly treaty, sometimes 

 by force, but they do not in any case appear to have been 

 of long duration ; and the accounts of this early colony 

 show that the settlers were finally forced, by the jealousy 

 of their Pictish neighbours, to relinquish their possessions 

 and return to the parent country. It is related, with what 

 degree of truth it is impossible to determine, that about 

 the middle of the third century, a band of Scots under the 

 leadership of one Cairbre Riada, landed in Argyllshire,. 

 where they formed a colony which was called Dalriada 

 after the name of its founder. This colony, if founded, 

 probably received accessions at various intervals from 

 Ireland, but once more the enmity of the Picts led to the 

 disruption and the final abandonment of the settlement. 

 About the beginning of the sixth century, however, a 

 determined and successful effort was made by the Scots to 

 effect a permanent footing in Alban. Under the joint 

 leadership of Fergus, Lorn, and Angus, the three sons of 

 Ere, the invaders settled on the coast of the modern 

 Argyll and the adjacent islands. From Fergus son of 



