The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

8 THE HIGHLANDERS [part i
Tribes. Districts.
8. Lougoi .... Inhabiting Parishes of Kildonnan, South
Clyne, Golspie, Dornoch and
Rogart in Sutherland.
9. Mertai .... Parishes of Criech and Lairg in
Sutherland.
10. Vakomagoi . The County of Elgin, Strathspey,
Strathavon, Braemar, and
Strathardle.
11. Vernicomes . Merns, Angus, and Fife.
12. Taixaioi . . . Buchan and Banfifshire.
13. Damnonioi . Perthshire, except Atholl.
In this state they ma}- be supposed to have continued with
little variation down to the end of the third century.
Hitherto the only people mentioned by the Roman authors,
as inhabiting North Britain, have been the Maeatae and Caledonii,
and the Roman writers are after this period altogether silent for
some time on this subject, but when they again commence to
give us a few scattered notices of the inhabitants of Britain, we
find a very remarkable change in their language. The formid-
able names of Caledonii and Maeatae vanish, and in their place
we find the enemies of the provincial Britons appearing under
the appellations of Picti, Scotti, Saxones, and Attacotti.^ The
Saxons.
history of the Saxons is too well known to require
an\' examination ; their attacks upon the Romans and
provincial Britons were merel}' piratical excursions, and they
had no settlement in the island till long after this period.
From Dio.'s account, there can be no doubt that in
Picti. ....
his time there existed but one nation in the northern
or unconquered part of Britain, which was divided into two great
tribes of Maeat^ and Caledonii ; the Picti must therefore either
be their descendants or a new colon)-, who had arrived in the
island after the time of Dio. Their antiquity in the country
however is evident from Eumenius, the first author who mentions
from whom it appears, that they certainly existed
the Picts ; and
in Britain as early as the days ofCssar;^ and their identity with
the Caledonii and Msata; of Dio. rests upon authority equally
* Amm. Mar., 1. 26, c. 4. Hibernis assueta liostibus.— Eumen-
» Soli Britanni Pictis mode et ii^s, paneg. Constantio.