Blair Collection > Celtic gleanings, or, Notices of the history and literature of the Scottish Gael

LECTURE I. O
must have received a large admixture of foreigii
blood. Putting aside at present the question
of who the Picts were, whether Celts or Teu-
tons, with whom the Scots must have largely
intermingled ; we have from the ninth century
downwards the constant irruption into the
north of Scotland of Scandinavian invaders ;
and that, not merely as invaders, but as set-
tlers and possessors of the soil. For four hun-
dred years did these continue their occupation,
a period about equal in duration to the exist-
ence of the Koman power in Britain. They
founded a powerful monarchy in the Isle of
Man, embracing under its sway the whole He-
brides, together with the promontory of Kin-
tyre. Indeed, at one time the whole of Scot-
land north of the Frith of Forth was subject to
them, with the exception, of a portion of the
counties of Argyle and Perth. Their hordes
were continually pouring into the country, mak-
ing settlements ; and no doubt after a while,
when the earlier animosities were quieted, inter-
marrying with the natives. That such import-
ant occurrences should have left no traces on
the after condition of the country and its popu-
lation it is impossible to conceive. In fact we
know it to be otherwise. One-half of the names
of places on the west coast of Scotland are