Ossian Collection > Thoughts on the origin and descent of the Gael

293
St Columba's journey to Brude's royal seat was
trans Dorsum Britannia, that is, over the range of
mountains called Di-um-Albimi;* and that Drum-
Albayn divided the Scots from the Picts. " inter
" quos (PiCTOS ET ScoTOs) dorsi montis Britan-
" nici disterminir
The learned antiquarian, Innes, writes, " How-
" ever, from this account that Adamnan gives us
" of the bQunds of the Scottish and Pictish do-
" minions in St Columba's time, it follows, that
" since the island lona was as it were in the heart
" or centre of the kingdom of Scots, compoaed
" of the islands and mainland as above, and
!' separated from the Pictish dominions by sea and
" land, it could not have been the Picts, as Be.de
*' relates, but must need have been the Scots,
" that gave it to St Columba and his disciples.
" We find the island of lona always mentioned
" by Adamnan, as being in the kingdom of the
" Scots in Britain, and the inhabitants of it as
" subjects of the king of the Scots. There it
" was that St Columba inaugurated Aydan king
" of the Scots; there St Columba with his monks
*' pray for victory to king Aydan as their sove-
" reign ; there king Aydan consults the saint
" which of his sons were to live to be his suc-
" cessor.
" As to Bede's ascribing to the Picts the do-
" nation of lona to St Columba, he being a
* Adamnan, lib. ii.