Beginnings Kintyre

dun skeig

kintyre, knapdale, contains several stone age sites; @ ballochroy trio of megaliths aligned land features on island of jura, while number of burial cairns still stand @ blasthill (near southend, argyll). remains iron age no less present, imposing dun skeig, celtic hillfort, located @ northern edge of kintyre. history of presumed pictish inhabitants of kintyre not recorded, 2nd century bc stone fort survives @ kildonan (near saddell), , not implausible continued use dun skeig.

the tip of kintyre 12 miles ulster, , there has long been interaction across straits of moyle, evidenced neolithic finds in kintyre, such flint tools characteristic of antrim. in first millennium, irish invasion led gaelic colonisation of area centred on kintyre peninsula, establishing gaelic kingdom of dál riata. latter divided handful of regions, controlled particular kin groups, of powerful, cenél ngabráin, ruled on kintyre, along knapdale, region between loch awe , loch fyne (craignish, ardscotnish, glassary, , glenary), arran, , moyle (in ulster).

the kingdom thrived few centuries, , formed springboard christianisation of mainland. sanda, island adjacent south coast of kintyre, associated ninian, first known missionary picts, , contains 5th century chapel said have been built him. in 563, columba arrived in kintyre, pay respects kings of dal riata, before continuing iona, established base missionary activity throughout pictish regions beyond.