A history of the Highlands and of the Highland clans : with an ...

WARS BETWEEN THE PICTS AND SCOTS «V
ilesolatioii in his tram. His career was stopt at Dun-Nechtan, the hill
Tort of Neclitan, the Duiiniclien of the present times; and by a iieigii-
lioiiring lake long known by the name of Neclitan"s mere, did Egfrid
:ind his Saxons fall before Bridei and his exasperated Picts. This
ivas a sad blow to the Northumbrian power ;
yet the Northumbrians,
in six hundred and ninety-nine, under Berht, an able leader, af;a!n
ventured to try their strength with the Picts, when they were once more
defeated by Hridei, the son of Dereli, who had recently mounted the
Pictish throne. The Picts were, however, finally defeated by the
Saxons, in seven hundred and ten, under Beorthfryth, in Mananfield,
when Bridei, the Pictish king, was killed.
The wars between the Picts and Northumbrians were succeeded by
vaj-ious contests for power among the Pictish princes which gave rise
to a civil war. Ungus, honoured by the Irish Annalists with the title
of great, and Elpin, at the bead of their respective partizans, tried their
strength at Moncrib, in Strathern, in the year seven hundred and
twenty-seven, wlien the latter was defeated ; and the conflict was again
renewed at Dnncrei, wiien victory declared a second time against
Elpin, wlio was obliged to flee from the hostility of Ungus. Neclitan
next tried his strength with Ungus, in seven hundred and twenty-eight,
at Moncur, in the Carse of Gowrie, but he was defeated, and many of
his followers perished. Drust, the associate of Elpin in the Pictish
government, also took the field the same year against the victorious
Ungus, but hewasslain in a battle foughtat Drumderg, an extensive ridge
OP. the western side of the river Ila. Taloigan, the son of Congus, was
defeated by Brude, the son of Ungus, in seven hundred and thirty,
and Elpin, who, from the time of his last defeat, till that year, had
remained a fugitive and an outlaw, now lost bis life at Pit Elpie, within
the parish of Liff, near the scene of his flight in seven hundred and
twenty-seven. This Elpin is not to be confounded, as some fabulous
writers have done, with the Scottish Alpin who fell at Laicbt-.Al|iiii in
the year eight hundred and thirty-six.
Having now put down rebellion at home, the victorious Ungus com
monced hostilities against the Dalriads, or Scoto-Irish, in tiie year seven
hundred and thirty-six. IMuredach, the Scottish king was not disposeii
to act on the defensive but carried the war into the Pictish territories.
Talorgan, the brother of Ungus. however, defeated him in a bloody
engagement in which many principal persons fell. The Scots were
again worsted in another battle in seven hundred and forty by Uiigns,
who in the same year repulsed an attack of the Northumbrians undet
Ividbert. In the year seven hundred and fifty, be defeated the Britons
of the Cumbrian kingdom, in the well fought battle of Cath-O, in
wiiich his brother Talorgan was killed. Ungus, who was certainly by
far the most powerful and ablest of the Pictish monarchs, died in seven
linndred and sixty-one. A doubtful victory was gained by Ciniod tht
Pirtisii kinff over Aodh-fin, the Scottish king, in seven bniwlred and