The Early Christian Inscriptions of Southern Scotland

Abstract

Though few in number by comparison with the other British mainland groups of North Wales with the Isle of Man, South-west Wales and Glamorgan, and Dumnonia (South-west England) the early inscribed stones of Scotland between the Walls are disproportionately significant. Setting aside linguistic and epigraphic interest, they rank among the few primary historical documents of the North British in post-Roman times and must, first and foremost, be treated as such.1 Definition may begin with exclusions. I do not discuss the few stones of the Isle of Man which, if in some respects 'North British' and if sited on an island intervisible with Galloway, are better seen as an offshoot of the North Welsh