Fergus was the first Scottish based King of Dalriada, a country split by the sea, with a base in Ireland (the area of now County Antrim, Ireland) and territory also in the western portions of what is now Scotland.

There are two legends concerning the origins of Scottish Dalriada (also known as Scotia Minor). One tells of a famine that caused the tribe of the Dal Riada to move into northern Ireland and parts of western Scotland. The other says that the Dal Riada moved north in Ireland because of famine and then aligned themselves with the Picts in Northern Ireland, thus gaining the right to settle in the Pict land of Caledonia (now called Scotland).

In either case the settlement of Alba by the Irish Scotti apparently started around the second century AD. By the late fourth century, the Scotti had attained enough strength to draw the attention of the Picts. They were soon attacked and in retaliation Niall of the Nine Hostages, the High King of Ireland, landed with a sizeable force to punish the Picts. The little colony of Scottish Dalriada was saved and slowly gained strength over the next one hundred years. It is during the late fifth century that Fergus Mor (Big or Chief?) Mac (son of) Erc arrived in Scottish Dalriada.

Fergus Mor was the son of Erc, King of Irish Dalriada. By right, Fergus became King of Dalriada in about 498 AD. He soon moved his seat of power from Ireland to Scotland. The reasons for this are sketchy, some claim it was due to pressure that forced the move to protect his kingdom. While others say that Scottish Dalriada was beginning to feel its oats and Fergus moved to maintain control of his kingdom. In either case, when he arrived, Fergus brought with him a large Niallan host of warriors and all the trappings of the kingdom. The Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone is said to have been one of those items.

With his arrival, Scottish Dalriada or Scotia Minor was now a force to be reckoned with. Fergus consolidated his power in the new lands until his death in c. 501 AD. His successors continued his efforts until c. 576, when Dalriada was strong enough to petition and successfully split from its mother country in Ireland. This seat of power eventually combined with the Empire of the Picts and later with Strathclyde and Lothian to form the modern country of Scotland.

Even though Fergus Mor did little that is notable in his lifetime besides this move, he is considered the father of all the Royal lines of Scotland and thus the father of Scotland itself. When a male line of kings died, the new line was based from a female descendant of Fergus Mor. In Scottish history there is no bloodline more impressive, as it ran through the royal houses of Alpin, Dunkeld, Bruce, Stewart and Hanover. These kings originally ruled a small island kingdom that successfully managed itself into the modern day Great Britain.

BW, February 2000