The Vikings of Scotland

We are the Vikings of Scotland. Our mission is to depict and demonstrate traditional Picti Scottish Viking camp life, including daily activities like cooking demos, crafting, and Picti history. Our goal is to provide a live interactive encampment and provide historical understanding of the assimilation of the Viking culture into the local Picti people during mediaeval times.

Before the time of Outlander, there existed in the Highlands the Great Picti Kingdoms of the Painted People. A community made of wild Picti tribal men and Viking settlers, the only force in history to hold the Romans at bay. The Vikings of Scotland invite you to step back in time to our encampment and be counted among the Painted People. We are members of the official Black Dragons Mercenary Company . We are often dispatched to cover events and missions not attended by the main Black Dragons Company and report back to our Chiefs.

Don’t forget to come and visit with out official A.K.C. therapy dog, Scout, aka The War Hound.

Check back here for announcements or the events page for our next mission.

Historical Background

The Picts were a people living in Scotland during the Iron Age and early Medieval periods, existing from around the 4th century AD to the 9th century AD. The kingdom of the Picts was eventually absorbed into the Kingdom of Scotland by the mid-9th century.  The term "Vikings of Scotland" refers to the Norse settlers who arrived in Scotland from the 8th to the 15th centuries, primarily colonizing the Northern and Western Isles and parts of the mainland. Initially raiding for resources, they eventually settled, becoming farmers, fishermen, and merchants. This era of settlement left a significant and lasting impact. Norse place names and cultural influences, especially in Orkney, Shetland, and the Hebrides endure even today. 

William the Conqueror, a descendant of Vikings and his ancestor, the Viking chieftain Rollo, settled in what became Normandy. By William's time, the people of Normandy had assimilated into French culture, though their Norse ancestry remained. There Viking blood still burned hot inside them and it wasn’t long before they took to the seas again in search of adventure following William to Scotland.

William the Conqueror did “invade” Scotland in 1072 and forced the Scottish king, Malcolm III, to submit to him. In the Treaty of Abernethy, Malcolm became William's vassal, and his son was given as a hostage to ensure peace. However, this was a temporary submission, and Scotland remained an independent kingdom, not a conquered territory under Norman rule.

The Vikings of Scotland incorporate many aspects of the this rich Picti Scottish and Norman Viking heritage spanning the 4th to the 17th centuries. Bringing to life what it may have been like for people back during this magical and legendary time period.

Lang may yer lum reek

History & Heritage

The Evolution of the Modern Scottish Kilt