There are some interesting historical fiction/fantasy books written about the Pictish King Bridei, by Juliet Marillier, and are worth reading if you are interested in this mysterious race. Although we don't have much direct evidence of their way of life, the novels show a people with great respect for the gods, for hospitality, for the wisdom of the elderly, and for the creations of their skilled artisans. They considered wells and rivers sacred and carved stones with curvilinear designs – which, if you've ever tried to work with stone, you know, is NOT easy. Some aspects of religion (in Marillier's books, at least) are very obscure to our modern sensibilities, but I believe they are probably present in Bronze and Iron Age beliefs, as there are dark aspects of the world that could not then be explained. Although probably closely related, the Picts and Gaels were distinct groups. The Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata was founded in the 6th century in western Scotland. It was near this kingdom that the Irish priest and missionary Columba came, exiled from his native land by his brother the king. He founded the first Scottish Christian community in Iona, and it still serves as a spiritual retreat today. Legends say that settlers from Greek Asia Minor sailed the seas and arrived in Ireland at Cruachan Feli, the "mountain of Ireland". After a time, the Scotii tribe crossed the Irish Sea to invade Caledonia, to the north of Roman Britain, and settled at Iona. The tribe is assumed to be named after Scota, the Egyptian wife of a Spartan commander Nél. This is just one of many legends behind the Gaelic invasion of the land of the Picts. Sometimes Scota is described as being the sister of the Egy...... middle of paper ...... being fierce soldiers of the British Army, not only during World War I and World War II, but also in other wars, such as the Crimean, Napoleonic, Indian and Boer Wars. The Age of Enlightenment In the 18th century, a transformation took place, taking Scotland from a poor, rural agricultural society to a leader in modern industry. Glasgow and Edinburgh were the main leaders of this transformation, using the tobacco, textile and sugar trades, as well as the Enlightenment to increase the culture and wealth of the nation. The previously established educational system developed into an excellent university system and helped foster what was called the Enlightenment in France. Philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, David Hume, and the economist Adam Smith became the leading speakers and authors of the era. Smith's book, The Wealth of Nations, is still used in economics classes today – I know, I had to read it!