Kingdom of Scotland
| Scotland Alba
| |
|---|---|
 | |
| Flag | |
| Language | [[* Old Irish/Gaelic |
The Kingdom of Scotland was a sovereign state in the northern British Isles, active from the 9th to the 18th century. It is a predecessor Scotland, a the modern-day constituent country of the United Kingdom; by around 1500 AD, Scotland's present land borders had been largely established. The kingdom was established in 843 AD, following the merger of the Irish kingdom of Dál Riata with the realms of the Picts.
Initially, the kingdom was divided into provinces which were governed by mormaers; all such provinces are now obsolete, but in some cases remain in use as geographical areas. By around 1300 AD, the kingdom had been divided into shires, which form the basis of the present-day traditional counties of Scotland.
Languages
Prior to the kingdom's establishment in 843 AD, there were around 5 main languages spoken in present-day Scotland; the Brythonic languages Pictish and Cumbric were dominant in the north-east and south-west respectively, the West Germanic Old English in the south-east, the North Germanic (Scandinavian) Old Norse in the Northern Isles and Hebrides and the Goidelic language Old Irish in the west.
