The lost kingdom of Fortrenn

One of the provinces or kingdoms of Pictland was known as Fortrenn. It was also the name for the whole of Pictland. However, the location of this kingdom is unknown. The traditional idea is that it was Strathearn and Menteith in southern Pictland. However, historians have recently suggested that Moray was Fortrenn. Moray would have been a province in northern Pictland. By the late 7^th century, Pictish kings were being referred to as kings of Fortrenn. Bridei Mac Beli was the first Pictish king to be referred to as a king of Fortrenn. The name Fortrenn is supposedly derived from Verturiones, the fortress people, a Pictish tribe mentioned alongside the Dicalydones in the late 4^th century. However, they’re only mentioned once in the historical sources. The Caledonians are mentioned on several occasions. According to Ammianus Marcellinus,

“At that time the Picts, divided into two tribes, called Dicalydones and Verturiones, as well as the Attacotti, a warlike race of men, and the Scots, were ranging widely and causing great devastation.”

The name Dicalydones means the ‘two Caledonians’. This suggests that the Caledonian confederation divided into two nations by the late 4^th century – the southern and northern Picts. The Verturiones would therefore have been based to the south or north of the Caledonians. The Verturiones may be another name for the Miathi in the area of Stirling. It could also be a reference to the Brochs of Caithness in the far north of Scotland. The tribes of the far north of Scotland may have been the ‘fortress people’. I suggested in a previous blogpost that the crescent moon and V rod symbol may have been a symbol of the Verturiones, which is predominantly found in northern Pictland. The double disc and Z rod being a symbol of the Dicalydones. However, this would be speculation. There are plenty of theories for the meaning of the Pictish symbols.

Historians have suggested that Fortrenn is the genitive of a hypothetical name, Fortriu. However, Fortriu isn’t mentioned at all in the historical sources. The genitive meaning the king of Fortrenn or the men of Fortrenn. Fortrenn is mentioned in the following entry for 736AD in the Annals of Ulster;

“The battle of Cnoc Cairpri in Calathros at Etarlinde between Dál Riata and Fortrenn, and Talorgan son of Fergus goes in pursuit of Ainfchellach's son who had taken flight, many nobles falling in this encounter.”

So where was the lost province or kingdom of Fortrenn? Was it the kingdom of the Tay, Don, Spey or the Moray firth? Was it the kingdom of the plains of Strathearn, Strathmore or Aberdeenshire? According to historical sources like the Pictish chronicle, there were seven Pictish provinces which were named after the sons of Cruithne, the first king of the Picts. These provinces were called Fib, Fotla, Fortrenn, Fidach, Circinn, Ce and Catt. Fib, Fotla and Catt can be pretty firmly identified as Fife, Atholl and Caithness, so we’re left with provinces like Strathearn, Gowrie, Angus, Aberdeenshire, Strathspey and Moray.

The idea that Moray was Fortrenn is based on a verse in the ‘Prophecy of Berchan’, a poem dated to the 11th century. According to the Prophecy of Berchan,

“One of the kings goes on a useless expedition
across the Mounth to the plain of Fortrenn;
though he may have gone, he does not return,
Dub of the three dark secrets will fall.”

King Dub was a 10th century Scottish king who was supposedly killed at Forres in Moray. However, there are a number of references to Fortrenn in the poem. The term Fortrenn appears to have been used in a poetic way. The Scottish king, Macbeth, who was the earl or mormaer of Moray, is said to have claimed Alba and Fortrenn. Some historians have misread the Gaelic in this verse, saying that Macbeth was the ‘glorious king of Fortrenn’. Furthermore, the Picts may have made a final stand in Moray or northern Pictland during the time of Kenneth Mac Alpin. Following these events, Moray would have been ruled by a Mormaer. However, it would have been a semi-independent province or kingdom of Alba for a couple of centuries. As such, the name of Fortrenn may have continued to have been in use in Moray during the 11^th century. However, it shouldn’t be treated as evidence that Moray was the original location of Fortrenn.

The historian Alex Woolf mentions the Werteras and the Wertermorum, referred to in the Anglo-Saxon chronicles. The Anglo-Saxon chronicles explain that the Werteras were ‘beyond the Mounth’ and that Athelstan campaigned up to Dunottar and the Wertermorum, which may be the province of Mar in Aberdeenshire or the Mearns. Alex Woolf has argued that the name Werteras is derived from the Verturiones. This might be the case. I’m no expert of Old English. Therefore, Fortrenn would have been in northern Pictland. However, Fortrenn isn’t necessarily derived from the Verturiones. It could have a completely different meaning. As Fortrenn is supposedly the genitive, Fortriu would have to be derived from Verturiones, which is even less likely. The name Turin hill in Angus may have something to do with the Verturiones. There are three ringforts and a couple of hillforts on Turin hill. Many of the stones would have been robbed to build a dry stone wall, which runs along the ridge of the hill. Turin hill is quite unique anywhere in Scotland. It’s tempting to think that the old name was Forturin, the over tower or towers. On William Roy’s map, there’s an interesting placename called Ever Turron on the eastern slopes of Turin hill. This may mean Over Turin as it overlooks Turin House to the east. Turin hill is obviously a significant location due to the fact that it’s in the area of Forfar and Dunnichen hill. The Verturiones would have been based in Angus and the Dicalydones would have been based in the highlands and Aberdeenshire.

An aerial photo of Turin hill in Angus.
www.canmore.org.uk

Here are a number of possibilities for the meaning of Fortrenn. Fortrenn was a name used by the Gaelic monks of Dalriada.

1) It may be the Gaelic words for-tren, meaning ‘over strong’ or ‘super strong’.
2) It may be the words Forth-rinn, meaning the ‘headland of the Forth’. This would suit the location of Stirling castle.
3) It may be the words for-trwyn, meaning ‘over the peninsula’. Trwyn is the Welsh word for a peninsula or cape. The name is found in Troon in Ayrshire. This would suit the location of the Pictish fort of Burghead in Moray. However, the ancient name of Burghead may be Tarvedum. The name appears on Ptolemy’s map. However, Ptolemy seems to have mistakenly placed it in the area of Dunnet head. He writes ‘Tarvedum or Orcas prom’. The Orcas prom is more likely due to the location. The Gaelic would be Dun Tarbh, meaning ‘the fort of the bull’. In the Orkneyinga saga, there’s a place called Torfness, where the Vikings have a battle with the Scots. Historians have suggested that this is the Tarbat peninsula. However, it may be Burghead. The word Torf may be the equivalent of the Gaelic, Tarbh.
4) It may be the Gaelic words for-gronn or for-grund, meaning ‘over the bog’. The name is found in Forgandenny in Strathearn. Forgandenny is close to Forteviot, which would have been the capital of Fortrenn in the late 8^th century. The name is also found in Longforgan, close to Dundee, and Forgan in the north east of Fife. Denny is a Scots word for a fort, probably derived from the Gaelic word, Dun. The denny of Forgandenny is surely Castle Law hillfort in the Ochil hills. The name Forgronn may be derived from a Pictish name like Fortrenn. The g may have once been pronounced as a ch. The ch may be interchangeable with a th. For example, you have the Pictish kings, Nechtan Celcamoth and Drust Gurthinmoch. The name Tap o’ Noth may be derived from the Gaelic word, knock, meaning a hill.
5) Another possibility is that Fortrenn is the Gaelic equivalent of the name Horestia. According to Hector Boece, the 16^th century Scottish historian, the old name of Angus and the Mearns was Horestia or Forestia. This may be derived from a Celtic tribe called the Boresti. However, the meaning of the name Boresti is unknown. It may be ‘over the estuary’. As such, they may have been based in the area of Dundee.
6) There’s a place called Fortrie in Aberdeenshire. However, there doesn’t appear to be any major hillfort in the area.

The Verturiones may have been based in northern Pictland. However, the names Verturiones and Fortrenn may be unrelated. Fortrenn may therefore be one of the provinces of southern Pictland. Forteviot was probably the capital of Fortrenn at the end of the Pictish period. The Pictish king, Caustantin son of Fergus, who ruled from around 790 to 820AD, was probably based at Forteviot. Caustantin, his brother Oengus, and Oengus’ son Eoganan, are all referred to as kings of Fortrenn in the historical sources. Most of the Pictish kings referred to as kings of Fortrenn in the Irish annals would have been kings of southern Pictland. For obvious strategic reasons, it’s likely that Fortrenn was one of the provinces of southern Pictland. The southern Picts had access to the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Tay. They shared borders with Northumbria, Dalriada and northern Pictland. The Prophecy of Berchan and the Anglo-Saxon chronicles are not reliable sources to determine the location of Fortrenn. The idea that Fortrenn was in northern Pictland shouldn’t be treated as a certainty. Until further evidence emerges and discoveries are made, we can only speculate as to the likely location of Fortrenn.


The view from Dumyat hill towards the Wallace monument and Stirling castle.

The Pictish fort of Burghead in Moray. The Tarvedum on Ptolemy's map?

Castle Law hillfort in Strathearn. The denny of Forgandenny. The ancient capital of Fortrenn? You can see Moncreiffe hill in the distance, to the north.