A small neolithic community builds a village at Skara Brae in the Orkneys, of stone houses with built-in stone furniture

Agricola defeats the tribes of Scotland at an unidentified place called Mons Graupius, probably almost as far north as Aberdeen

The first accounts of Scotland, written by the Romans, name the Caledonii as the most important tribe of the region

The Picts win a dominant position among tribes in the northern regions of Britain, or Scotland

St Columba establishes a monastery on the island of Iona, from which Celtic Christianity is carried to Scotland and northern England

The Scots, a tribal group of northern Ireland, extend their kingdom across the sea into Scotland

The Irish monk St Aidan moves from Iona to establish a monastery on Lindisfarne

The Lindisfarne Gospels are written and illuminated by Celtic monks on the Scottish island of Lindisfarne

Kenneth king of the Scots is accepted also as king of the Picts, providing the traditional founding event of the kingdom of Scotland

Vikings are by now securely established in the Orkneys, Shetlands and Hebrides, and in much of the Scottish mainlaid down to Loch Ness

As a gesture of unity, Kenneth MacAlpin brings to Scone (a Pictish royal site) a sacred coronation stone associated with the Scots

In a battle near Elgin Macbeth kills his cousin Duncan, a rival claimant to the Scottish throne

Duncan's son, Malcolm, kills Macbeth in battle at Lumphanan - and in the following year is himself crowned at Scone

Walter FitzAlan takes a post as steward with the Scottish king, thus establishing the Stewart family and later dynasty

The Scottish king, William the Lion, is captured raiding into Northumberland and is taken south with his feet tied beneath his horse

A Scottish victory over the Norwegians at Largs results in the recovery of the western isles

Edward I of England arranges for his 5-year-old heir to marry Margaret the Maid of Norway, the 7-year-old heiress to the kingdom of Scotland

The death of Margaret, child heiress to the Scottish throne, results in John de Balliol being chosen as king

Edward I invades Scotland, massacres the people of Berwick, captures John de Balliol and brings to Westminster the Stone of Scone

William Wallace's victory over the English at Stirling Bridge enables him to rule Scotland on behalf of John de Balliol

The English longbow, in one of its early appearances, proves too much for the Scots at Falkirk

Edward I's victory at Falkirk ends the career of William Wallace, of whom nothing more is heard until his capture and execution in 1305

After the murder of his rival, in a church in Dumfries, Robert de Bruce is crowned king of Scots at Scone

The English king Edward I dies campaigning near Carlisle, on an expedition north against his Scottish rival Robert the Bruce

After years of guerilla warfare, Robert de Bruce defeats the English conclusively at Bannockburn - and becomes at last secure in his kingdom