Dál Riata

Dál Riata (also Dalriada or Dalriata), a Gaelic overkingdom, included parts of western Scotland and northeastern Ulster in Ireland (across the North Channel). In the late 6th–early 7th centuries it encompassed roughly what present-day Argyll and Lochaber in Scotland and County Antrim in Ulster.

In Argyll it consisted initially of three kindreds:

A fourth kindred, Cenél Chonchride in Islay, was seemingly too small to be deemed a major division. By the end of the 7th century another kindred, Cenél Comgaill (kindred of Comgall), had emerged, based in eastern Argyll. The Lorn and Cowal districts of Argyll take their names from Cenél Loairn and Cenél Comgaill respectively, while the Morvern district was formerly known as Kinelvadon, from the Cenél Báetáin, a subdivision of the Cenél Loairn.

Latin-language sources often referred to the inhabitants of Dál Riata as Scots (Scoti in Latin), a name originally used by Roman and Greek writers for the Irish who raided Roman Britain. Later it came to refer to Gaelic-speakers, whether from Ireland or elsewhere. They are referred to herein as Gaels, an unambiguous term, or as Dál Riatans.