Dalriada

Dalriada ('the home of the descendants of Riada'), the ancient name of a territory in Ireland, comprehending what is now called 'the Route,' or the northern half of County Antrim. Its inhabitants were Scots of Gaelic race living in the midst of a Pictish population, and a number of them crossed over to Argyll in 498 and founded there another kingdom of Dalriada. More than twenty kings of this state are enumerated before Kenneth MacAlpin, who, about 843, united under one sceptre the Dalriads or Scots and the Picts, and thus became the first king of Alban, which about two centuries afterwards began to be known as Scotia or Scotland.