Dark Age remains other than earthworks are few. There are some crosses, and the St Constantine dedications around Dalbeattie seem to be connected with the mission of St Kentigern's disciple about 575 A.D. He was sent there because he was a 'Briton', i.e. a Welsh speaker. There are indications that Welsh died out about 700 A.D., perhaps through Anglian influence as shown in such names as that of the River Fleet. The Anglian period lasted roughly from after 600 to about 900 A.D. The coastal Norse names too probably date from this time. The introduction of Gaelic by the Gallgaidhil may be dated from after 920. These Gallgaidhil were Northmen from the Isles who overran the south-west. The name means 'Foreign Gaels', and was given to them by the Irish and Scottish Gaels. It was from these Gallgaidhil that the regional name was derived. Their language, Gaelic, replaced the Old British or Welsh speech, and was in common use in Galloway until the 17th century. These incoming Northmen were lieges of the Earl of Orkney who were also Earls of Galloway. Malcolm III, King of Scots, claimed Galloway through his marriage to Ingibjorg, a daughter (or widow) of Thorfinn, the great Earl of Orkney. Malcolm later married the English Princess, Margaret, and it was her sons who eventually succeeded their father, thus usurping their half-brothers, the sons of Ingibjorg, whom many Gallovidians, and Scots too, considered to be the rightful heirs.back to top