Christianity was first brought to Scotland by the Roman legions
The earliest Christians in the land that was to become Scotland were probably soldiers of the Roman army. For a brief period the Empire's northern border was the Antonine Wall between the Forth and the Clyde.
The Legions sometimes marched further north and there are the remains of many camps and forts throughout the highlands and Aberdeenshire lowlands.
The Roman Legions had Christians within them - even before the Emperor Constantine allowed toleration for Christianity in 312 - and it is probable that some reached as far north as Scotland.
St Ninian
The first Christian historical figure who might be identified is Ninian, although what is known of his early life points to pre-existing Christian Church. He is thought to have been born in Galloway around 350 and to have been baptised young.
The story about him says that as he grew in the faith he travelled to Rome and was welcomed by Pope Damasus (366-384). Eventually he was consecrated a Bishop for his native land by Pope Siricius and returned to build a Church at Whithorn in Galloway around 397. Fourteen years later the Roman Legions finally withdrew from Britain.
Ninian is said to have travelled across Scotland with the message of Jesus. Many place names in south-western and central Scotland are associated with him and an east coast journey can be traced through Arbirlot in Angus, Dunnottar in Kincardineshire, the Ythan valley near Ellon, to Glenurquhart and Caithness and on to Orkney and Shetland.
The beach by St Ninian's Cave, Whithorn (Source: The Whithorn Trust)
Ninian possibly died at Whithorn in 432, the same year that Patrick landed in Ireland to begin his missionary work. Ninian’s work was continued by Palladius, Serf and Ternan. But generally the turmoil that followed the Roman withdrawal was detrimental to the young church and there was considerable falling away.
A bright light shone, though, through the work of Kentigern, son of a Pictish Princess. He became Bishop in Glasgow and was the last of the Romano-British Bishops, dying in 603. In old age he met the equally aging Columba, who had brought the strand of Celtic Christianity to Iona from Ireland. They met on the banks of the Molendinar Burn in Glasgow, amid much fraternal greeting.
St Columba
Columba was born in Ireland in 521 and arrived on Iona with 12 companion monks in 563. He, and the Iona monks, brought the Gospel to each part of the land - to the Scots of Dalriada, to the Picts and to Northumbria. The organisation of this Celtic Church was entirely monastic. Columba was a priest-abbot. The bishop was a monk and subject to the abbot. There was no concept of diocesan organisation.
Iona, an early centre of Scottish Christianity
Columba died in 597 and for a further two hundred years Iona was the central point of the Scottish Church. The abbot of Iona (the Co-arb, heir of Columba) presided over a confederation of monastic houses, the members of which formed the family of Columba.
The influence of Roman Christianity, with its efficient organisation, was moving northward towards the Celtic strand and the meeting place was Northumbria. A Synod was held at Whitby in 664 at which the agenda was ostensibly the date on which Easter was celebrated but was actually about the choice of the Roman or Celtic way. Bishop Colman of Lindisfarne put forward the Celtic argument and Bishop Wilfrid of Hexham the Roman one, which prevailed.
Although Celtic ways held on for a while gradually the importance of Iona diminished. The island was raided again and again by Viking pirates in the ninth and tenth centuries and when King Kenneth MacAlpine united the kingdoms of Dalriada and the Picts the primacy was transferred to Dunkeld. The Abbot Tuathal became the first Bishop of Fortrenn and claimed primatial authority over both Scots and Picts, probably the first time that Episcopal jurisdiction was exercised across the land.
The Celtic monks were also being superseded by Culdees who had a different way of life. They were small communities of recluses but with the responsibility for conducting public services. Their name is derived from the Irish Cele Di - friends of God. But, in general, all across the land the Church was in decline - it had lost the fervour of old and the barons were beginning to appropriate church lands and titles.
