The Picts were not a single tribe, but rather a confederation of tribal units that allied against common enemies. While earlier theories suggested they arrived in Scotland shortly before their mention in Roman history, modern scholarship proposes a much earlier presence. Some experts argue that the Picts were, in fact, the indigenous population of northern Scotland. The Picts: The People The Roman Empire Could Not Conquer. The name “Picts” first appears in written records in 297 CE, used by the