AHC: Surviving Pictish Culture

With any PoD predating it's extinction, how could the Pictish people and culture survive to modern times - or, if infeasible, to the early Modern period - as a distinct group from the Brythons, Gaels, and non-Celts of Britain? In addition, what impacts may this cause with regard to overarching British historical development?

At present, the best starting scenario I am aware of for this would be for the Pictish king Causantín to defeat and/or destroy the Viking invasion force that was battled at Dollar in 875. The defeat of the Pictish army is recorded as having been followed by a "great slaughter of the Picts" in the Annals of Ulster, a factor which may feasibly have played a factor in the steady Gaelicization of the Kingdom of Alba; at the same time, this may have been merely staving off the inevitable, given the length of the age of Norse raids in Britain and the low comparative population of Pictland compared to neighboring Ireland.
 
I remember posting a similar question however, while there were no answers i have found some insight on the question.
We have to remember that the picts while overall saw gealicization they still had a fair bit of influence on dal rita which as intergration of the picts continued we saw become more distinctive than their irish counter parts now not so much in language but pratice not so much as an majority change but minor.
Now to achieve this we will need greater success in battle and overall leadership. Which can be achieved with a smarter vote and less turbulent transitions of power that weakened the kingdom. Which requires the tanist system which the picts and geals elected their kings by being more formalised and invest the kings with the necessary power too govern more effectively

especially later on during the vikings the constant wars raids had a servre effect on the population and prosperity of the kingdom especially as it became further isolated. If successful in defeating the vikings and stop the wars allowing them to effectively trade and extend influence over the region. This will gove the picts some serious prestige. Now if over time maybe with an alliance with alt clut they could drive the anglo saxons out of the lowlands. this would help in establishing themselves as the strongest of the kingdoms with the lowlands providing the food too support a growing populice and land to give. This will also help aviod the “slaughter”(the slaughter is less likely an actual slaughter but a population decline caused by constant warring) which likely weakened the population

Now if we want the kingdom of alba you need the dal ritan inherit the pictish throne just like otl however here the picts position in the region means they cannot be sidelined rather they will need to play ball. With the immigration of irishmen into alba and a scot in charge the geals cannot be ingored either so other time we will still see the intergration. We are likely too see cultural merger with it also likely at a slower rate effect language as the geals adopt a pictish way of language with theirs as a base. This will make Scotland a more different and unique country with stronger national sentiment especially as without a strong northumbria likely see more celtic influence in the lowlands with scots being welsh and pictish in origin in nature rather than english.
This overall is unlikely and very difficult too pull off so might be asb the timeline proposed

edit: probably not asb but very much unlikely without a major pod. the easiest way to get the ball rolling is have a king who can effectively reform the tanist system into an actual law system for choosing and governing the state rather than just the collection of traditions than it was our tl. if the clans became more balanced in power and a stronger king could bring them in and organise them therefore allowing for far more efficient governance.
at which point it all it takes is for the picts to bash some viking skulls and push northumbria back before there influence is too deeply rooted then we can continue similar to otl
 
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There is some evidence that the Picts used crossbows for hunting dating back to the 6th century. Perhaps TTL's Battle of Dollar sees the first use of the crossbow as a weapon of war in the British isles.
 
Hmm Gael west of Scotland, Pict east, Viking influence in the far north, English never catches on in Scotland, and a possible Dark Ages (or whatever the politically correct term is these days) military revolution to the extent that shooters once again play a serious role in warfare. Sounds interesting.
 
Hmm Gael west of Scotland, Pict east, Viking influence in the far north, English never catches on in Scotland, and a possible Dark Ages (or whatever the politically correct term is these days) military revolution to the extent that shooters once again play a serious role in warfare. Sounds interesting.
dark ages is correct to my knowledge just not in the same sense as it was as before. how it was explained to me the only reason they refer it to that is from the lack of detailed knowledge and writings from everybody have to sort their shit out first.
 
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