Me on Dunadd Hillfort, where Kings of Dalriada were anointed
Kenneth MacAlpin was born in Iona, possibly around 810.
His father, Alpin of clan Gabhran, founded the first dynasty of Scottish monarchs, but was not himself a King of Dalriada. Alpin was killed in August 1834 fighting the Picts under Oengus II. Oengus had split his men into two, and whilst Alpin defeated the southern army, he in turn was routed by the main body of the Pictish forces, and was captured and beheaded.Kenneth succeeded to his father's throne of Galloway immediately, and later became King of Dalriada in 841, after the death of Eoganan and his brother at the hands of the Vikings in 839. It seems likely that this throne was gained only after a struggle.
MacAlpin went on to be accepted as King of the Picts in 843, uniting two of the four major power blocks in Scotland (the other two being the Angles in what is now Lothian and the Britons in Strathclyde). The Picts were a matrilineal society and his claim to the Pictish title probably came via his mother, who is said to have been a pictish princess descended from the royal house of Fortrenn. It has also been noted that his father's name was Pictish.
It was not the first time the two peoples had been ruled by a single king - three previous Scottish kings had ruled over Pictland for a time. The first, Constantine, son of Fergus (or Castatin, son of Uurguist as he was known to the Picts) ruled at the beginning of the ninth century. His successor, Oengus II of Dalriada appeared in Pictland as Unuist, son of Uurguist. His son, Eoganan (or Uen) ruled over Picts and Scots until his death in 839. All of these rulers were Dalraidic in origin, but ruled from Forteviot, in Pict territory.As early as the beginning of the eighth century some Pictish kings had Gaelic names, suggesting a Dalraidic origin.
In any case, by 843 the Picts were weakened by constant Norse attacks, as well as feuds with the Scotti, and so union probably made political sense. He was proclaimed king, or "Ard-righ Albainn" , High King of Both Nations on Moot Hill at Scone, a Pictish sacred place. He later brought the 'Lia Fail' (Stone of Scone) here from Ireland to further enhance its status.
The united kingdoms were sometimes known as 'Scotia', but more often as 'Alba'.
The Picts then appear to die out. An apocryphal story suggests that Kenneth hastened this process by throwing a drunken feast for the Pictish nobility at his Forteviot Palace, then slaughtering them as they staggered around drunk. More likely, evidence of the Picts disappeared peacefully as their ailing culture fell prey to the strong influences of the Scotti.
"The Celts were a lettered and cultured people, and Irish scholars were welcomed throughout the known world, just as great men came to Ireland from all quarters to learn and to become scholars. Now the Scots of Ireland (who were not known as Irish til much later) and the Scots of Dalriada were the same people. There can be little doubt that it was this moral and cultural ascendancy, together with the conversion of Picts to Christianity, that caused the quick and complete disappearance of the Pictish name, language, customs and laws. For there are only two ways in which such a transformation could have taken place, by a complete extermination or by the superior culture absorbing and blotting out the more primitive one, a process which would have been made easier by their common Christian tradition." - C.R. MacKinnon of Dunakin (F.S.A. Scot.)
MacAlpin was no doubt a great warrior - there was little respect for the title of 'King' as such in those times, and his position would have had to be earned. He has been called 'the Scottish Alfred'. He demonstrated great political astuteness in the matches he arranged for his daughters - one married Run, King of Strathclyde, another Olaf the White from Dublin. He was successful in resisting Danish invasion, moving his capital from Dunadd and Dunstaffnage in the West to Scone in the East. He also defended his kingdom against Lothian and Strathclyde. Eventually Danish raids weakened Lothian, and he was able to invade six times, once reaching as far as Melrose and Dunbar. However, he could never hold Lothian long, as he was constantly having to return north to protect his territory from Norse assaults.
The kingdom was a relatively Christian one, and Kenneth created a new spiritual capital in Dunkeld, graced by the relics of Saint Columba, which were transferred from Iona, in fear of the Viking hoards.
MacAlpin married, and as well as his three daughters, had two sons, Constantine and Aed
Kenneth MacAlpin died of cancer on Feb 6th, 859 in Forteviot and was buried on Iona. He left his kingdom to his brother Donald, although both of his sons eventually succeeded to the throne.
Scotland's Beginnings - Dalriada - Kenneth MacAlpin - Alba
Really excellent page with lots of information and quotes from primary sources.
The Kings of Alba - The History of Scotland
Famous Scots - Kenneth mac Alpin
Kenneth MacAlpin, King of Scots and Picts - Suite101.com