International a.k.a. Dunardry Heritage Association supports Clan MacTavish interests worldwide and includes both the Dunardry and Stratherrick Clan MacTavish sites.

MacTavish International a.k.a. Dunardry Heritage Association supports Clan MacTavish interests worldwide and includes both the Dunardry and Stratherrick Clan MacTavish sites.

Defence was based upon the 'caer', which normally was a fortified site. Warriors kept fit by wrestling, throwing iron bars and racing up and down the many hills. About this time there was a shift for armies to the smaller, more cavalry oriented style. All except in Wales, where infantry predominated.

The other British areas were divided into a multitude of states, the most important being Strathclyde around modern Glasgow, Rheged around Carlisle, Elmet around Leeds, Gwynedd in north Wales and Powys on the Welsh borders. Southern Wales was another story altogether. It was a confusing patchwork of possibly eight competing kingdoms, while in Cornwall and Devon the "West Welsh" of Dumnonia clung to their independence. Gwynedd led the majority of British resistance to the Saxons for years until it's greatest leader, CadWallon, fell on the field of Hexham in 634 A.D. In the north, Strathclyde led the struggle in many epic battles against Northumbria. The British kingdom of Gododdin, heir to the ancient Votadini tribe, probably had its stronghold at Stirling, Edinburgh and Traprain Law. Gododdin was soon crushed by the Angles of Northumbria, however, leaving Strathclyde to fight on from its long-occupied capital at Dumbarton Rock. Further south, the Mote of Mark was fortified in the 6th century as a major centre of resistance for Rheged-Cumbria. In the late 8th and 9th centuries, Northumbria had a decline in power which led to a revival of Strathclyde and Rheged-Cumbria, so that the British or 'North Welsh' held sway from LochLomond to the North Riding of Yorkshire.

Surrounded by foes, these Celtic British areas were finally swallowed by the rising Celtic Kingdom of Scotland in the 11th century, known previously as Alban.

The Gododdin has a particular importance to Scots and the Arthur connection. Since this area centered around Edinburgh, it has recently become a centre of attention as "Arthur's true home", but as in most cases, it lacks the real evidence other than compelling circumstantial, to prove that claim. No doubt,
Arthur is claimed by all of Britain's towns and villages in one capacity or another. The warriors of this time, the Gododdin, Strathclyde and Rheged-Cumbria, were mostly spear or javelin-armed horsemen who lived an almost nomadic life of raising cattle.

Yet their apparently primitive society was able to erect major earthworks in an effort to contain Northumbrian (Angles) expansion, whilst in Carlisle such civic amenities as the old Roman aqueduct were kept in working order until the late 7th century.

Far to the south in Dumnonia a mixture of Roman and Celtic tradition lay behind the territorial and military system of 'trigg' or 'tryger'. This term came from the Latin tri 'triple' and according to Dr. Nicolle, also from the proto-Celtic 'corio' or army. It seems that these areas contained three keverang 'military gatherings' which in turn included approximately 100 farmsteads, each presumably supplying one fighting man.

Over time, the West Welsh were forced back to the unbridged river Tamar, but they continued to fight on until 814 AD from such fortified natural strongholds as Castle an-Din, Castle Dor and Tintagel. Here were the castles of such leaders as Drustans and his father Cvnomori, who were probably the real people behind the later medieval romantic heroes Tristan, his father King Mark and their fair lady Iseult.

The main thrust of Welsh, Cornish and other Celtic warfare of this time was an infantry of spear-armed soldiers, perhaps with small swords of the Irish type. These swords were often called "leaf-bladed" for their wide blades and were a bit over two feet in length and very heavy for such a short sword.
Some Celts, including the Welsh, also used poisoned javelins, and there was some archery, mostly with the flat-bow. This short, broad and very powerful weapon was small in size and thus suitable for fighting in the close conditions of rocky western Britian.