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Drest VI

601 – 678

King of the Picts

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About Drest VI

Lived 601 – 678 (aged 76–77).

Drest son of Donuel ( or ; died 677) was king of the Picts from 663 until 672. Like his brother and predecessor Gartnait son of Donuel (Gartnait IV), and Gartnait's predecessor Talorgan son of Eanfrith (Talorgan I), he may have reigned under the overlordship of the Northumbrian king Oswiu. Gartnait and Drest may have been sons of Domnall Brecc, who was king of Dál Riata from c. 629 until he was killed in 642.

The length of Drest's reign is uncertain: the Pictish Chronicle give him a reign of six or seven (67) years, while contemporary Irish annals imply a reign of eight or nine years. His accession to the kingship may be connected to the Battle of Luith Feirn recorded in the Annals of Ulster as taking place in 664, or Oswiu may have forced an interregnum on the kingdom from 663–666, after the death of Drest's brother Gartnait in 663. Drest may have been king of the northern Pictish kingdom of Fortriu.

Drest was expelled from his kingdom in 671, an event seen as related to the failed Pictish attack on Northumbria that culminated in crushing defeat at the hands of Ecgfrith of Northumbria at the Battle of Two Rivers. Stephen of Ripon records in his Vita Sancti Wilfrithi (Life of St Wilfrid) that the Picts had "gathered together innumerable nations (gentes) from every nook and corner in the north", suggesting that Drest had joined forces with other territories which were otherwise not politically united. Drest's successor was a cousin of Ecgfrith Bridei son of Beli, who would eventually defeat and kill Ecgfrith and overthrow the Northumbrian hegemony at the Battle of Dun Nechtain in 685.

After his expulsion Drest continued to receive attention from Irish annals, suggesting that he remained in the orbit of the Abbey of Iona, until his death in 677.

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Important facts

Born
601
Birth century
Died
678
Positions held
List of kings of the Picts

People in Drest VI's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Drest VI's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Drest VI?

King of the Picts

When was Drest VI born?

Drest VI was born in 601.

When did Drest VI die?

Drest VI died in 678.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Drest VI

· Wikidata: Q2306302

· DBpedia: Drest son of Donuel

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Drest VI. https://biography.guide/drest-vi/

MLA: "Drest VI." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/drest-vi/.

Chicago: "Drest VI." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/drest-vi/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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