Iona / Í: Columban monastery in the western sea, famous across Ireland, Northumbria, and Pictland; a major early Viking target from 795 onward.
Dún Add (Dunadd): Royal center of Dál Riata in Argyll, good for Gaelic kingship, inauguration, and western sea politics.
Forteviot: Pictish royal center in Strathearn, useful for Fortriu/Alba politics and high-status diplomacy.
Fortriu / Moray: Northern Pictish power region rather than a single town; useful for royal courts, hillforts, and northern politics.
Portmahomack / Tarbat: Major Pictish monastery and craft center on Tarbat Ness, possibly destroyed by fire around 800.
Burghead: Large promontory fort in Moray, useful as a northern Pictish stronghold and coastal landmark.
Abernethy: Pictish religious and political center in the east, useful for church politics and royal patronage.
Alt Clut / Dumbarton Rock: Brittonic fortress of the Clyde, controlling the western approaches and southern sea routes.
Whithorn: Southern church center in Galloway, tied to Ninian traditions and useful for travel between Northumbria, Ireland, and western Britain.
Dunkeld: Later important as a Columban and royal church center; around 800 it can be used cautiously as an emerging or future sacred site rather than a fully developed royal capital.
Scone: Later royal inauguration site; around 800 it is best treated as an important landscape to foreshadow rather than a fully settled campaign hub.