Ninian supposedly travelled from Whithorn to preach to the southern Picts (presumably in the Fife, Perthshire region). St Patrick in a later letter actually complains about the King of Strathclyde being allied to Scots and 'apostate' Picts.

Likewise Iona missionaries are often incorrectly attributed to bringing Christianity to the Anglian Northumbrians. Again the Northumbrians may have temporarily looked to and favoured that church but the religion was already present. Oswald with others had fled to Iona to escape from their rival Edwin who became King of Northumbria. Edwin along with thousands of his subjects were supposedly baptised by St Paulinus the Bishop of York and churches etc were built. when Edwin died the exiles returned and when Oswald became king he looked to Iona who had harboured him rather than to the Roman Church to the south who had been in league with Edwin.