Since 1098, the islands of Western Scotland (the Hebrides) and portions of Kintyre and Argyle had been under the complete control of the Norwegians. This was the result of a treaty between Edgar, who was King of Scots and Magnus Barefoot, King of Norway. But the Norwegians, although the most powerful force in the region, seemed content with allowing the area to govern itself, which was demonstrated with the rise of Somerled (a man of Dalriadan or Scotti descent) to power as King of the Isles during the twelfth century. As long as the islands were subservient to Norway and paid their taxes, the Kings of Norway seemed content with the arrangement.

But the populace was generally of Scotti and Pictish origin, and resented their Viking masters. They quite naturally wished to align themselves with Scotland, or have a kingdom of their own, but there was the problem of the powerful Viking army. In 1263, a series of events took place, which gave this opportunity to the natives of the Isles.

Early in 1263, King Hakon IV was offered the High Kingship of Ireland in an attempt by the Irish to rid their land of English invaders. King Hakon responded favorably to the offer and sent the only troops he had locally to Ireland for assistance. These troops were the Gall-oglach (or gallowglass), men of Scot and Viking descent who were the main power in the Isles. The native residents of the Isles quickly responded by offering their allegiance to the King of Scotland, Alexander III.

Alexander was a man of peace, and attempted to resolve the situation diplomatically. He promptly offered to buy the islands and territory from the Norwegians. But King Hakon was already enraged by the turn of events and raids on territory that had remained loyal to him. Hakon quickly sailed with the army he had been assembling for war in Ireland to recover the territory lost. As he reached the Isles, King Hakon stopped at every island, subduing the populace and swelling the size of his army. He continued throughout the lost territory until it came time to land in Scotland itself.

By this time, the fleet of King Hakon was quite large, numbering over 200 ships full of soldiers. The Scots, who had heard of the Norwegian Army's approach, were assembling near the town of Largs. These men consisted mainly of a cavalry of 1500 noblemen or knights, whose ranks were being swollen daily by common men carrying spears or bows and arrows. Their leader, was Alexander III, the King himself, who was surrounded by many more men who were quite famous in the history of Scotland; these included Alexander Stewart (4th High Stewart of Scotland), Robert Boyd, and many others.

The Viking fleet, much too large to sit in one harbour, sat dispersed over a large area, while King Hakon decided his next move. Fall was coming and with it, storms which would reek havoc among his fleet. The Scots seemed content to harass the Norwegians on occasion while wisely hiding their main force which was growing daily. Meanwhile, the Scots waited for the advantage of ground and the opportunity to choose when the fight began.

On approximately October 1st, 1263, the Scots got the opportunity they had been waiting for. The Vikings landed a force at Largs, which was to be a beachhead for the landing of the remainder of the Viking force. A large storm blew up, which prevented the landing of further troops, while sinking many Viking ships outright. It was at this time, the Scots under Alexander chose to reveal their position. The main Scottish force took the high ground above the town of Largs and in response the Vikings attacked with half their force ashore. The other half remained at Largs to allow further reinforcement.

The Scottish advantage of ground carried the battle, as eventually the Scots pushed down the slope and into the town itself, thereby forcing the remaining and greatly outnumbered Vikings ashore to attempt to reach their ships. The combination of the storm and the battle proved to be too much for the vastly superior Viking force. The wounded King Hakon was forced to retreat with what was left of his army.

King Hakon never reached home in Norway, as ships from the Isles, which now had no reason to fear or submit to him, harassed his remaining fleet. He died in Orkney at the end of 1263. By 1266, King Hakon's successor, Magnus IV, negotiated the treaty of Perth, which returned the Isles and Kintyre to Scotland 400 years after their loss to the Vikings.

The Battle of Largs is notable for several reasons; the first of, which is the regaining of territory that gave Scotland the shape, it generally retains to this day. Another point that stands out is the patience the Scots displayed before joining battle. Patience is not a strong personality trait among the Scots. But it is paramount in war, as the choice of ground and waiting for the proper moment to strike gives an extreme advantage to the military commander, especially when facing a superior force. When one considers this point, many of the famous battles in Scotland over the centuries show an obvious trend in outcome. When the Scots took the time to choose their ground wisely they usually won their battles.

by Brian Workman, May 2000

Links:

Somerled Famous Scot on GOTC

Battle of Largs-1263

Edward The Bruce

King Alexander III and the Battle of Largs

General History of the Highlands

Doon the Water