Battle of Largs

The Battle of Largs took place in Largs, North Ayrshire in 1263 between Scotland and the forces of King Magnus III of Man and the Isles as well as the manxmen's ally, King Haakon IV of Norway. The prelude to the battle were Scottish incursions into the territory of the Norse Kingdom of Man and the Isles. Fighting the Scots were the Manx fleet and that of Haakon IV of Norway, who was wounded in the battle and died in the Orkneys shortly thereafter.

Related Topics:
Largs - North Ayrshire - 1263 - Magnus III of Man and the Isles - Haakon IV of Norway - Kingdom of Man and the Isles - Scots - Orkneys

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A prolonged struggle ensued between Haakon's army and the Scottish defenders under Alexander III. The outcome of the battle is today recognised as a victory for the Scots, as it began the chain of events that soon ensured their dominance over the Western Isles. This sovereignity was only formally confirmed in 1266: Haakon's successor, Magnus VI of Norway, signed the isles over to the Scots in the Treaty of Perth, following Haakon's death in late 1263 on Orkney, succumbing to illness.

Related Topics:
Scottish - Alexander III - Western Isles - 1266 - Magnus VI of Norway - Treaty of Perth - 1263

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The battle is commemorated in modern-day Largs by a small monument of cylindrical shape with a spiked top at the seafront - inevitably, it is known as "The Pencil."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~