Battle of Largs The Battle of Largs ( 2 October 1263 ) was an indecisive engagement between the kingdoms of Norway and Scotland near Largs , Scotland . The conflict formed part of the Norwegian expedition against Scotland in 1263 , in which Hakon Hakonarson , King of Norway attempted to reassert Norwegian sovereignty over the western seaboard of Scotland . Since the beginning of the 12th century this region had lain within the Norwegian realm , ruled by magnates who recognised the overlordship of the Kings of Norway . However , in the mid - 13th century , two Scottish kings , Alexander II and his son Alexander III , attempted to incorporate the region into their own realm . Following failed attempts to purchase the islands from the Norwegian king , the Scots launched military operations . Hakon responded to the Scottish aggression by leading a massive fleet from Norway , which reached the Hebrides in the summer of 1263 . By the end of September , Hakon ' s fleet occupied the Firth of Clyde , and when negotiations between the kingdoms broke down , he brought the bulk of his fleet to anchor off The Cumbraes . On the night of 30 September , during a bout of particularly stormy weather , several Norwegian vessels were driven aground on the Ayrshire coast , near the present - day town of Largs . On 2 October , while the Norwegians were salvaging their vessels , the main Scottish army arrived on the scene . Composed of infantry and cavalry , the Scottish force was commanded by Alexander of Dundonald , Steward of Scotland . The Norwegians were gathered in two groups : the larger main force on the beach and a small contingent atop a nearby mound . The advance of the Scots threatened to divide the Norwegian forces , so the contingent upon the mound ran to rejoin their comrades on the beach below . Seeing them running from the mound , the Norwegians on the beach believed they were retreating , and fled back towards the ships . Fierce fighting took place on the beach , and the Scots took up a position on the mound formerly held by the Norwegians . Late in the day , after several hours of skirmishing , the Norwegians were able to recapture the mound . The Scots withdrew from the scene and the Norwegians were able to reboard their ships . They returned the next morning to collect their dead . The weather was deteriorating , and Hakon ' s demoralised forces turned for home . Hakon ' s campaign had failed to maintain Norwegian overlordship of the seaboard , and his native magnates , left to fend for themselves , were soon forced to submit to the Scots . Three years after the battle , with the conclusion of the Treaty of Perth , Magnus Hakonarson , King of Norway ceded Scotland ' s western seaboard to Alexander III , and thus the centuries - old territorial dispute between the consolidating kingdoms was at last settled . Although the Battle of Largs was apparently not considered a significant event by contemporaries , later partisan historians transformed it into an event of international importance . Today , most scholars no longer subscribe to such a view , and instead accord it just an important place in the failed Norwegian campaign . The battle is commemorated in Largs in the form of an early 20th - century monument and the festivities which have been held there annually since the 1980s . Sources . The main source for the battle is " Hakonar saga Hakonarsonar " , a contemporary account of the life of Hakon Hakonarson , King of Norway ( d . 1263 ) , composed by the Icelandic historian Sturla Thordarson ( d . 1284 ) . Although the saga describes the events purely from the Norwegian perspective , its narrative of the battle appears to have been drawn from eye - witness accounts , and it is the most detailed source available for the Scottish – Norwegian conflict . A contemporary Scottish perspective of the events is preserved in a brief entry within the " Chronicle of Melrose " . First penned at Melrose Abbey in the last quarter of the 12th century , the chronicle was further extended and supplemented from time to time into the late 13th century . It is an important historical source for the mediaeval Scottish realm . Background . Viking depredations have been recorded in the British Isles since the late 8th century , and Scandinavian settlement on Scotland ' s western - seaboard may have begun before the turn of the 9th century . Claims to this region by Norwegian kings date to the turn of the 12th century , when Magnus Olafsson , King of Norway ( d . 1103 ) established himself in the Hebrides and the Isle of Man ( Mann ) . Direct Norwegian control ended with Magnus ' death , after which the Hebrides and Mann , known to the Norwegians as the " Southern Isles " , were controlled by local dynasties for over a century and a half . In the first half of the 13th century , the seaboard was controlled by two main power - blocks : one consisting of the Mann , Lewis and Harris , and Skye — controlled by the patrilineal - descendants of Godred Crovan ( d . 1095 ) ; the other consisting of mainland territories in Argyll , and the islands of Islay , Jura , Mull , and possibly Uist — controlled by the descendants of Somerled ( d . 1164 ) . As part of the far - flung , early 13th century Norwegian realm , these island rulers recognised the overlordship of Hakon Hakonarson , King of Norway ( d . 1263 ) . The first half of the 13th century was a period of consolidation for both Scottish and Norwegian kings . The Norwegians , under Hakon , overcame a period of internal strife , from 1161 to 1208 , and oversaw the submission of the Faroe Islands , the Greenland settlements , and Iceland , in the mid 13th century . The Scots , under Alexander II , King of Scots ( d . 1249 ) , extended royal authority into the northern Highlands , Argyll , and Galloway . The king also had wanted to incorporate the western - seaboard into the Scottish realm . In 1230 , Scottish aggression against the Isles and interference forced the Norwegian king to pacify the region . In 1249 , after attempting to purchase the Isles from Hakon , Alexander II launched a campaign of his own , deep into Argyll and into the Hebrides . Unfortunately for the Scots , their king died suddenly on the verge of conquest . Since his son and successor , Alexander III ( d . 1286 ) , was only a boy at the time , the Scottish realm suffered through a lengthily and troubled minority . In consequence , it wasn ' t until the 1260s that the king looked west , and attempted to finish what his father had so nearly accomplished . In 1262 , a year after another unsuccessful attempt to purchase the Isles , Scottish forces launched an attack upon Skye . Hakon ' s response to the invasion was to mastermind a massive military expedition of his own . Described by the Icelandic Annals as the largest force to have ever set sail from Norway , the fleet reached the Isles in the summer of 1263 . After receiving only a lukewarm reception from his vassals in the region , Hakon ' s forces reached the Firth of Clyde , after his men had secured several castles , and undertook raids into the surrounding mainland . With the Norwegian fleet anchored off Arran , the Norwegians and Scottish embassies fiercely debated the sovereignty of the Islands of the Clyde . When talks broke down , Hakon dispatched a fleet of Islesmen to raid into Loch Lomond , and to ravage Lennox . Meanwhile the main Norwegian fleet repositioned itself between the Cumbraes and the Ayrshire coast . Events . While lying off the Cumbraes , on the night of 30 September , Hakon ' s fleet was battered by stormy weather . During the night , the saga records that a merchantman dragged its anchor and was driven aground . The following morning , it and four other vessels were floated off by the rising tide but carried by the current towards the Scottish mainland where they ran aground again . The crews of the beached vessels were soon harassed by a small force of Scots armed with bow s . After the Norwegians had suffered some casualties , Hakon sent reinforcements ashore , and the Scots fled the area . Hakon ' s reinforcements remained ashore for the night , and the Norwegian king himself came ashore to oversee the salvage operation the next morning . According to the saga , the main Scottish force , consisting of heavily - armoured cavalry and infantry , arrived on 2 October . The saga numbers the mounted troops at about 500 , and states that they rode high - quality horses protected by mail . The use of a substantial force of mounted knight s or sergeants appears to be corroborated in contemporary records of payments made to troops . For example , Walter Stewart , Earl of Menteith had to maintain 120 sergeants — which could include knights , mounted men - at - arms , archer s , or other footsoldiers — at Ayr Castle for three weeks . Although surviving records fail to mention the number of knights assembled at Ayr , the record of wages suggests that it was " more than a mere handful " . According to the saga , the Scottish infantry were armed with bows and " Irish axes " , and since at one point the Scots are said to have thrown stones at the Norwegians , the Scottish army must have also included slingers . The Latin " Chronicle of Melrose " simply describes the Scottish infantry as " pedisequi patrie " ( the " foot - sloggers of the locality " ) . If this description refers to the men of the surrounding countryside , the Scottish infantry would have been made up of men from the ' common army ' , drawn only from Strathgryfe , Cunninghame and Kyle . These levies would have been muster ed by the Sheriff of Ayr , the Sheriff of Lanark , and the local magnates . At the time of Largs , the Scottish king thus had at his disposal men from the ' common army ' ( lesser men who owed service to their king ) , the feudal host ( greater men who owed military service for their lands ) , and also paid troops . There is evidence to suggest that the main Scottish force arrived from the south , rather than from the west or from the north . For example , Alexander III is recorded to have been south at Ayr in September , and the power centre of Alexander of Dundonald , Steward of Scotland ( d . 1282 ) , who is thought to have commanded the Scottish forces at the battle , was also located to the south . Furthermore , at the time of the battle , the Sheriff of Ayr was probably a member of the steward ' s family — probably his younger brother , the Earl of Menteith . If the Scots had indeed arrived from the south , then they would have also assembled at a muster site to the south , possibly somewhere near Ayr . The saga indicates that the Norwegians were divided into two groups . The smaller force , numbered at 200 men , was stationed atop a certain mound , somewhat inland from the beach , under the command of Ogmund Crow - dance . The main Norwegian force , numbered at about 700 to 800 men ( including Hakon himself ) , was stationed on the beach below . These two detachments were likely only a fraction of the total number of forces at Hakon ' s disposal . The numbers that the saga allots to either side may well be exaggerated . A more likely number may be only about one hundred or several hundred men per side . For example , the actual number of knights present may have been closer to 50 than the saga ' s 500 . The forces which Hakon had mustered in Norway formed part of his realm ' s leidang , a naval levy in which certain districts contributed men , ships , and provisions for military service . As the Scots advanced towards the Norwegians , the saga indicates that Ogmund withdrew his troops from the mound to avoid being cut off from his comrades on the beach below . If the Scots had indeed marched northwards , their advance would have threatened to drive a wedge between the Norwegians on the mound and those on beach . Once the Scottish vanguard came into contact with Ogmund ' s men , the saga indicates that his orderly withdrawal disintegrated into a chaotic scramble . On the beach below , Hakon followed the advice of his men and retired to the safety of his ships . To the men on the beach , the rapid descent of Ogmund ' s men towards them looked like an all - out retreat ; they turned and fled . The Norwegian army was thus rout ed , and in the mad dash back to their ships they suffered substantial casualties . Some of the Norwegians may have used the beached vessels as makeshift fortifications , since the saga notes that a group of them made a valiant stand by their ships , out - numbered ten to one , in a fierce engagement in which a particularly valiant Scottish knight was slain . This particular entry confirms that at least some of the Scottish knights present were able to engage their foes on horseback . According to the saga , the Scots then withdrew from the beach and consolidated atop the mound abandoned by Ogmund ' s men . Minor skirmishing followed in which both sides attacked each other with arrows and stones . Before nightfall , the saga maintains that the Norwegians made one last determined assault , and forced the Scots from the mound , before making an orderly withdrawal to their ships . On the morning of 3 October , the Norwegians returned ashore to collect their dead and burn their beached vessels . For several days , Hakon ' s forces laid off the coast of Arran . After rendezvousing with the returning fleet that had plundered Lennox , Hakon ' s entire forces made for the Hebrides . At Mull he rewarded a number of his Norse - Gaelic vassals with grants of lands . By the end of October , the Norwegian fleet reached Orkney . In mid December , the Norwegian king fell ill and died at the Bishop ' s Palace , and was temporarily buried in nearby St Magnus Cathedral . Aftermath . The saga described the Norwegian campaign as a triumph . In reality it was an utter failure , though the expedition was not lost at Largs . The campaign had started too late , and the Scottish king had successfully prolonged negotiations to his own advantage . As the summer turned to autumn , and the royal envoys parleyed back and forth , Alexander III had further strengthened his forces in the defence of his realm , and left Hakon ' s fleet to the mercy of the deteriorating weather . In the end , the Scottish realm had successfully defended itself from Norwegian might , and many of Hakon ' s Norse - Gaelic vassals had been reluctant to support the Norwegian cause . Within months of the abortive campaign , embassies were sent from Norway to discuss terms of peace . Meanwhile , Alexander III seized the initiative and made ready to punish the magnates who had supported Hakon . By the end of the year the Hebrideans and Manx were forced to submit to the Scots . In 1266 , almost three years after the battle , terms of peace were finally agreed upon between the Scottish and Norwegian kings . On 2 July 1266 , with the conclusion of the Treaty of Perth , the Hebrides and Mann were ceded to the King of Scots , and the centuries - old territorial dispute over Scotland ' s western seaboard was at last settled . The treaty also entailed Scottish acceptance of Norwegian rule over Orkney and Shetland . Historiography . The battle does not appear to have been regarded as a significant event , as the contemporary sources are relatively silent about it . The " Chronicle of Melrose " offers only a brief description , and does not bother recording its location . It actually ascribes the campaign ' s failure more to the power of God than to that of the Scots . The battle is not recorded at all within the " Chronicle of Mann " , or any Irish source , and English sources show a similar lack of interest . But by the 14th and 15th centuries , the battle was being portrayed as part of an epic struggle between an invading force of Norwegians and an idealised Scottish king defending his realm . By the 17th century , the battle had lost its attributed significance , but in the 19th century it was rediscovered by antiquarian s and historians who transformed it into a conflict of international importance . Although the battle ' s upsurge in popularity at this time may be due to the tapping of Largs ' tourism potential , it was also influenced by the general heightening of interest in Scotland ' s history and culture . The battle became associated with Scotland ' s proud military past and linked to the great mediaeval victories of national heroes such as Wallace and Bruce . Most modern academics do not subscribe to such a view , though they regard the battle as a significant part of the failed Norwegian campaign . But even today , to the locals of Largs , the battle represents a glorious Scottish victory over invading Vikings . Commemoration . On 12 July 1912 , the battle was commemorated at Largs with the unveiling of a newly built stone tower . Popularly known as " The Pencil " , this tall , pencil - shaped , conical - roofed tower is built out of ashlar blocks of whinstone . Constructed by architect James Sandyford Kay at the cost of nearly , the tower was modelled after mediaeval round tower s at Abernethy and Brechin , which were thought ( erroneously ) to have been built as redoubts against Viking marauders . The Pencil has been protected as a listed building since 1971 , and stands about south of Largs , at , overlooking the local marina . Although the monument marks the traditional site of the battle , it stands nowhere near the probable battle site . Its erroneous placement appears to be due to the discovery of certain prehistoric burials , consisting of both chambered tomb s and cist burials . Nearby Bronze Age standing stones may have been interpreted as memorials to slain warriors , as was a nearby Neolithic tomb . The location of this tomb has led to the erroneous association between the battle and the two parks situated at and . The Ordnance Survey also locates the battle too far south , at . The probable site of the mound upon which the Norwegians and Scots fought is not commemorated at all . Located at . , and surrounded by a housing development , the mound is crowned by a 19th - century monument known as " The Three Sisters " , which may have been erected by astronomer Thomas Brisbane . In recent years the battle site has been one of fifty battlefields researched by the Centre for Battlefield Archaeology and Historic Scotland for inclusion in the Inventory of Scottish Battlefields . The inventory , established in 2009 , is intended to protect , preserve , and promote Scotland ' s most significant battlefields under the Scottish Historical Environment Policy . The site of the Battle of Largs was one of eleven investigated sites that did not meet the criteria for inclusion . Each autumn since 1981 , the village of Largs has hosted the Largs Viking Festival , founded to celebrate the battle and to encourage tourism . A re - enactment of the battle , held onsite at The Pencil , forms part of the festivities . The battle is the subject of John Galt ' s ( d . 1839 ) " The Battle of Largs : a Gothic Poem " , written about 1804 . Not regarded as one of Galt ' s better literary works , this poem was almost certainly based on James Johnstone ' s ( d . 1798 ) " The Norwegian Account of Haco ' s Expedition Against Scotland A . D . MCCLXIII " , published in 1782 . The battle is also commemorated within one of William Hole ' s ( d . 1917 ) massive murals , which can be viewed in the foyer of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery .