Norwegian-Scottish War (1263-1266)

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The kingdom of the islands around 1200

The Norwegian-Scottish War from 1263 to 1266 was a military conflict between Norway and Scotland . In the war, the Scottish King Alexander III. the West Scottish islands in his possession, what the new Norwegian King Magnus VI. recognized in a peace made in 1266.

prehistory

The West Scottish islands had been under Norwegian suzerainty since the 9th century. The Scottish King Alexander II tried in 1249 with a campaign to occupy the islands , but he fell ill and died. Thereupon the campaign was canceled and the islands remained under the rule of several petty kings and under Norwegian suzerainty.

After Alexander's son and successor King Alexander III. Having come of age, he continued his father's attempts to acquire the western Scottish territories from Norway. In 1261 he made the Norwegian King Håkon IV an offer to buy, but the latter refused. The Scottish legation was even held in Bergen for the winter after attempting to return to Scotland without the permission of the Norwegian king. The Scottish king now apparently encouraged several Scottish magnates such as the Earl of Menteith and Uilleam, 2nd Earl of Ross , to extend their rule to western Scottish areas claimed by Norway. The Earl of Menteith forced the local Lord Dugald MacSween to surrender Knapdale , and in 1262 the Earl of Ross sacked the Isle of Skye . The Scottish king used the weakness of the English king Henry III. who was an ally of the Norwegian king, but found himself facing an opposition to the aristocracy in England and was therefore unable to intervene in Scotland.

The Norwegian campaign of 1263

Crossing from Norway to Scotland

In view of the aggressive Scottish politics, Håkon IV collected a fleet of over 100 long boats in order to be the first Norwegian king since 1102 to lead a campaign to western Scotland himself. Its flagship Kristsuden is said to have offered space for 300 men. In addition to the king, Vigleikr Prestsson , who was referred to as the king's marshal, was one of the leaders of the Norwegian army. The Norwegian king had already expanded his influence to the west again in previous years. In 1262 Iceland had accepted its rule. With his campaign to Scotland the king wanted to intimidate renegade vassals on the West Scottish islands, win allies and demonstrate the weakness of Scotland. On July 11, 1263, the Norwegian fleet set out. She first reached the Shetland Islands and then sailed on to Orkney , which was also under Norwegian suzerainty. She stayed there for several weeks. The Jarl of Orkney , who as Earl of Caithness was also a vassal of the Scottish king, followed the call of the Norwegian king and joined the Norwegian fleet. The Scottish king blackmailed the residents of Caithness . He took 21 hostages and threatened the residents with punishment if they supported the Norwegian king. But Norwegian troops also marched through Caithness and extorted ransom. When the Norwegian fleet sailed on, the Jarl of Orkney probably did not take part in the further campaign.

Outline map of the West Scottish Islands with the most important locations of the campaign of 1263

Scottish Defense Measures

To repel the Norwegian fleet, the Scottish king could count on the support of his magnates. Alan Durward and the Earl of Buchan raised their posse and served as commanders of the Scottish armies, as did the Earl of Menteith and Alexander Stewart . In addition to the summons of his magnates, the king raised a small army of paid knights and sergeants in 1263 and 1264 , about 60 horsemen strong. He also supported the defense readiness of castles such as Ayr , Wigtown , Dumfries and Inverness and paid their guards. The Earl of Menteith provided 120 sergeants for the crew of Ayr Castle, who stood by for three weeks to repel the Norwegians. Compared to armies from other empires, this contingent was small, but inexpensive for the king and therefore affordable. Above all, it was enough to keep the combined forces from Norway and the barons of the West Scottish islands in check.

Advance by the Norwegians to the Firth of Clyde

When the Norwegian fleet reached Skye , it was joined by the fleets of King Magnus de Man . At Kerrera , the ranks of Dugald Macruairi , King of the Islands, strengthened . Ewen of Lorn , who was also a vassal of the Norwegian king, loyally supported the Scottish king. Most of the Norwegian fleet sailed into the Firth of Clyde , where they anchored off the Cumbraes . A smaller department Magnus of Man and Dugald Macruairi came to Tarbert in Kintyre prior to Angus Mor from Islay to move to support. Angus Mor and his brother Alan initially offered bitter resistance before surrendering to the superiority of the enemy. The Norwegians conquered Rothesay on Bute and Dunaverty Castle on Kintyre . Alexander III offered negotiations to the Norwegian king when the Norwegian fleet was at Arran . However, they were unsuccessful, and the Scots might be playing for time in the face of the approaching autumn storms. Thereupon the Norwegian king looked for a decision. In order to split the Scottish forces, he sent Magnus von Man, Dugald Macruari, Rudri and other subordinates with their ships to Loch Long . From Arrochar they transported their ships overland to Loch Lomond , where they then plundered the settlements on the banks.

The Battle of Largs and the withdrawal of the Norwegians

On September 30th, a storm destroyed part of the Norwegian fleet. When several ships were driven ashore at Largs , a series of skirmishes broke out. Thereupon more Norwegian ships landed on the coast, whereupon the battle of Largs came to an end. The Norwegian king decided to withdraw temporarily. He initially retired to Lamlash . On Kerrera he loaned the estates of Ewen of Lorne to Dugald Macruari and his brother Alan , while he appointed Rudri Lord of Bute. On Islay, the Norwegians drove in tributes in the form of cattle, then the fleet sailed back to Orkney in the face of the impending autumn storms. After a Norwegian ship was stranded in the Pentland Firth , the fleet reached Orkney on October 29, where part of the fleet wanted to winter. Håkon IV moved into the bishop's palace in Kirkwall . There he fell ill and died in December 1263.

The ruins of the Bishop's Palace in Kirkwall on Orkney, in which King Håkon VI. of Norway died in 1263

Loss of the West Scottish Isles

Even before the death of Håkon IV, it was clear that the Norwegian campaign had failed. Despite the support of Dugald Macruairi, the Norwegians had no real base in the Hebrides, so they had to retreat to Orkney. The Norwegian campaign failed despite the impressive fleet due to the autumn storms, the distance to Norway and the Scottish resistance. In the spring of 1264, the Scottish king rejected a Norwegian offer to negotiate, given his superior situation. Instead, he planned at least three campaigns against supporters of the Norwegians. The Earls of Buchan and Mar and Alan Durward led an army of 200 men to the Hebrides, where they plundered and murdered. A second campaign may have been waged by the Earl of Ross against Caithness, where they raised tributes in the form of cattle. Alexander III himself gathered a fleet for a campaign against the Isle of Man . Thereupon Magnus of Man came to meet him in Dumfries and submitted. This submission symbolized the collapse of Norwegian rule in western Scotland. A little later, Angus Mor of Islay and other barons followed the example of Magnus von Man. After these voluntary submissions, the Scottish king did not even have to wage a campaign himself to win the West Scottish islands. After the withdrawal of the Norwegian fleet, the barons of the islands were not up to the ranks of the Scottish magnates. In order to keep their possessions, they changed sovereignty. Only Dugald Macruari remained loyal to the Norwegians and had to flee into exile. The inactivity of the English King Henry III also contributed to the Scottish victory. who had been an ally of the Norwegian king for many years. Henry III. was faced with strong opposition to the nobility in England and was therefore unable to intervene in Scotland as in the 1250s.

Peace of Perth

The new Norwegian King Magnus VI. Little was left than to ask the Scottish king to negotiate again in the summer of 1264. After exchanging several embassies, the Peace of Perth was concluded in July 1266 , in which the Norwegian king ceded his western Scottish possessions in return for cash payments to the Scottish king. Orkney, however, remained under Norwegian suzerainty.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Archibald AM Duncan: Scotland. The Making of the Kingdom (The Edinburgh History of Scotland; Vol. I ). Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh 1975. ISBN 0-05-00203-7-4 , p. 577.
  2. ^ A b Michael Brown: The wars of Scotland, 1214-1371 . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2004, ISBN 0-7486-1237-8 , p. 82.
  3. ↑ Michael Brown: The wars of Scotland, 1214-1371 . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2004, ISBN 0-7486-1237-8 , p. 72.
  4. ^ Edward J. Cowan: Norwegian Sunset - Scottish Dawn: Hakon IV and Alexander III . In: Norman H. Reid (ed.): Scotland in the Reign of Alexander III 1249-1286 . John Donald, Edinburgh 1990. ISBN 0-85976-218-1 , p. 105.
  5. ^ A b Michael Brown: The wars of Scotland, 1214-1371 . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2004, ISBN 0-7486-1237-8 , p. 83.
  6. ↑ Barbara E. Crawford: The Earldom of Caithness and the kingdom of Scotland, 1150-1266 . In: KJ Stringer (Ed.): Essays on the Nobility of Medieval Scotland , John Donald Publishers, Edinburgh 1985, ISBN 0-85976-113-4 , p. 37.
  7. ^ A b Michael Brown: The wars of Scotland, 1214-1371 . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2004, ISBN 0-7486-1237-8 , p. 84.
  8. ↑ Michael Brown: The wars of Scotland, 1214-1371 . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2004, ISBN 0-7486-1237-8 , p. 56.
  9. ↑ Michael Brown: The wars of Scotland, 1214-1371 . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2004, ISBN 0-7486-1237-8 , p. 57.
  10. ^ Edward J. Cowan: Norwegian Sunset - Scottish Dawn: Hakon IV and Alexander III . In: Norman H. Reid (ed.): Scotland in the Reign of Alexander III 1249-1286 . John Donald, Edinburgh 1990. ISBN 0-85976-218-1 , p. 119.
  11. ^ Edward J. Cowan: Norwegian Sunset - Scottish Dawn: Hakon IV and Alexander III . In: Norman H. Reid (Ed.): Scotland in the Reign of Alexander III 1249-1286 . John Donald, Edinburgh 1990. ISBN 0-85976-218-1 , p. 120.
  12. ^ GWS Barrow: Kingship and unity: Scotland 1000-1306 . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2015, ISBN 978-1-4744-0183-8 , p. 117.
  13. ^ Edward J. Cowan: Norwegian Sunset - Scottish Dawn: Hakon IV and Alexander III . In: Norman H. Reid (ed.): Scotland in the Reign of Alexander III 1249-1286 . John Donald, Edinburgh 1990. ISBN 0-85976-218-1 , p. 121.
  14. ↑ Edward J. Cowan: Norwegian Sunset - Scottish Dawn: Hakon IV and Alexander III . In: Norman H. Reid (Ed.): Scotland in the Reign of Alexander III 1249-1286 . John Donald, Edinburgh 1990. ISBN 0-85976-218-1 , p. 122.
  15. ^ Archibald AM Duncan: Scotland. The Making of the Kingdom (The Edinburgh History of Scotland; Vol. I ). Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh 1975. ISBN 0-05-00203-7-4 , p. 580.
  16. ↑ Michael Brown: The wars of Scotland, 1214-1371 . Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2004, ISBN 0-7486-1237-8 , p. 149.