Battle of Dunnichen Mere

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Battle of Dunnichen Mere
Part of: Angles and Picts Wars
Pictorial stone of Aberlemno, with details of the battle
Pictorial stone of Aberlemno, with details of the battle
date May 20, 685
place at Dunnichen
output Victory of the Picts
Parties to the conflict

Picts

Northumbria

Commander

Bridei III.

Ecgfrith


The Battle of Dunnichen Mere ( Welsh Linn garan ; Gaelic Dúin Nechaín ) or Battle of Nechtansmere was fought on May 20, 685 near Forfar in the Scottish county of Angus between the Picts and the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria . It ended with a decisive victory for the Picts and a severely weakened position of power in Northumbria in northern Britain . Apart from the description of the battle that Beda Venerabilis gave in the 8th century , little is known about them.

Starting position and process

Northumbria had gradually expanded its territory to the north, the Kingdom of Bernicia had taken away the Gododdin Edinburgh around 638 . Over the next 30 years, the Northumbrians established supremacy over the kingdoms of Strathclyde and Dalriada , as well as the Pictish Fortriu .

King Ecgfrith of Northumbria invaded Pictish land in 685 to end the looting that had spread to the south from here. On May 20, the opponents met at Dunnichen .

In the battle, the Picts feigned a retreat to lure the Northumbrians into the Dunnichen moor. The Pict King Bridei III. killed Ecgfrith, annihilated his army, and enslaved many of the survivors. After the battle, Northumbria's influence never extended beyond the Firth of Forth .

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