Vikings

The end of the Viking threat to Scotland.

In 1263, King Haakon led his great Viking battle fleet to subdue the Scottish resistance. Leaving his base in the Western Isles, he sailed south to the Clyde estuary. His fleet was anchored on the western shores of the Firth and a recce was made by a smaller group on the eastern shore at Largs.

The Scots gave but a tiny view of their presence whilst their king called to arms all those who would join him to repulse the Vikings.He managed to stall the Viking emissaries until his countrymen could assemble. His proposals had to be referred to Haakon. The Vikings decided to attack the Scots even though bad weather over the Clyde was playing havoc with their much-vaunted fleet. When the assault boats beached at Largs and the Vikings advanced from the beach the latter were beset by a great Scottish army which trounced them. The living Vikings escaped to their boats, sailed to their fleet, but it had been greatly abused by the gales and the Scots on the water repeated their thrashing of the Viking battle fleet. Haakon scuttled off to the Hebrides and made pact with the Scots to assualt Scotland no more. Haakon died in Orkney before he could return to Norway.

(1263 was the year that the Grammar School of Glasgow was founded, the precursor of the University of Glasgow.)

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