THE HIGHLAND BATTLES

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The wars fought in Scotland's northern and western highlands between the 9th and 14th centuries were a key stage in the military history of the region. Out of this confused and turbulent period came the more settled and familiar history of the region. The Highlands and islands were controlled by the kings of Norway or by Norse or Norse-Celtic warlords, who not only resisted Scottish royal authority but on occasion seemed likely to overthrow it.

This study provides an account of the series of campaigns and battles that shaped Scotland. The narrative is structured around a number of battles -- Skitten Moor, Torfness, Tankerness, Renfrew, Mam Garvia, Clairdon, and Dalrigh -- which illustrate phases of the conflict and reveal the strategies and tactics of the rival chieftains. It also considers to what extent the fighting methods of the time survived into the post-medieval period.