The weather has played a decisive role in British history, often being more successful than defending forces in defeating invaders. The gales that harried the Spanish Armada are perhaps the best-known example.
Another intervention by weather, just as important to Scotland, was the Battle of Largs in October 1263. Precise information is sketchy because the main description is in a Viking saga that tried to portray the encounter as a victory for the Norsemen when in fact the Norwegian king was forced to retreat. Haakon, “the Old”, had come in the summer to subdue the troublesome Scots who were trying to wrest the Western Isles from the Viking Kingdom, but he had been stalled in negotiations until the weather turned nasty.
Around 6 October, the “hail and tempest” threatened to wreck the fleet of 200 Norwegian longships sailing down the west coast.
Some ships dropped several anchors and cut down their masts to avoid being blown on to the coast, but others were beached at Largs on the Firth of Clyde where the Scots took their opportunity to attack.
This was the largest Norwegian fleet ever assembled, but how many men were involved in the battle or series of skirmishes is not clear. After some fierce fighting and a counter attack, the Scots withdrew, leaving the Vikings to collect their dead, burn their beached boats and retire to Orkney.
The “broken hearted” king died there. Two years later, his son Magnus gave up his claims, and inner and outer Hebrides became part of Scotland.
