Battlefield record MHG1407 - Battle Site, Clardon Hill

Summary

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Location

Grid reference Centred ND 1401 6927 (50m by 50m) (Buffered by site type)
Map sheet ND16NW
Old County CAITHNESS
Civil Parish THURSO
Geographical Area CAITHNESS

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Full Description

NB ND16NW0015 supposed to lie on the chapel & burial place of Harald - HAW 1/2004

ND16NW 1401 6928.
Site of (NAT) Battle (NR) AD. 1196 (Also on ND16NE 16.)
OS 6" map, Caithness, 1st ed., (1872)

In 1196 William the Lion were to subdue Harold the Elder, Earl of Caithness; but before the king had even entered Caithness, Harold avoided battle by taking out to sea. The king therefore sent his army to Thurso, the vill of Harold, and destroyed Harold's castle there. Harold the Younger, the grandson of 'Saint' Rognvald, in order to take possession of his legal portion of Caithness and Orkney, and after campaigns in the Isle of Man and Orkney, returned to Caithness at Wick and fought against Harold the Elder; in that battle Harold the Younger and all his army were slain. This battle is said to have been fought on Clardon Hill, near Thurso, in 1196.
Only MacKay (1829) states that it was William the Lion who defeated Harold, Earl of Orkney and Caithtness, at Clardon Hill.
Dickinson 1952; A O Anderson 1908; J T Calder 1861; R Gordon 1813; T Torfaeus 1886; R MacKay 1829.

No substantiating evidence regarding this battle was encountered during investigation.
Visited by OS (E G C) 18 April 1962.

Sources/Archives (6)

  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Anderson, A O. 1908. Scottish annals from English chroniclers AD 500-1286. 10-12.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Calder, J T. 1861. Sketch of the civil and traditional History of Caithness from the tenth century. 65-6.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Dickinson, C (ed.). 1952. Source book of Scottish history. Vol. 1, 33-4.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Weber, H (ed). 1813. Genealogical history of the Earldom of Sutherland by Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: MacKay, R. 1829. History of the Clan MacKay. 28-9.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Torfaeus, T. 1866. Ancient history of Orkney, Caithness, etc..

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Record last edited

Jan 28 2008 12:00AM

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