Blair Collection > Critical dissertations on the origin, antiquities, language, government, manners, and religion, of the antient Caledonians, their posterity the Picts, and the British and Irish Scots

266 IL;hry of tbe Nor-^cgi.in
The Scorn Ih and Norwegian hiflorlans give
contradictory accounts of the manner in which the
Weftern Illes were reunited to the dominions be-
longing to the crown, in the reign of i\Iexander
III. Buchanan's account is as follows:
*' \\\ the year 1263, Acho^ King of Norway,
having approached the toail of Kyle with a fleet of
one hundred and fixty fhips, landed tv/enty thcu-
fand men near a town of that dilhicl: called ^iir.
His pretext for making war upon the Scots was,
that fome of t!ie illes which had been promifed to
his anceftors by Donald Bane^ had not been given
up. Thefe were Bute, Arran, and the two Cum-
ras, places which had never been reckoned in the
number of the Ebudes. But to one v/ho wanted
only fome colour of reafon for making war, it was
enough that thefe places were iflands. Acho re-
duced the two largeft of them before any oppofi-
tion could have been made to the purpofe. Elated
by this fuccefs, he made a defcent upon Cunning-
ham^ and engaging in battle with the Scots, in a
place called Lnrges^ was overpowered by their
fuperior numbers, and reduced to the lliamefuj
neceflity of flying v;it!i tlic greateft precipitation to
his fhips. But the lofs of that battle was not his
only misfortune. A violent tempell deflroyed the
grearefh part of his fleet, immediately after the
s^ion was over ; and it was with no fmall difficulty
that he made his efcape into the Orkneys with a
few lliips that remained after that calamity. The
Norwegians left fixteen thouland men in the field
of bartle, and the Scots five.
" AcHo, overwhelmed witli grief \]pon the lofs
of his army, and the death of a favourite youth,
diflicguiflied by his valour, died foon after. His
fon,