Ayrshire > Volume 1

52 HISTORY OF AYRSHIRE
patriotism, a tale of Viking valour and of Viking worth.
We need not grudge to Sturla his song when, as the
result of the battle of Largs, Scotland was free for
ever from the Norsemen. Let us rather go back and
in more prosaic words tell again how the battle of
Largs was won.
Sooner or later, as Alexander plainly saw, the fight
had to be fought. Scotland could not afford to have the
Norse power entrenched even in the Hebrides. She
had enough to do holding some of the great Highland
clans in check, and so long as the sea pirates of the
nor'land were by to assist them in their quarrels with
the Crown, the hopes of peace and of a united Kingdom
must needs be clouded and uncertain. When, therefore,
Alexander drove out the petty Kinglets or tributary
chiefs who owned subjection to Acho from their seats of
power and of influence in the western isles, he must have
reckoned with the retaliatory expedition that sailed in
all the bravery of its many galleys from the port of
Bergen.
The Scottish monarch, however, did not commit
the mistake of underrating the courage or the power
of the enemy. No wise man who knew the Scandinavians
as he did could possibly have done so. And he had
recourse to strategy as well as to ample preparation
for war. He deliberately played a waiting game. He
permitted the expedition to sail the seas unchallenged
and to raid the islands and the western Highlands. He
did not even attempt seriously to thwart them when
they rounded the Mull of Cantyre and their fleet rocked
on the waters of the estuary of the Clyde. As they
came along with oar and sail through the autumn seas
they dropped anchor off the mouth of the river Ayr in
order to assault the royal burgh town. The burghers
had been on the outlook for them. From the high
square tower of the Church of St. John's their watchmen
had descried their white canvas as they crossed over
from Cantyre, and forthwith the inhabitants who were
not in a position to take to the open country, the