THIS week sees the 755th anniversary of the Battle of Largs, which took place on October 2, 1263. The forces of King Haakon Haakonsson of Norway met the army of King Alexander III near Largs on the Firth of Clyde and the battle ended with both sides effectively retreating.

It is one of the most curious battles in the history of Scotland, because people still argue about who won it. The Norwegian forces undoubtedly killed more of their opponents on the day, but King Haakon had to sail away from the scene and regroup.

The usual conclusion by most historians is that the Scots won a strategic, if costly victory over invaders who were undoubtedly out for conquest.

There was a long prelude to the battle. The Norwegians had controlled more or less the entire western seaboard, especially the Hebrides, as well as Shetland and Orkney, for many decades. Descendants of the original Vikings, they intermarried with the Gaels and by the time of Largs, local magnates were in many ways independent, albeit acknowledging Norway as overlord.

King Alexander III had decided to try to finish the work of his father, Alexander II, who had campaigned to consolidate his hold on the kingdom of Scotland by either ejecting those people who owed loyalty to Norway or bringing them under his overlordship, either voluntarily or by force.

Alexander III at first tried to buy the Western Isles from Haakon, but he was having none of it. Alexander then invaded Skye in 1262 and the following summer Haakon responded with what was the biggest fleet ever to sail from Norway.

Many of the local lords who were due him homage were dubious about doing so, therefore Haakon decided to go south into the Firth of Clyde and attack the Scottish mainland from there, his troops famously carrying out a portage at Arrochar on Loch Long so they could sail on Loch Lomond and attack the settlements of the lands of the Lennox.

We have very little Scottish evidence for what happened next, as Scotland’s records of the time were lost for various reasons – mainly English depredations and the Reformation’s destruction of church records, so that the Chronicle of Melrose, for example, is in the British Museum. We do, however, have a genuine first-hand account from the Norwegian viewpoint – namely the 13th century saga “Haco’s expedition against Scotland, A.D. MCCLXIII”, by Sturla Þórðarson, translated by James Johnstone.

On the night of September 30, 1263, Haakon and his ships in the Firth of Clyde were ravaged by a storm and several ran aground on the beach near Largs.

The saga describes it thus: “A magic-raised watery tempest blew upon our warriors, ambitious of conquest, and against the floating habitations of the brave. The roaring billows and stormy blast threw shielded companies of our adventurous nation on the Scottish strand.”

Haakon himself went to the rescue, but his force was divided, with 200 men on a mound overlooking the beach while Haakon and 800 of his troops protected the ships. The Scottish army under Alexander of Dundonald, the Steward of Scotland, saw their chance.

The saga again: “When the Scotch saw that the vessels had run aground they assembled together, and advancing against the Norwegians, attacked them with missile weapons. They, however, defended themselves gallantly under cover of their ships; the Scotch made several attempts, at different times, but killed few, tho’ many were wounded.

“During the battle there was so great a tempest that King Haco saw no possibility of bringing the army ashore. Ronald, and Eilif of Naustadale, however, with some men, rowed to land, and greatly distinguished themselves; as did those troops who had before gone out in their boats.

‘‘Ronald, in the end, was repulsed to his ships; but Eilif behaved most heroically. The Norwegians now began to form themselves anew; and the Scotch took possession of the rising ground.

“There were continued skirmishes with stones and missile weapons; but towards evening the Norwegians made a desperate charge against the Scotch on the hill.”

The last charge dislodged the Scots who withdrew. But so did Haakon, who sailed his fleet all the way to Orkney where he intended to winter before invading the mainland again.

Fate intervened, and Haakon fell ill, as the saga records: “The festival of the Virgin St Lucia (December 13, 1263) happened on a Thursday, and on the Saturday after, the King’s disorder increased to such a degree that he lost the use of his speech; and at midnight Almighty God called King Haco out of this mortal life.”

The Norwegians went home and three years later, Alexander III made peace with Haakon’s successor Magnus in the Treaty of Perth that leased the Hebrides to Scotland. The Norwegians never seriously invaded the mainland again.