THE NORSE OCCUPATION. 41 



tions, and on the ?th July, the fleet sailed from Bergen. 

 A good deal of time was wasted in the Shetlands and 

 Orkneys, due partly to a difference of opinion between 

 Hakon and his lieutenants as to the disposition of his 

 forces. The fleet reached Lewis in August, and at Skye, 

 Magnus of Man was waiting with reinforcements, which 

 probably comprised a levy from the Long Island. At 

 Gigha, King Hakon had an interview with Ewen of Lome, 

 who had in the interval renounced his allegiance to the 

 Norwegian Crown, and desired to be relieved of the fiefs 

 which he held from it. Recognising the probity of E wen's 

 sentiments, Hakon treated him with consideration, and 

 later, the noble lord of Lome, whose honourable character 

 remained unimpaired throughout, endeavoured to perform 

 useful services as a peace-maker. The most active and 

 influential of the Hebridean chiefs who joined the Nor- 

 wegian forces was Dugall, son of Ruari, son of Reginald, 

 son of Somerled the Great ; with his father and his brother, 

 Allan, he represented the Bute family, which was subse- 

 quently known as the Macruaries of Garmoran and the 

 North Isles. Old Ruari was particularly embittered against 

 the Scottish Crown, which had deprived him of Bute and 

 driven him to a life of piracy. His alliance with the Nor- 

 wegians is therefore intelligible, inasmuch as it afforded 

 him the means of revenge, of which, it may be added, 

 he amply availed himself. 



The battle of Largs was preceded by a series of pour- 

 parlers which proved fruitless, except in gaining time for 

 the Scots, a result which was altogether in their favour, for 

 the summer was drawing to a close and bad weather was 

 imminent. The indecision of Hakon proved fatal, for at 

 the critical juncture, a great storm arose which shattered 

 his fleet, and so crippled his resources as to compel him to 

 seek the safety of Lamlash Harbour. The battle, if it 

 deserves that name, consisted of a series of skirmishes 

 between detached bodies of Norwegians who managed to 

 effect a landing, and overwhelming numbers of Scots ; and 

 the Norsemen showed to advantage equally with the Scots. 



