BattlefieldsNorse Raid on Iona 793 — Hebridean Prelude
Early Medieval

Norse Raid on Iona 793 — Hebridean Prelude

793
Scotland
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Hebridean monastic communities
Forces
undefended Hebridean monastic communities
VS
Victor
Norse raiders
Forces
Norse reconnaissance fleet
Outcome
Smaller Hebridean monastic communities raided; intelligence gathered about Iona defences; pattern of Norse Hebridean violence established before the major Iona attacks began in 795.
The Battle

History & Significance

The Norse use of the Hebridean seaways in 793 en route to Lindisfarne included reconnaissance raids on smaller Hebridean communities. The monasteries on Tiree and Colonsay were targeted providing the Norse with intelligence about Iona before the main assault in 795. The 793 Hebridean raids represent the opening of Norse violence against the heart of Scottish Christianity.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around this battlefield

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near this battlefield