Battlefields›Pictish-Norse battle at Thurso 875
Early Medieval

Pictish-Norse battle at Thurso 875

875
Caithness, Scotland
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Caithness, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Pictish Caithness clan
Forces
c. 500–1,200 Pictish Caithness clansmen.
VS
Victor
Norse
Forces
c. 1,000–1,800 Norse warriors
Outcome
Norse secured Caithness permanently; Thurso became Norse settlement
The Battle

History & Significance

Caithness Scandinavianisation complete after this period; name Caithness is Norse for Cats headland

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Pictish-Norse battle at Thurso 875

Thurso, St Peter's Church and Burial Ground
Scheduled monument · Medieval · ~0.5 miles
Scrabster Castle
Scheduled monument · ~0.8 miles
Scrabster Mains,broch 1000m W of
Scheduled monument · Iron Age · ~1.9 miles
Thing's Va,broch 1000m E of Blackheath,Scrabster
Scheduled monument · Iron Age · ~2.1 miles
Tulloch of Shalmstry,broch 275m SE of Shalmstry
Scheduled monument · Iron Age · ~2.5 miles
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