BattlefieldsBattle of Ach na Fearna 1058
Early Medieval

Battle of Ach na Fearna 1058

1058
Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Also known as: Battle of Achnafearna · Macbeth avenged at Ach na Fearna
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Malcolm III (Canmore) forces
Forces
Malcolm III's forces (c. 1,500–2,000).
VS
Victor
Lulach loyalists / Moray faction
Forces
Lulach loyalists from Moray (c. 1,500–2,000)
Outcome
Temporary Moray resistance to Malcolm III after Lulach killed at Essie
The Battle

History & Significance

After Lulach was killed by treachery at Essie in 1058, his supporters in Moray continued to resist Malcolm III. The Prophecy of Berchan and other sources hint at further fighting in the Moray area as Malcolm worked to extinguish the remaining Macbeth-Lulach line loyalists. Ach na Fearna is traditionally associated with one such engagement in which Moray men attempted to avenge Lulach. The resistance was ultimately crushed but the Moray line through Lulach would continue to pose a dynastic threat into the twelfth century.

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