Battlefields›Battle of Lumphanan
Early Medieval

Battle of Lumphanan

1057
Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Macbeth
Forces
Macbeth's Scottish forces (c. 1,500–2,500).
VS
Victor
Malcolm Canmore
Forces
Malcolm Canmore with English support (c. 2,000–3,000)
Outcome
Canmore victory; Macbeth killed; Shakespeare's king dies here, not Dunsinane
The Battle

History & Significance

The real Macbeth — a capable king who ruled Scotland for 17 years — was killed here by Malcolm Canmore (supported by English forces). Unlike Shakespeare's version, Macbeth was not killed at Dunsinane (he survived that battle in 1054) but retreated north and was caught at Lumphanan. A stone marks the site.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Lumphanan

Macbeth's Cairn, cairn 360m ENE of Ferneybrae
Scheduled monument · ~1.2 miles
Peel Ring of Lumphanan, castle, Peel Bog of Lumphanan
Scheduled monument · Medieval · ~1.3 miles
Kincardine o'Neil, old church and hospital
Scheduled monument · Medieval · ~3.1 miles
Cothill,symbol stone 600m NE of Craigmyle House
Scheduled monument · ~3.1 miles
Corse Castle
Scheduled monument · ~3.4 miles
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