Battle of Embo

Who Fought

History & Significance

The Battle of Embo took place at Embo in Sutherland, Scotland in 1245. It was fought by Scottish forces against Viking invaders who were defeated.

The first account of the Battle of Embo was written by Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet (1580–1656) in his A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland. Gordon states that the "Danes and Norwegians" (Vikings) invaded the northern part of the kingdom of Scotland and that William de Moravia, 1st Earl of Sutherland sent his "servant" Richard de Moravia (Richard Morray) to hold the rebels until the earl himself could arrive with a larger force to oppose them. According to Gordon, the Danes then fled being pursued by the earl and during the battle the general of the Danes was killed with many others, as well as Richard de Moravia. The earl apparently secured the victory when he killed the Danish general with the severed leg of a horse.

The Earl of Sutherland arranged for Richard de Moravia to be buried in Dornoch Cathedral and for a statue to be erected of him. A cross was also erected in memory of the battle which along with burials of "divers" killed in the battle, could still be seen in the 17th century.

Historic Environment Scotland. "Dornoch (Site no. NH89SW 10)". Retrieved 20 June 2025.

Historic Environment Scotland. "Dornoch, Earl's Cross (Site no. NH89SW 2)". Retrieved 20 June 2025.

"MHG40020 - Battle Site; Earl's Cross Road; Dornoch". highland.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2020.

"MHG11638 - Earl's Cross; Dornoch". highland.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2020.

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Embo lies on Upper Old Red Sandstone, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Embo

Grannie's Heilan Hame, chambered cairn 30m NNE of

Scheduled monument · Neolithic · ~0.3 mi

Grannie's Heilan Hame is a Neolithic chambered cairn located in Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands. The monument sits on bedrock of Upper Old Red Sandstone, a conglomerate of sandstone, siltstone and mudstone deposited during the Late Devonian period, which would have weathered to create the st…

Earl's Cross, carved stone, Dornoch

Scheduled monument · ~1.7 mi

Earl's Cross is a carved stone monument located in Dornoch, Sutherland, in the far north of Scotland. The cross stands on bedrock of Upper Old Red Sandstone, a geological formation dating to the Late Devonian period, comprising conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone layers. This resilien…

John Haslam / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Skelbo Castle

Scheduled monument · ~1.9 mi

Skelbo Castle is a ruined medieval fortress located in Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands. The castle dates from the medieval period and survives as substantial stone remains, representing an important defensive structure in the far north of Scotland. Its precise construction date and founding…

Skelbo Wood, broch 300m SW of Glen Cottage

Scheduled monument · Iron Age · ~2.2 mi

Skelbo Wood Broch is an Iron Age stone tower situated in Sutherland, approximately 300 metres south-west of Glen Cottage. The monument stands upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone, a conglomerate of mixed sandstone, siltstone and mudstone laid down during the Middle Devonian period. This geolo…

Proncy, hut circle 330m NNE of

Scheduled monument · ~2.5 mi

Proncy is a hut circle situated 330 metres north-north-east of Proncy in Sutherland, Scotland. The monument consists of the earthwork remains of a prehistoric domestic dwelling, likely dating to the Bronze Age or Iron Age, when such circular stone and turf structures provided shelter across the S…

Drumdivan,standing stone 400m SW of

Scheduled monument · Bronze Age · ~2.8 mi

Drumdivan is a Bronze Age standing stone located in Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands. The monument comprises a single upright stone situated approximately 400 metres south-west of the settlement whose name it bears. Standing stones of this type were commonly erected across northern Scotland d…

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• Battle of Embo · Wikipedia