Battle of Lumphanan

Who Fought

History & Significance

The Battle of Lumphanan was fought on 15 August 1057, between Macbeth, King of Scots, and the future King Malcolm III. Macbeth would die from wounds sustained in the battle, which came after his defeat at the battle of Dunsinane in 1054. According to tradition, the battle took place at Lumphanan in Aberdeenshire. Macbeth's Stone, a large boulder at the site, is said to mark the spot where Macbeth was mortally wounded. Following the battle, Lulach - Macbeth's stepson - was crowned King, before being killed by Malcolm who then took the throne.

Since the death of his father, King Duncan, in battle with Macbeth, Malcolm had been sheltered by Earl Siward of Northumbria, his uncle. It was with Siward's backing that Malcolm first attacked Macbeth leading to the battle of Dunsinane in 1054, where Malcolm failed to win the crown, but had his own lands restored to him. Some sources say it was Edward the Confessor, King of England, who ordered Siward to launch this invasion of Scotland.

After retreating North, Macbeth would again face Malcolm in battle at Lumphanan, in modern day Aberdeenshire. The battle itself appears to have been a comparatively minor affair, except for Macbeth being mortally wounded and later dying. Sources describe the battle as taking place "in a wood".

Macbeth's Stone, a large boulder at the site, is traditionally held to mark the location where Macbeth was wounded.

Following the death of Macbeth, his stepson Lulach was initially crowned king. 18 weeks later, in 1058 Malcolm killed him by 'treachery' at Essie, near Aberdeen. Upon assuming the throne, Malcolm, with the help of his English queen, Margaret, began the long task of removing Gaelic culture from mainstream Scotland.

The ground they fought on

The site of Battle of Lumphanan lies on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scheduled Monuments near Battle of Lumphanan

Kincardine o'Neil, old church and hospital

Scheduled monument · Medieval · ~2.6 mi

Kincardine o'Neil old church and hospital is a medieval religious foundation in Aberdeenshire, situated on bedrock of the Argyll Group, Neoproterozoic psammite and pelite which would have shaped medieval quarrying and building practices in the locality. The settlement developed as both a place of…

Coull Castle

Scheduled monument · ~3.9 mi

Coull Castle is a medieval castle site located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, dating from the medieval period. The castle consists of the remains of a motte-and-bailey fortification, a common defensive structure of Norman and early medieval Scotland. The site represents an important example of early…

Kirkton of Leochel, St Marnoch's Church

Scheduled monument · Medieval · ~4.1 mi

St Marnoch's Church at Kirkton of Leochel is a medieval parish church in Aberdeenshire, built on bedrock of Argyll Group psammite, semipelite and pelite dating to the Neoproterozoic. The church stands within the valley lands of this distinctive geological region, where the ancient metamorphic str…

Old Kirk of Tough, standing stone 165m N of Forkins of Midmar

Scheduled monument · Bronze Age · ~4.8 mi

Old Kirk of Tough is a Bronze Age standing stone located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated 165 metres north of Forkins of Midmar. The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM12010. Standing stones of this type were erected during the Bronze Age, typically servi…

North Gellan,settlement and field system 350m N of

Scheduled monument · Post-Medieval · ~4.8 mi

North Gellan is a post-medieval settlement and field system situated 350 metres north of the village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The site occupies ground underlain by a Late Silurian to Early Devonian igneous intrusion of felsic rock, characteristic of the geological complexity of north-east Scot…

Tamnagorn, stone circle 300m E of

Scheduled monument · Bronze Age · ~5.4 mi

Tamnagorn is a Bronze Age stone circle located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated approximately 300 metres east of the settlement from which it takes its name. The monument stands protected under Historic Environment Scotland's scheduling system with reference SM49, ensuring its preservation as…

Other Early Medieval Battles

Battles near Battle of Lumphanan

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• Battle of Lumphanan · Wikidata
• Battle_of_Lumphanan · Wikipedia