The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

72 THE HIGHLANDERS [part i
the territories which he possessed on the mainland of Scotland,
and upon the refusal of the Norwegian earl he gave Caithness
to Moddan, his sister's son, and directed him to assume the
Norwegian title of larl. Moddan accordingly, in consequence
of these directions, proceeded to the north, and raised an army
in Sutherland for the purpose of taking possession of the district
which had thus been bestowed upon him. But the Norwegians
who inhabited that district had no sooner heard of his arrival
than they immediately assembled under Thorfinn, who was at
that time in Caithness, and having been joined by a large force
from the Highlands, commanded by Thorkell, the Scots found
it necessary to retire, while Thorfinn took advantage of the
opportunity to subjugate the districts of Sutherland and Ross,
and to ravage the greater part of Scotland. Moddan in the
meantime ha\ing returned to the king, and having reported to
him the ill success of his expedition, Malcolm resolved upon
making one great effort to reduce Thorfinn. For this purpose
he collected a fleet of eleven ships, and the whole force of the
south of Scotland, and dividing his army, he went himself in the
fleet towards the north, while he sent Moddan by land with a
strong detachm.ent, with the intention of attacking Thorfinn on
both sides at once ; but scarcely had Malcolm reached the
Pentland Firth when he was met by Thorfinn, who had in the
meantime retired to the Orknevs, where he had collected a
powerful fleet. After a long and fiercely contested engagement
the Scottish fleet was completely dispersed, and the king of
Scotland, having with difficulty escaped, fled to the Moray
Firth, where he once more commenced to levy troops.
Nevertheless, he was speedily followed by Thorfinn, who,
having been joined by Thorkell with troops raised by him in the
Orkneys, also reached the ]\Ioray Firth ; but having learnt, so
soon as he landed, that Moddan had marched to Caithness with
the other division of the Scottish army, and was then at Thurso,
he resolved to despatch Thorkell with a part of the army to
attack Moddan, while he himself with the rest of his force
remained to oppose Malcolm. Thorkell, aware that the inhabi-
tants of Caithness were favourable to the Norwegians, proceeded
with such expedition and secrecy that he succeeded in surprising
Moddan in Thurso, and having set fire to the town, he slew the