The Hebrides and the Isle of Man…

The Hebrides and the Isle of Man had become Norwegian territory during centuries when both Scotland and Norway were still forming themselves as coherent nation-states, and Norwegian control had been formalized in 1098, when Edgar of Scotland signed the islands over to Magnus III of Norway.

In Norwegian terms, the islands were the Sudreys, meaning Southern Isles.

The Battle of Largs in 1263 is often claimed as a great Scottish victory, but the Norwegian forces, led by King Haakon IV, were not fully committed to battle and the result was inconclusive.

Haakon had planned to renew military action the following summer, but he died in Orkney during the winter.

His successor, King Magnus VI, had sued for peace and secured the Treaty of Perth, ending the lingering war with Scotland, arranging for his sons to marry the daughters of Scotland’s King Alexander III and selling to the Scots the disputed Isle of Man and the Hebrides for a lump sum of four thousand marks and an annuity of one hundred marks.

The annuity will be actually paid during subsequent decades.

Scotland also confirms Norwegian sovereignty over Shetland and Orkney.