Chapter 7: Spring 874 AD, Fife

It was early spring and Scott had decided he wanted to make an early start to his campaign against the Saxons and Danes who were assailing Fife. He called a council with his lieutenants to establish his orders for the progress he expected in the lordship while he was away. His smiths had worked on ploughs and seed drills over the winter and he now set out what he wanted done by way of planting.

Grain planting would be increased significantly, his land improvements and the machinery making that possible. He also explained where and how he wanted his crops of carrots, cabbage and onions planted. The vines he left in the care of his monks, as was the cultivation of the new seeds in the pouch left by his favourite merchantman.

He had decided to take a much smaller force than he had suggested to the High King. He could only mount one hundred and fifty, fifty of those archers, but archers with an added surprise he hoped. In addition to that he had mustered around three hundred foot and had thought up some other tactics that he hoped might come in useful.

He made one last, quick, tour of the building work at the various defensive sites and of his shipyard before giving last minute instructions for his guards to ensure his family was kept safe at all costs. He and Gabrain bid an emotional farewell to Eilean and the pregnant Fiona and rode from the camp.

The Scottish spring weather was not kind as Scott led his mounted troops along part of the same trail that he had taken when heading to help the High King against the Danes at Glen Almond. Icy winds drove rain into their faces, numbing them to the core. His company met up with Lachlan and the Knapdale/Kintyre contingent just at the junction of Strath Fillan and Glen Falloch. Lachlan was at the head of a further two hundred mounted men, half of them long bow archers. He advised Scott and Gabrain that a further two hundred foot was following on behind as fast as they could.

The friends greeted each other warmly, despite the weather, and rode side by side to exchange news and to discuss tactics for the coming campaign. Scott knew they risked the wrath of the High King for not committing their fullest strength but he was damned if was going to suffer the heartbreak he had the year before - High King or no High King! The friends had all agreed that leaving sufficient forces to defend their camps was something that had to be done. In any event, Scott planned a different type of campaign and he felt sure that the numbers they were mustering would suffice.

The combined forces followed Glen Ogle to the head of Loch Earn then struck southwards through the Strathyre Forest, heading for Callander. Here they met up with Colmgil and a force from Cowall and Bute. Colmgil had also brought mounted men, about one hundred and fifty, as with the others he advised another one hundred and fifty foot were following behind him.

They rested at Callander, Scott calculating that he had around five hundred mounted men here with a further six hundred and fifty foot probably arriving in a week or so. Scott intended to use this week to find out the lay of the land in this Fife. He had brought monks' habits with him and planned to send pairs of men out dressed as monks to bring him intelligence. He was assuming that any occupying forces here were likely to be Saxon rather than Norse, and the Saxons would not attack monks.

While his monkish spies rode out, Scott had his men distribute the little gifts they had brought for their fellow Dalriadan archers - crossbows! - and gave some basic training. Lachlan and Colmgil were impressed with the crossbows that Scott had developed. He explained that he had come up with the idea after the sea battle at Dunaverty. He recognised that his long bows' extra range was no real advantage in that situation and had pondered on what else he could use.

He had previously thought of crossbows but had discounted them in favour of the additional range and hitting power of the long bow. He had returned to the idea as being useful in the sea battle situation with its close-range nature. He had extended his thinking to include the idea that crossbows could be fired from horseback. One of the other drawbacks of his mounted long bow archers was that they had to dismount to fire and this was essentially tying up a good number of his horses - leaving them unavailable for mounted charges.

His business training demanded that he get the most out of his assets and he had therefore sat down to try and figure out how he could get more from these horses and archers. The answer had been kind of obvious. The archers should be equipped with both long bow and crossbow. That way they could be used at range to good effect but then mount up and support the cavalry in the charge, discharging their crossbows at close range and then using their swords.

Scott thought this combination made the mounted archers a very versatile and effective force. Lachlan and Colmgil were even more impressed when Scott explained all this to them. They recognised that each archer was worth two, perhaps three men, significantly increasing the impact of the Dalriadan mounted force. They had some one hundred and fifty mounted archers in their five hundred and Scott had brought enough crossbows and bolts to arm them all.

The Scots moved forward, up Strath Allan towards Auchterarder, Scott's spies beginning to come in with the intelligence he so badly wanted. At Auchterarder they were met by a small band of men. The obvious leader of the group rode forward to address them.

"Who are you and who gives you leave to ride through my Kingdom of Fife?"

"Bold words my friend, bold I say. I would advise you to watch your tongue when addressing the King of Dalriada, lest you annoy his followers sirrah!" responded Scott, immediately trying to set the newcomer on the defensive.

The reference to 'my Kingdom of Fife' alerted him to the fact that this was most likely Murdoch mac Duff, lord of this area. The man seemed to be taken aback at being spoken to in this way, certainly not used to such. Having set him back on his heels and gained the upper hand, Scott now took a more conciliatory tone.

"I take it from your words that you are Murdoch of Fife, my Lord. I am Scott mac Fergus, this is my Lord Gabrain, King of Dalriada and these others are Lachlan mac Iain and Colmgil mac Lean. We are here to cleanse these lands of Saxons and Danes, have been asked to do so by High king Constantine himself."

"If that is your intention, where are the men you will do it with?" He asked.

"We have these," Scott gestured at the mounted host, "and a further six or seven hundred foot coming on behind."

"That's all? Saints man, there are over six thousand Saxons over my lands. Fife can raise almost eight thousand and we have been unable to overcome them. What chance do you have with these?"

"I don't see your eight thousand my Lord, meantime we think we will make the test of your Saxon friends and see how they like Dalriadan steel."

Mac Duff was clearly doubtful as to what the Dalriadan force could achieve. He was embarrassed that his entire lordship seemed to be in dissolution but indicated that he could raise perhaps four hundred men in a few days to help Scott and Gabrain. Scott accepted his offer but told him that he should join his force with the foot, which was itself now only days away.

Scott, Gabrain, Lachlan and Colmgil sat together to discuss the information their scouts had brought in. Murdoch mac Duff hadn't been far out in his estimation of the Saxon numbers. They were based at a range of sites covering almost sixty miles, mostly along the Fife coast, perhaps defending what they had against incursions from the Vikings. Scott could see his three friends were concerned at the numbers, he was more interested in where they were. There were only a small number of Saxon camps further inland, the most notable on Loch Leven and Dùn Fearam Linn (Dunfermline). Scott was astounded at the way the Saxons were dispersed. He sought out mac Duff.

"My Lord, how long have these Saxons been here?"

"Nigh on two years, why?"

"They seem to have made themselves over comfortable my Lord and I pray that their state of readiness is as sloppy as their thinking seems to be about the strategic use of manpower!"

Scott returned to his King and friends to set out what he intended they do.

My friends, I always intended to try to sweep quickly through this Fife, to try and make our horsed forces work effectively for us. Now, with this information as to the Saxon's dispositions, I believe we can banish all of them within a mere three or four days!"

His friends looked at him with astonishment. How could they achieve that with the much inferior numbers available to them? They had been coming round to thinking that mac Duff was right, that there was little impression they could make against the Saxons with the forces they had. Scott explained his tactics, and his friends sat back, excitement in their eyes as they appreciated Scott's tactics and really began to believe this could be done.

"Scott man, remind me never to fall out with you!" Said Lachlan, impressed by Scott's ability to so quickly grasp the situation and come up with a plan to exploit it to the maximum.

They waited at Auchterarder for two more days while their own foot and that of mac Duff arrived. Scott then gave orders for how they should be arrayed in the field and let two more days pass to allow men to get into position. He fretted that these delays would somehow allow the Saxons to become alerted to their presence. But after the two days, after the almost two weeks of waiting, it began!

Their first target was the furthest north, Cupar. Scott sent three hundred of his mounted force to the south of the settlement, including all of his archers with their crossbows. He retained two hundred and rode with them to the north of the camp. When he estimated all were in position he signalled his two hundred to advance until they were on a rise, clearly visible to the settlement. He then ordered horns to be blown, alerting the Saxons to their presence.

The Saxon response took a little time to manifest itself but at last they could see men streaming southwards. The Saxons were probably looking to run to the next settlement to swell their numbers. Scott signalled the advance and his two hundred began to ride forward, herding the hundreds of fleeing Saxons onto his waiting men. This was a tactic Scott had remembered from his school studies of world war two - the 'hammer and anvil'. He thought it had been used by the Germans to good effect. The Saxons were currently running towards three hundred of his men, one hundred and fifty of who were armed with crossbows. The two hundred he was leading would pound the Saxons onto the anvil of this force, causing carnage he hoped.