Siege of Dumbarton

The Siege of Dumbarton took place in 870, where the Britonic fortress at Dumbarton Rock was besieged by a Viking force from Ireland. The defeat forced the Kingdom of Alt Clut to move their capital towards the vicinity of Govan, from where it would later be known as the Kingdom of Strathclyde.

Siege of Dumbarton
Part of the Viking invasions of Scotland
Date870
Location
Dumbarton Rock
Result Viking victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of Dublin Kingdom of Alt Clut
Commanders and leaders
Amlaíb
Ímar		 Arthgal ap Dyfnwal

Background

Following the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, the Kingdom of Alt Clut was the only surviving Brittonic kingdom outside of Wales.[1] At the time of the siege it was ruled by Arthgal ap Dyfnwal.

For most of the 9th Century Alt Clut had escaped the worst of the Viking invasions of Scotland which occurred around this time.[2] By 870 the settlement on Dumbarton Rock, capital of Alt Clut, was the center of a small but wealthy kingdom, occupying a strong defensive position[3] which had previously survived several sieges.[4]

Following his successful invasion of England including the conquest of York in 866, Ímar joined forces with Amlaíb, the Scandinavian King of Dublin, to target this prosperous town.[3]

The siege

In 870 Amlaíb and Ímar gathered their combined forces and laid siege to Dumbarton for a period of 4 months, a length of time highly unusual for the period.[5] It was not until the defenders ran out of water that the Viking invaders were able to gain entry to the fortress.[2]

The aftermath

Once the siege had ended, a fleet of 200 ships transported the prisoners as slaves to Dublin.[5]

Following the siege the royal and religious centers of the kingdom moved upriver into the vicinity of Govan and the kingdom became known as the Kingdom of Strathclyde.[3] After escaping the siege, Artgal would be killed in Pictland, at the behest of King Constantine I.[2]

References
  1. Broun, Dauvit (2015). "Strathclyde, kingdom of". In Cannon, John; Crowcroft, Robert (eds.). The Oxford Companion to British History (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  2. "The Kingdom of the Britons". BBC History. BBC. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  3. "Ivar the Boneless and a brutal Viking invasion of Scotland". www.scotsman.com. JPIMedia Publishing ltd. 5 December 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  4. "Dumbarton Castle - History". Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  5. Archibald, Malcolm (2016). Dance If Ye Can: A Dictionary of Scottish Battles. Creativia. ISBN 1536821799.
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