glencoe04 The Vikings The Year is ... AD 800 Viking invaders first invaded the North and West of Scotland at the end of the 8th century. Having claimed much of the Hebrides, they gradually moved into mainland areas of the West Coast. Traces of their settlement are seen in place-names, particularly in coastal areas. Gaelic tradition tells many stories of defeating the Vikings. In Glencoe the Vikings were said to have invaded Laroch, by Ballachurlish. A fleet of forty longboats full of Viking warriors sailed up Loch Leven to claim the lands around Glencoe. They were lead by the Norse King, Erragon of Lochlann, who suggested that the two sides should fight to the death, with the victor claiming the lands of Glencoe. On the fields of Achnacon, close to where you are now (in the Visitor Center) each side put forward 140 of their best warriors. A long and bloody battle commenced. Hours later much blood was shed and many men lay dead, including King Erragon himself. The Vikings retreated and the lands were kept by the people of Glencoe.