Where was the battle of Luith Feirnn?

There’s a reference to a battle in Pictland at a place called Luith Feirnn in the Irish annals for the year 664AD. This is around 20 years before the famous battle of Dunnichen, where the Picts defeated the Northumbrian Saxons. The Picts were led by Bridei Mac Beli, a prince of Strathclyde who claimed the Pictish high kingship. The battle of Luith Feirnn took place in Fortrenn, which was another name for Pictland. The entry in the Irish annals simply states;
“The battle of Luith Feirnn, i.e. in Fortrenn.”

This battle is interesting as it’s the first time Fortrenn is mentioned in the Irish annals. Fortrenn was also the name of a Pictish province, which gave its name to the whole of Pictland. The location of Fortrenn is unknown. The traditional idea is that Fortrenn was located in Strathearn and Menteith in southern Pictland. However, historians have recently suggested that Fortrenn was located in Moray in northern Pictland. The location of Luith Feirnn is also unknown. Feirnn is the genitive of Fern or Fearn, which is Gaelic for an Alder tree. There’s a place called Fern in Angus, a Fearnan on the shores of Loch Tay, a Fearn in Sutherland and Leitir Fearn on the southern shore of Loch Oich in the Great Glen. Leitir is Gaelic for a hillside. Luith is more difficult to translate. At first glance, it might mean loch. However, it may be another version of ‘luig’ or ‘logie’, which is Gaelic for a hollow. There are placenames like Ballinluig and Logie Elphinstone. Luith may simply be a misspelling. For example, there are two Pictish kings called Drust Gurthinmoch and Nechtan Celcamoth. Moch and moth would be the same word. Luich is more similar to luig.

Fearnan is a possible location for Luith Feirnn. As such, it may have been a battle between Dalriada and Pictland. Fearnan is located in a hollow between two hills on the northern shore of Loch Tay. This would have been a strategic area as it would have been the approach into the Pictish kingdom of Fotla. Just to the east, there’s a hillfort called Caisteal Mac Tuathal which overlooks the confluence of the rivers Tay and Lyon. The battle would have taken place during the reign of Drust son of Dungal, the predecessor to Bridei Mac Beli. Drust may have been the son of a prince of Dalriada as Dungal is a Gaelic name. On old maps, there are three names for Fearnan; Fairnan, Stronfaernan and Logyfaernan. If this was the location of the battle of Luith Feirnn, it would have taken place in southern Pictland.

Gordon, Robert, 1580-1661
https://maps.nls.uk/

A map of the area around Fearnan.

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