Largs Pencil
North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire
![Pencil, Largs, North Ayrshire](aerial/largs_pencil_d.jpg)
Looking north towards the town with the Cumbrae ferry approaching the pier.
The far shore is the south coast of the Cowal peninsula from Castle Toward on the left to Innellan on the right.
The far shore is the south coast of the Cowal peninsula from Castle Toward on the left to Innellan on the right.
![Pencil, Largs, North Ayrshire](aerial/largs_pencil_g.jpg)
The monument was built as a marker for the site of the Battle of Largs which
took place near here in 1263. The Scots beat the Vikings.
![Pencil, Largs, North Ayrshire](aerial/largs_pencil_a.jpg)
Over the next 20 or 30 years the Vikings - led by Haakon Haakonsson,
King of Norway - were hounded out of the western isles as well
![Pencil, Largs, North Ayrshire](aerial/largs_pencil_h.jpg)
This was taken on a day with dappled light, approaching high tide.
![A detail of The Pencil, Largs, North Ayrshire](aerial/largs_pencil_i.jpg)
The base is laid out with markers for the cardinal points of the compass.