Battle of Carham

The Battle of Carham took place in 1018, when Malcolm II, King of Scotland fought against the Northumbrian leader, Earl Uchfred. Northumbria had been weakened over the years by its neighbors and was easily defeated in the battle. The outcome of this confrontation remains important, because it established the River Tweed as the Anglo-Scottish boundary. Prior to this battle, the boundaries had extended towards Edinburgh and the Lothians. The Anglo-Saxon place names between Tweed and the Forth testify to the control shifts that took place over the centuries.