It is not generally know that there was a Scottish invasion of Norway over three hundred years ago - in 1612, to be exact. Norwegians speak of the affair as the Skottetog, or Scottish expedition.
The invaders numbered about nine hundred, and were led by a Captain George Sinclair, of Caithness; their purpose was to join the army of the redoubtable Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden.
After landing at Romsdal the Scots followed the valley of the Laugen River inland until they got into a narrow defile of the Gudrandsdal, where they were skilfully ambushed and almost exterminated by the natives. Sinclair was killed, and a translation of the old monument placed over his grave reads: - Epitaphium: "Here below rest Mr Colonel George Jorgen Sinkler, who fell at Kringlena in the year 1612 with a force of 900 Scots, who were crushed like earthen pots by a smaller number of 300 Bonder."
Sir Archibald Sinclair, the leader of the Liberal Party in the British House of Commons, and Secretary for Air in Mr Churchill's new Cabinet, is of the same family as the Sinkler of the ill-fated expedition.
The Irish Times, May 13th, 1940.