Holding in Company

Cairn Energy PLC
17 April 2001

17 April 2001

                          Cairn Energy PLC ('Cairn')

  Notification of Shareholding - Companies Act 1985 ss.198-202 (as amended)

On 16 April 2001, Cairn was notified by Fidelity International Limited that,
following the sale of 92,800 shares, it and its direct and indirect
subsidiaries had an interest in 8,789,937 Ordinary Shares of 10p each in
Cairn, representing 5.95% of Cairn's current issued ordinary share capital.

The registered holders to which this notification relates and the number of
shares held by those registered holders as at 16 April 2001 is as follows:-

                                                           NUMBER OF
REGISTERED HOLDER                                           SHARES         %

Clydesdale Bank (Head Office) Nominees Limited                8,201,500
Clydesdale Bank (Head Office) Nominees Limited                  588,437
                                                              8,789,937   5.95%


The notifiable interests also comprise the notifiable interest of Mr Edward C.
Johnson 3rd, principal shareholder of Fidelity International Limited.