Holding(s) in Company

Cairn Energy PLC
21 January 2005


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                                        21 January 2005

                           CAIRN ENERGY PLC ('Cairn')

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

Cairn was notified on 20 January 2005 by Legal & General Group plc on behalf of itself and its subsidiaries that they 
had an interest in 6,352,170 ordinary shares of 10 pence each in Cairn in aggregate,
representing approximately 3.99% of Cairn's current issued ordinary share capital.

The registered shareholders to which this notification relates and the number of shares held by the registered holders 
at the date of notification is as follows:

Material Interest                               Number of Shares      Percentage

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
914945                                                   57,293
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
775237                                                   16,500
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
942229                                                  107,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
942217                                                  128,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
942205                                                  140,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
942187                                                   80,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
775245                                                  638,303
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
130007                                                   20,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
357206                                                4,442,513
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
866197                                                   28,200
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
904332                                                   22,100
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
916681                                                    8,100
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
361602                                                    7,500
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
282605                                                  331,736
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
360509                                                  237,178
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
766793                                                   41,380
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
824434                                                    3,700
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/C
924422                                                   42,667

                                    TOTAL             6,352,170           3.99%

                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

END



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange