Holding(s) in Company

Cairn Energy PLC
07 June 2005


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

7 June 2005

Cairn Energy PLC ('Cairn')

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

On 3 June 2005, Cairn was notified by Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., on behalf of
itself and certain holding companies of  Merrill Lynch Investment Managers
Limited and of certain other companies, that they had an aggregate interest in 
22,384,070 ordinary shares of 10 pence each in Cairn, representing approximately
14.04% of Cairn's current issued  ordinary share capital.

The registered holders to which this notification related and the number of
shares held by those registered holders as  at 2 June 2005 (if known) were as
follows:-

REGISTERED HOLDER                       NUMBER OF SHARES   NATURE OF INTEREST
(IF KNOWN)

Nutraco Nominees Limited (Des & Undes)        12,680,027   Non-beneficial

Merrill Lynch Pension Nominees Limited
A/C Noncert                                    1,296,614   Beneficial

Stamford Nominees Limited A/C Charty              17,908   Non-beneficial

Stamford Nominees Limited (Undes)                  1,000   Non-beneficial

Possfund Nominees Limited                        929,835   Non-beneficial

Britel Nominees Limited                        1,130,147   Non-beneficial

Treasury of the Government of the Isle
of Man Nominees A/C 5                            213,000   Non-beneficial

Treasury of the Government of the Isle
of Man Nominees A/C 10                           101,300   Non-beneficial

Other Names                                    6,014,239   Non-beneficial
                                              
                                              22,384,070   14.04%


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