Holding(s) in Company

Cairn Energy PLC
02 November 2005



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2 November 2005



                           Cairn Energy PLC ('Cairn')

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

On 1 November 2005, Cairn was notified by Aviva plc on behalf of it and its
subsidiaries that, having acquired a total of 220,989 shares on 31 October 2005,
the Aviva group has a notifiable interest in 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 1 November 2005 is as follows:-

REGISTERED HOLDER                                        NUMBER OF           %
                                                         SHARES

BNY Norwich Union Nominees Ltd                           1,848,915
Chase GA Group Nominees Ltd                              1,541,861
Chase Nominees Ltd                                         273,554
CUIM Nominee Ltd                                         1,270,046
                                                         4,934,376        3.09





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