Sorley Boy has spent the past few years in striving to frustrate the schemes of Smith, and now those of Essex, for colonizing Ulster with English settlers.

He is willing to come to terms with the government provided his claims to the lands are allowed, but Essex determines to reduce him to unconditional submission.

After a retreat into Scotland, Sorley Boy had returned and made an unsuccessful attempt on the crown garrison at Carrickfergus.

He had eventually come to terms with Smith, who supports his claims to title in the Route on condition that he take up the reformed religion.

Letters of denization had been addressed to Sorley Boy from the crown in 1573, but Essex has frustrated these with the renewal of his plantation scheme; still, Sorley Boy manages to hold his position, when Essex fails in his negotiation with the Scottish regent and the Earl of Argyll of a withdrawal of the Scots from Ulster.

John Stewart, 4th earl of Atholl, the son of John Stewart, the 3rd Earl of Atholl in the Stewart line (whom he succeeded in 1542), had been particularly trusted by Mary Stewart; but, after the murder of Mary's husband Lord Darnley in 1567, he joined the Protestant lords against her and, on her abdication, was included in the regent's council for her young son James VI.

He was by 1569 again advocating her cause.

He had failed to prevent the Earl of Morton's appointment to the regency in 1572 but now succeeds, with the Earl of Argyll, in driving him from office in March 1578, when James dissolves the regency and appoints Atholl lord chancellor.

Morton, however, two months later regains his guardianship of James.

Atholl and Argyll, who are seeking assistance from Spain, now advance to Stirling with a force of about seven thousand men, whereupon a compromise is arranged, the three earls being all included in the government.