Secretary Davison was in Scotland at this time, and he ridiculed Perrott's fear of Scottish invasion. The obscure politics of Isla and Cantire were not well understood even at Edinburgh, and the Englishman's judgment may have been warped by the contempt which he certainly felt for Arran. The whole thing, he said, had been greatly exaggerated. But, notwithstanding his opinion and that of Norris, it seems clear that the uneasiness among the western clans had something to say to the fall of Gowrie, and to Arran's short-lived triumph. The islanders would hardly move for king or regent, unless they saw some advantage to themselves. Some of them at least were paid by cattle taken from the O'Donnells, and all were willing to make interest at court if it could be done cheaply. Perrott's ships just failed in intercepting the Scots at Lough Foyle, and he could only speak from report. 'Yet truly,' he maintained, 'although they ran away thus cowardly, howsoever Mr. Davison was abused by his intelligence, they were in number little fewer, their training and furniture no worse, and their purpose no better, than I wrote.' Tirlogh Luineach was not minded to oppose Perrott, and he came to him at Newry without pardon or protection. The old chief's adhesion proved of little value, for, like other Irish leaders before and since, 'the better subject he became, the weaker he waxed, and the less regarded of his followers.' In fact he required help against his own people. But O'Cahan and the crafty Baron of Dungannon also came in, and Perrott proceeded to invest Dunluce Castle.[122] [Sidenote: Slight connection of the western clans with Edinburgh.] [Sidenote: Perrott takes Dunluce.]