Through detailed case studies this volume re-evaluates the notion that the Scottish kingdom experienced a rapid and revolutionary change in government and aristocratic society in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Despite the emphasis on the transformations wrought by Frankish aristocratic settlers in social, cultural and governmental terms, across most of the areas dominated by the Scottish monarch, power remained in the hands of established aristocratic dynasties. The various contributions suggest that far from being 'traditionally minded' and conservative, these native lords were ambitious, adaptable and capable of controlling innovation and change to their own benefit.