As the Spanish Armada sailed north in 1588 after its defeat in the Channel, the Scottish government under James VI prepared defensive measures along the east coast in case Spanish ships landed. There was genuine fear that Catholic earls might welcome Spanish troops landing in the Firth of Forth or on the Aberdeenshire coast. James VI assembled forces at Edinburgh and issued orders for coastal watch. Several Armada ships did shelter briefly on the Scottish coast before being wrecked or driven further. The Armada crisis intensified James VI's suspicions about the Catholic earls' reliability and Spanish intentions.
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