there is reason to suspect that alan obtained william's approval in regard to his dealings with john. in 1211, ross and moray, the northern peripheries of the scottish realm, were invaded by gofraid mac domnaill, a member of the meic uilleim, a kindred that contested the kingship. facing continued opposition early in 1212, william likely undertook the treaty negotiations at norham as a means of retaining good relations with john, and the agreement itself was likely concluded in the context of shared security concerns. the meic uilleim appear to have drawn support against the scottish crown from peripheral regions of the realm, and likely from gaelic ulster as well. in fact, gofraid's invasion may well have been based from ulster, and could have been an after-effect of john's campaign there. the most powerful native gaelic ruler in the region during this period was áed méith ua néill, king of tír eoghain, a figure who appears to have not only seized upon the power vacuum created by hugh's fall, but may have also aided the meic uilleim insurrection in scotland. the successful implementation of alan's massive grant in ulster, therefore, would have not only served english interests in the region, but would have also dramatically increased the security of the scottish realm. in effect, the alliance between john and alan appears to have been a coordinated campaign constructed by the english and scottish crowns in an effort to secure the control of outlying territories where their royal authority was disputed.