The poem, written somewhere between 1504 and 1508, portrays an ideological, historical and cultural conflict between William Dunbar (representing Lothian, and Anglic Scotland) and Walter Kennedy (representing Carrick and Gaelic Scotland).
O poema, escrito nalgún momento entre 1504 e 1508 presenta un conflito ideolóxico, histórico e cultural entre William Dunbar (representando Lothian, e a Escocia inglesa) e Walter Kennedy (representando Carrick e a Escocia gaélica).