The mid-sixteenth century witnessed religious and political upheaval across much of Western Europe, particularly in the British Isles. In 1565, a good portion of the Scottish nobility rebelled against their sovereign, Mary Queen of Scots. The roles played and decisions made by the nobles and other prominent figures on both sides of this conflict, known as the Chaseabout Raid, provide important insights concerning the converging issues of feuding, factionalism, religion and dynastic and land claims in Scotland. Using this incident, I will offer new conclusions regarding the origins of the Scottish kirk and national identity, the rise of the modern notions of loyalty and allegiance, and the construction of the modern Scottish state.