Rob Roy: The Real History Behind The Scottish Legend | Heroes of Scotland | Battlefields Of History

[Applause] Rob Roy has long been a figure of romance and [Music] Legend [Music] [Music] [Music] for [Music] [Music] to some he has even become a figure of fun [Music] in March 1818 the musical Rob Roy McGregor opens at the theater Royal Covent G McGregor husband life how did you escape their clutches Rob passing through the for of even Dow you of brigin cut the belt that found us and I ducked and I dived into the river where not one Trooper in a thousand would have dared follow me but how came you within their grass Rob by him who has placed a PR and where an olive blanch should be rle as balest Stone Rus [Music] [Music] B with my trusty bleed with my trusty and his neck mate I can assure you they were well [Music] acquainted up can't want for these constant [Music] inters Dan and sing Wily Joy can [Music] nevery is sold free Andy has this de you're some so are [Music] [Applause] [Music] you later still when of the earliest feature films added to the growing Legend but beneath all of The Tartan and Heather imagery there lived a real man this is his [Music] story [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] he was born at Glen Gil by Lo Katherine in the trus in the 1670s his mother Margaret was a Campbell his father Donald a McGregor a lesser Chieftain of the clan Gregor who had been commissioned as an officer in the army of Stuart King Charles II M called her son R Ru which found its way into English as Rob [Music] Roy his education was the traditional one of a Scottish child at a school provided by the parish the scriptures arithmetic and prayers all in what was considered to be a foreign language English for the native GAC was forbidden as a language of [Music] learning his informal education came from his clan Elders Politics the high Affairs of State filtered through the prison of the McGregor's history their friends their foes whose acts of treachery became acts of parliament intended to wipe out the [Music] McGregors the clan mot is Regal M Royal is our race defining a clan anointed by mystical links with ancient Kings of Scotland and the sanctity of honor where a man's word was his bond where there was no place for the dissembling or the evasive where a man lived and wed among his people shunning the false god of financial ambition his informal education included master classes in Sword Play and the Arts of battle and War from his Elders alongside the cultivation of the quick eye the sure foot the deaf touch robroy became famous for his striking red hair and long powerful arms which could elegantly cut a broadsword through the soft trus air such a repertoire of skills were needed amongst the McGregor Clan more than most unique amongst the larger Clans they had no homelands of their own they were fugitives from feudal decrees imported into the highlands whereby the succession of the first male born took precedence over the old Clan system of electing the most able and skilled member of the clan as clan leader [Music] this stand on their principles enabled their enemies to use the decrees of Loland laws to betray prescribe attack and dispossess [Music] them when the clan name had been prescribed McGregors were forced to sh shelter under false surnames the McGregor might have become an endangered species of Highland life but their courage ensured their Survival by the decade before Rob Roy's birth the hunting down of the McGregor had been [Music] halted [Music] the year was 1689 the McGregors already knew that their Stewart King James was no longer King of England they had learned that in London the throne had been offered to the Dutchman William of orange deposed by the sharp elbow of political Intrigue James fled to hospitable France but even more disquieting news now reached the McGregors with the English Throne now assured William had secured the crown of Scotland by a narrow vote in the Scottish Parliament James reign in Scotland too was now ended swiftly the charismatic James Gam vicount dunde had raised the flag of restoration for James and the Stewarts on dundy law the reluctance of the Protestant Len Scots to recruit for the Catholic King James led dunde to place his faith in the Highland Clans many of whom still clung to the older Catholic faith many of them including the McGregors Rose for the cause of James the Jacoby cause Major General Mai was sent North with a force of both both Scots and English troops to put down Dundee's Rebellion the opposing forces of dundi and Makai locked horns by the tea at KY cranky dundy Highlanders with their terrifying JBS slaughtered some 2,000 of makai's men but with one shot Maki snatched political victory for William from the jaws of military defeat dunde was downed by a musket ball he died from a mortal wound leaderless the Rebellion froze from KY cranky flowed two effects the Jacobite cause went underground and the forces were set in motion for the ultimate destruction and reconstruction of the Highland Way of Life in 1693 robroy married Mary of Kromer Helen Mary McGregor from a Farm close to l L it was a day of joy and happiness like all Highland weddings a day for the exchange of loyalties between bride and [Music] groom [Music] [Music] Rob and Mary settled initially at port nellan on the Northern Shore of L Katherine but as his star quickly Rose within the clan the clan chief his cousin archal soon provided him with a land and a house by L Loman called Craig Roston discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and adree podcasts presented by world-renowned historians all from history hit watch them on your smart TV or on Theo with your mobile device download the app now to explore everything from the wonders of ancient Pompei and the Mystery of the princes in the tower to the life of Anne bin and dday sign up via the link in the description few Loland Scots had visited L Loman fewer had heard of it and even fewer still had a kind word to say about the Highlanders their family traditions and their homes for them the highlands were another country where the Clans operated as small nation states defending their lands against each other Lawless people living in bad lands of brigands bypassed by progress and civilization held back by an archaic worship of the past living in Turf roofed houses that were filled with large families Peete smoke and animals whilst they the lowlanders were people of quality enjoying the good life that improving trade and commerce harvested they preferred badinage to barbarism the coffee house to the Croft the High Street to the [Music] highlands Rob Roy the McGregor and other clans saw things quite differently reverence for the family name the interdependence of the community honor courage Valor and the provision of a fledgely welfare state for clan members in return for rent paid in the Highland currency [Music] cattle but one man's meat was also another man's Envy Highlanders condemned theft but at the same time regarded cattle as the property of the entire community as freely available to all as the Highland air the delivery of cattle to markets their protection from the elements and Raiders and their final sale was a major Highland industry before his marriage to Mary Rob Roy had become a cattle drover charged with such responsibilities Clans such as the McGregor operated a security service protecting cattle roots to markets from cattle robbers called a watch the watch operated like an almost frictionless machine lubricated by a special payment given a special name from the Scots word for rent male came a term that descended into the dictionary in notoriety black [Music] male Rob Roy earned a formidable reputation as a cattle drover two incidents served at his induction into Fable and fame a party of mccre had trespassed onto Campbell lands by the west of Lte taking some cattle engaged to recover the stolen stock Rob Roy and his men tracked them across the wastelands of rakm and onto the traveling routes of bok mcferson territory Rob Roy located the mcra and the cattle striking at night recovered and returned the cattle at kippen Rob Roy and his men sought to take the cattle from the wealthy anti- Jacoby family the Livingston McGregors were strung out around the village to await the cattle but this served to raise the resentment of the villagers when the cattle appeared the villagers attempted to block the McGregor's path to them a light Skirmish ensued after which the villagers were repelled the drover was slain and the cattle taken Rob Roy returned to kipen to try to reason with its residents they were not the object of the McGregor's attack but when he arrived there were none to be seen they had fled leaving behind a ghost Village and their Castle robroy helped himself to such large [Music] s he was regarded through the highlands as a man of unflagging energy with a cold blooded relentlessness which allowed him to pursue greedy Predators whilst seizing the opportunist moment to show an anti- jaacob government that vacuum of legitimacy of their laws in his land his business prospered taking on more men safeguarding more important cattle routes to Market droving and retrieving cattle for Gentry and landowners but in 1712 disaster struck Rob Roy had borrowed £1,000 from James Graham the dukee of Monro to purchase cattle for fattening in the L lands he entrusted his experienced drover McDonald with buying the cattle sadly McDonald did not live up to Rob Roy's trust he bought the cattle resold them then vanished Beyond Justice enraged Rob Roy sought out McDonald and the two other important debtors who could pay him the £1,000 he needed to pay back the Duke of Monro but Monro ever ready to wound a suspected jackaby regarded Rob Roy's absence as a flight from debt the tongues Tremor in the coffee houses Rob Roy was secretly financing a new jackaby Uprising in reality he was pursuing three dors concealed in Mists of anonymity montro contacted Rob Roy via his Factor gra of K offering to forego the £1,000 and if Rob Roy would implicate one of monro's long despised political Rivals the dukee of ARG as a jackaby Rob Roy refused manro is retaliated by having Rob Roy declared as an [Music] outlaw in this warrant we hereby find in favor of James gam the dukee of monre and against Rob Roy McGregor of Inver a bankrupt in debt to a noble Juke of a considerable sum of money who refuses all reasonable means to discharge his bankruptcy by discussion or trial he is to be put to the horn and declared to be out with the law nor did he stop there montro dispatched Graham to evict Rob Roy's wife Mary and the children from their home at Craig Roston seizing his cattle and goods as well despite the harshness of the penalty Rob Roy and his family were soon reunited at the home of a Kinsman they were to be settled in a safe haven in Campbell country for Rob's mother was a Campbell and the Campbell felt honored by his refusal to accuse them of being jacobites the clash with montro proved a turning point for Rob Roy he had seen his people suffer at the hands of great families whose jealousies had been forged into hatred he had seen himself demonized as an outlaw and dor he had seen Loland duplicity scoff at Highland diplomacy he swore revenge on montro and the gram family their lands would be raided their cattle reeved their grain taken the fruits of wealth of Mont R would become The Grapes of Wrath of Rob [Music] Roy on the death of Queen an George from the German House of Hanover had become king a new faction of favorites had been installed at the court the Duke of mantro becoming the king's Secretary of State McGregor's downfall at his hands mantro wondered would offer the Juke the glittering Prospect of Accolade agulation and advancement he designed therefore to entrap Rob at the annual cattle sale at creef overnight the population of creef swelled with an influx of troops and spies yet somehow Rob Roy and his men managed to appear at the Town cross at at night plished with Whiskey Drinking toasts to the jackaby cause cheering singing dancing to the music of the pipes and then escaping into the night before the troops could catch them their daring impudence was copied successfully by other jackaby sympathizers in Scottish towns it became a symbol of discontent with the German King George Rebellion could not be long in coming [Music] 1715 after 25 years of hibernation the Jacobite rebellion rose up again the son of the deposed King James now dead also called James sought his father's Throne Scotland and England had changed since the days of Ky cranky two countries but now with one parliament in 1707 the scotch parliament in Edinburgh had already voted itself out of existence and merged with the English parliament in London amidst accusations that the Scots MPS were the best MPS that money could buy the he of marah raised the Jacoby standard at Brar but for some of the Clans the steuarts were a Faded Glory long on ambition short on success some distrusted the ear of marah known as Bob and Jon on account of his slippery principles amongst the McGregors tinges of realism and reluctance were evident so without committing the clan Rob Roy joined the Earl of marah the rebellion's one major engagement took place at Sheriff mure where Mars forces fac government troops under the jke of argal [Music] the right flank of each Army demolished the Left Flank of the other the battle was [Music] indecisive the Rebellion soon flickered out if the 1715 Rebellion confirmed the Stewarts as the D of Broken Dreams for Rob Roy it became a nightmare added to his stigma as an outlaw he was now branded by an act of parliament as guilty of high treason the following Act passed by Parliament and graciously approved by his majesty King George decrees that the following Stand Accused of high treason against King and Country unless they surrender to the king's Justice by the last day of June 1716 Robert Roy McGregor mantro continued his campaigning of attrition attempting to stain Rob Roy's honor Rob Roy was offered his lands back if he would point the finger at the dukee of ARG as a Jacoby Rob Roy again refused to defame the Highland code of honor Monro responded as before Rob Roy's new home in the lands of the Campbell was the target of a raid it was burned to the ground and all possessions taken montro continued to dangle his land for a lie offered to robroy to incriminate Argy but in a move to outflank him robroy surrendered to the sympathetic argal Rob Roy and his men gave themselves up to the dukee of Argy proudly surrendering their worst weapons their best weapons they kept for the raid on montosa lands Rob was a consumate player in the game of makavelian intrigue which allowed a supposed Outlaw and traitor to the crown to continue to use the skills of scaly against his personal enemy Monro montro was allowed one moment of Triumph against him after a Chase through the Glenn to belad Rob Roy sought refuge in his new home there as he lay asleep his home was surrounded by monro's men arrested he was bound to be taken to Sterling but by the Fords of Fu man's Elation evaporated using a hidden knife robroy cut himself free from his capter and dashed into the cold water monro's dream was dashed by the the Fords of Fu Rob Roy could not be defeated word of his exploits flashed from Clan member to Clan member of how Rob Roy had raided inverse nade Barracks which the government were constructing to keep him in check and of how he halted its construction by capturing all the workmen and of his novel fact finding methods whereby people reluctant to speak were gently lower into the Waters of L lament and asked the same questions again Rob Roy's submit or submerge policy was extremely successful of evicting two soldiers from his very own cave where they were Sheltering whilst on a far to capture him of how he would secure rent from monro's tenants and then provide them with a receipt saying that they had in fact paid the rent due to montro [Music] would monro's acceptance of defeat mean victory for Rob Roy no the poison Chalice of vanquishing the McGregor was passed to the Duke of athl a man most enthusiastic to promote his credentials as a loyal supporter of King George he tried a more direct route than Monro blatant betrayal robroy was invited to a meeting with AEL to discuss the politics of the day Rob Roy's faith in a man's honor overrode his understandable suspicions why the dukee had provided him with his personal guarantee of safe conduct to attend the meeting on the politics of the day had just one item on the agenda would Rob Roy declare that the Duke of argal was a Jacoby sympathizer Rob Roy had heard it all before the same old story from an embittered Juke when he refused he was surrounded and [Music] arrested he was imprisoned near dunkeld but athel was denied his treacherous Triumph security at the prison was not all that good Rob managed to enrapture his captors with a portion of Highland charm and celebrity enlivened by more than a dash of whiskey a present from visitor anxious as to his welfare a duped head Jailer allowed Rob to write a note to his wife to be presented to her by a servant who appeared outside the jail with a horse quick as a flash he was off 1719 and yet another failed attempt to restore the Stewart monarchy in Britain a Latter Day Spanish Armada was to set sail from Spain and land an invasion force in the south of England while Clan Chiefs exiled in 1715 were to land in Scotland to provoke a rising in the north they landed in Scotland along with Spanish mercenaries bed themselves by loal and waited for word to advance what came instead was yet one more of those disasters that seemed to perpetually haunt the jackob might cause the news that the invasion Fleet had been wrecked off Cape finister the smell of defeat was already in the air unaware Rob Roy raised two score McGregor for the rising when the Scottish jacobites realized they were isolated and beaten their Commander evicted from his base on loal by a naval raid surprisingly decided to fight on rather than disperse his men at Glen Shield Clan's loyal to King George faced Clans loyal to the jacobites including Rob Roy Clan clashed with Clan as the King's Men pummeled the jacobites forced to retreat Rob Roy and the jacobites knew that they were beaten the dream had vanished to await a new generation Rob Roy vanished too into the shelter of Glen Shir it was to be his last call to arms for a jackaby Insurgency the following year convinced that he was safe from government troops he returned to the security of white family and balker for the rest of his life Rob Roy lived at bider in relative peacefulness secure in his reputation as the best drover in the land but the beginning of the end came when a minor dispute arose between the McGregor and the McLarens over ownership of a piece of land in [Music] 1734 to settle the dispute a jewel took place between Rob Roy and the young champion of the McLarens they fought with [Music] [Applause] broadsword and the young man succeeded in cutting Rob Roy and drawing his blood the first man ever to do so in a battle or in Jewel Rob Roy conceded Victory to the young man graciously complimenting him on his [Music] [Applause] dexterity it was the young displacing the old the admission that at last 40 Years of rebellion had worn out the hand in the eye of the swordsmith as the months came and went his health deteriorated in December 1734 he was visited by the head of the McLaren as a peace offering in very poor health Rob Roy insisted on receiving McLaren in his chair the meeting over Rob Roy retired to bed exhausted and it's over he told his wife call the piper let him play I shall return no more the piper was summoned and as he played Rob Roy breathed his last his death ushered in the birth of his Legend [Music] e [Music] for [Music] oh [Music] o [Music] oh [Music] e [Music]