In the centre of Stirling stands a striking modern statue of Rob Roy MacGregor. During several periods of his real life (1671‐1734) his appearance in that ancient royal burgh would surely not have been thought worthy of celebration, for he took part in the Jacobite risings, and from 1712 to 1725 was outlawed. It was this episode which made him a “legend in his own lifetime” ‐ the hackneyed phrase is literally true in his case, for Daniel Defoe made him famous by chronicling his daring exploits in a highly unreliable biography, which was to be followed by many other versions, notably Scott’s novel and the recent film. In fact Rob, who had been following a more or less legal career as a cattle dealer, had been bankrupted by the disappearance of one of his subordinates with a large sum of money owed to the Duke of Montrose. Being pursued by the Duke, Rob carried on a successful campaign of harassment against his property until eventually reconciled to the Government by Montrose’s political rival, the Duke of Argyll. Not only his own life, but the unfortunate history of the Clan MacGregor in general are explained in the first part of the book. The text seems generally reliable, though a better proof‐reader would not have printed “The Act anent Peace and War” as “The Act against Peace and War”.
The second half of the book, as of the others in its series, is devoted to a list of over 50 sites associated with Rob Roy or other MacGregor leaders. These are all provided with details including map references, opening hours, telephone numbers and, where available, Internet addresses. The reader will discover, for instance, that Rob’s dirk and sporran are kept both at Abbotsford and at Inveraray! The illustrations are numerous, but inevitably rather small: they include an alleged portrait of Rob, inexplicably appearing three times, which has been declared inauthentic by more prosaic authors. It is also curious that the first Duke of Argyll is portrayed, though not mentioned in the text, whereas there is no picture of the Second Duke, who does play a significant part in it. The book would be a useful introduction to the life of one of the most colourful characters in Scottish history, but it may be noted that a much more detailed life by W.H. Murray is still in print.
