The McGregors are supposed to be descended from the Siol Appin - the original Caledonian natives who fought the Romans at Mons Graupius. Their founder was Finghin, who was Abbot of Glendochart in West Perthshire in 966. He was reputedly grandson of Giric (who is also known by the anglicised version of his name, Gregor or Gregory), who reigned over the Picts and the Scots from 878 to 884. This royal line is referred to in the McGregor motto ‘S Rioghail mo Dhream’ or ‘Royal is my Race’.
The McGregor’s territories reached their greatest extent in the thirteenth century, but they were gradually deprived of them, especially by the Campbells. By the sixteenth century they were landless and maintained themselves by raiding the territories of other clans. This led to the Acts of Proscription from 1603 to 1633.These were intended to destroy the McGregors, but by the mid seventeenth century the McGregors had found favour as Jacobites, supporters of the Royal House of Stuart.
At the time of Rob Roy’s birth, his branch of the clan lived in Glen Gyle, at the head of Loch Katrine in the Trossachs. This territory was close to the rich farmland of the south which spread out around the southern edge of Loch Lomond. To the north of the McGregor territory were the wild high peaks of the Breadalbane Hills, where men could evade the Lowland forces of law with some ease.
Rob Roy was born in 1671. His mother was a Campbell of Glenorchy and his father was Lieutenant-Colonel Donal Glas of Glengyle, who had gained his title fighting for King Charles II. Rob would therefore have developed Jacobite sympathies from an early age. James II took the throne in 1685, but held it for only three years before anti-Catholic feeling and complicated political in-fighting handed the crown to King William and the House of Hanover.
Cattle played an important part in the Highland economy. A chieftain’s wealth was measured by the number of his cattle. Rent to a feudal superior was payed in cattle. They were also an important food source. As well as their meat, the cattle could be bled without killing them, and the blood mixed with oatmeal to make an early version of black pudding. Cattle were a major export from Scotland - at least 30,000 head of cattle passed over the border each year. Part of the economy was also based on the sale of the cattle in the Lowlands. This meant that huge numbers of cattle had to moved each Autumn to places like Crieff which held an annual market, or ‘tryst’.
Cattle droving was a much valued skill throughout the Highlands. As well as having a business sense, drovers had to know the terrain and weather to judge how fast to move the animals. Too slow and they would miss the market. Too fast and the cattle would lose weight and fetch a poor price.
In addition, cattle were regularly stolen from their owners by any number of clans. When it came to theft, the Highland code of morality excluded cattle, regarding them as communal property in much the same way as native Americans regarded buffalo.
Since cattle were at risk from marauders, then protection could be provided, at a price. The word ‘blackmail’ originated in these times. The Scots word ‘mail’ meaning rent joined to ‘black’ referring to a tribute paid to ensure protection of the cattle, who were black and smaller than today’s brown highland cattle. This business had official sanction from the government of the day. The McGregors, along with other clans, formed properly organised ‘Watches’. No Highlander would have seen a problem in stealing cattle when they were able, whilst protecting the property of others.
Rob Roy was involved in all these cattle activities - he was a legitimate drover, took part in and eventually led semi-official Watches to protect cattle, and also participated in cattle-reiving. He was a highly proficient swordsman and this is rumoured to be due to the fact that he could tie his garters without stooping - his arms fell two inches below his knees.
Whilst still in his teens, in 1690, Rob Roy and his Watch recovered 15 cattle stolen from the Earl of Breadalbane by the MacRaes of Kintail. This gained him respect and the patronage of other landowners who wanted their cattle protected.
Some wealthy landowners didn’t believe in paying ‘blackmail’. In the early autumn of 1691, the Livingstons, Earls of Callander and Linlithgow, were moving 200 head of cattle to the Michaelmas tryst at Stirling. Rob Roy and his men took all the cattle, inadvertently coming into conflict with the villagers of Kippen. When the herd was safely away, Rob returned to Kippen, and, finding the villagers had fled, he stole their cattle too.
This affair became notorious in Government circles, a reminder that the Highlands were not under the control of the Government’s army.
Roy married Helen Mary of Comar, a member of the McGregor clan, in 1693. They initially made their home at Portnellan on the north side of Loch Katrine. Rob stood in high standing in the clan, although he was not its chief. Archibald Kilmanan, the clan chief recognised his talents and rewarded him with land at Inversnaid on Loch Lomond. His new house was built there, and by the end of the century he owned a large amount of land along the east bank of the Loch. The harsh weather at this time meant that the McGregors continued their reiving, and by 1700 they controlled all the passes in the Trossachs area.
In 1700 Scotland was on the brink of Union. Hostilities between Scotland and England could still be roused. The English Parliament passed Acts concerning the succession of the united crown without consulting the Scots. England then worsened relations by banning the importation of Scottish cattle. There was talk of war, and help from France, where James Edward Stewart, the ‘Old Pretender’, awaited his chance.
Rob’s near neighbour in the south was James Graham, the fourth Marquess and first Duke of Montrose. He lent Rob 1000 pounds to buy cattle for fattening in the Lowlands. Rob gave the money to his chief drover, MacDonald, in 1712. He disappeared after buying the cattle then reselling them. Rob chased after him but to no avail. When he returned, he found that his own principle debtors had unsurprisingly disappeared too. Rumours spread that Rob had taken the money to finance the arming of rebel Jacobites. Rob had set his property as security for the loan and when Montrose heard of Rob’s disappearance, he was on the point of taking immediate and ruthless action.
Instead, Rob received a communication from Montrose. He wanted Rob to swear that the Campbell Duke of Argyll, newly returned from war service abroad, was in collusion with the Jacobites. Rob refused, and Montrose then sent his factor, Grahame of Killearn, to evict Mary and the children, seizing all their belongings. Rob was declared an outlaw, but was reunited with Mary and his children and found shelter with kinsfolk.
Rob and his family were then given a cottage on Ben More by the Campbell Earl of Breadalbane, who was not only grateful to Rob for not implicating his Campbell relative, but was also a Jacobite sympathiser. Montrose would not dare come in force onto a Campbell territory. But at the age of forty-three, Rob had lost all security and was an outlaw. Since the law couldn’t help him, he wreaked his revenge on Graham land; cattle and grain were taken at gun-point from the Grahams and their tenants. The wealthier tenants became victims of extortion. Poorer tenants had little to fear. One widow tenant who was about to be evicted appealed to Rob for help. Rob arrived on the day of eviction with the money to pay the debt. He instructed the widow to get a receipt, then ambushed the factor as he rode away, stealing back the money.
After the death of Queen Anne the crown passed to George I, who cared little for Highland problems. Montrose was appointed as Secretary of State, and became convinced that a Jacobite rising was imminent. His spies reported that Rob and his men had been heard toasting the health of the ‘true king’ at the Crieff tryst. When the Earl of Mar raised the Jacobite Standard in Aberdeenshire in 1715, Rob was recruiting supporters. The rebels raided Montrose land along Loch Lomond, but John of Argyll, the leader of the Government forces in Scotland, prevented them capturing Edinburgh.
Doubts about Mar’s leadership seem to have formed in Rob’s mind, and when the rebels faced the Government forces at Sheriffmuir that November, Rob’s actions are unclear. Views on his activities range from his absence to him looting the bodies of both sides, and being an agent of Argyll all along. It is usually said that his men stood by and watched the battle, refusing to take part. The outcome of the battle was indecisive, but the rebellion was all but over.
Montose still wanted rid of Argyll and again offered Rob his lands back if he could implicate Argyll in Jacobite dealings, but Rob again refused.
Parliament then passed an Act containing all the names of those accused of treason in the 1715 rising, including Rob Roy’s. Montrose continued to offer his assistance in return for Rob’s perjury, but Rob held out, eventually turning himself in to the Duke of Argyll. Argyll took him into his protection at Inverary, where Rob built a house at Glen Shira. Despite the great danger he was in, Rob continued to return to the Trossachs to see Mary and to continue his vendetta against Montrose.
In November 1716 he took Grahame of Killearn hostage, demanding a ransom. This drove Montrose to employ military force to look for Rob, although by this time the factor had been released unharmed.
Despite the release of his factor, Montrose went ahead with his plans, with the support of the King. Plans for barracks at Inversnaid were made, with the express intention of quelling Rob Roy and his band. In the spring an expedition was planned and arms were moved to Buchanan House and then distributed to the nearby tenants. However, Rob and his band were able to raid the arms cache before the military could act.
By now Rob was the talk of the community, and was becoming a folk hero. It seemed that the great Graham family could not capture him, even with the assistance of the authorities. But Montrose then secured the right to raise a company in pursuit of the outlaw. It also gave him the power to attack any clan that was under suspicion of being involved with the McGregors.
In 1717 Montrose and his company captured Rob Roy at Balquidder, and set off with him to Stirling. On the way, Rob broke free as the company forded a river, and distracted the puruing gunfire by throwing his plaid into the water. After this, Montrose gave up his persecution of Rob Roy.
John Murray, first Duke of Atholl, was under suspicion at court of being a Jacobite, for although he hadn’t joined the uprising of 1715, his sons had taken part. He needed to demonstrate that he was loyal, and decided that the capture of Rob Roy would be a good way to do this. He had seen Montrose fail by using force, and so he decided to use treachery instead.
He sent his son with letters to Rob, requesting that he meet the Duke at Dunkeld House, and promising him safe-conduct. Rob agreed to this, thinking that he would be discussing his submission to the house of Atholl. Instead, Atholl presented him with the same request as Montrose - he too wanted Rob to implicate Argyll in Jacobite dealings. When Rob refused to co-operate, and Atholl had guessed he would do, he was seized and imprisoned in Logierait Castle. Atholl wrote triumphantly to the king.
Yet again, Rob managed to escape. He charmed his guards into letting him receive a case of whiskey, which he shared with his captors. When a ghillie arrived from Rob’s wife, Mary, requesting news, Rob scribbled a note and, pretending to hand the note over, escaped on the ghillie’s horse, whilst the jailors were befuddled with drink. Atholl was now a laughing stock, and was unable to track Rob down to Balquidder.
Montrose and Atholl then formed an uneasy alliance. They were especially anxious to prevent the publication of a document Rob had written, detailing all the dealings between them. Atholl obtained government cavalry and seized Rob in a lightening strike at Monachyle Tuarach in Balquidder Glen. Again, Rob managed to escape on the way to Stirling.
By now he had proved that a highly trained band, familiar with the territory and with the sympathies of the local population, could outwit government troops. The military were no longer willing to pursue him, fearing their repeated failures could cause other Highland chiefs to take up arms. Rob was able to settle at the head of Balquidder Glen, a safe distance from the barracks at Inversnaid.
Rob Roy and forty of the McGregors took part in the Glen Shiel rising in 1719,, but the Hanoverians prevailed and Rob once again went into hiding in Glen Shira, before returning again to Balquidder.
Around 1724 a reconciliation between Argyll, Montrose and Rob Roy was arranged by the Duke of Argyll. It is unclear where this took place, but Rob was persuaded to petition General Wade (who was in charge of the army in Scotland) for a King’s pardon. This was granted in 1725.
Rob continued his life as before, working in cattle dealing and protection. He settled in Balquidder and died peacefully there in December 1734. He had just finished a meeting with his neighbour McLaren, for which he had asked Mary to dress him with his pistol and dirk. When McLaren left, Rob said, ‘Now all is over. Put me to bed. Call the Piper. Let him play "Cha till mi tuille (I shall return no more)", for my time is come’. Rob Roy died aged 63, although his burial place in Balquidder chrchyard records his age at his death as seventy.
Rob Roy McGregor - Rogue or Romantic Hero by Gilbert J Summers
Notes from the Rob Roy Visitor's Centre in Callander
Notes from the churchyard at Balquidder
Rob Roy McGregor: Highland Hero