The Highland Rogue

The exploits of Rob Roy MacGregor make him sound like a fictional character, but this was a living, breathing clan chief who became a legend in his own lifetime.

Born in 1671 near Loch Katrine, he was known as Red Rob for his brightly coloured hair and became famous as a Jacobite, cattle drover, and folk hero. Mystery surrounds Rob’s life but we do know that along with his legitimate dealings, he also ran a very effective protection racket for local landowners.

For a fee, Rob would keep a careful eye on their herds of Highland cows. If somebody didn’t want to pay, then it wouldn’t be long before those cattle began to go missing. The arrangement did ensure safety from the genuine danger of other raiders though. Rob was a giant of a man, with the reputation of a fierce fighter who hunted down anybody foolish enough to steal from his herds.

This reputation meant that Rob was trusted to buy cattle for a number of wealthy men, driving giant herds through the glens to sell at market before delivering the profit back to them. His main customer was the Duke of Montrose, but everything changed one day when somebody made off with a large sum of the Duke’s money. Rob insisted that he was innocent, one of his men had betrayed him but he was declared a criminal anyway.

He had no choice but to take to the hills and wild places around Loch Lomond and before long, stories began to spread about the legendary Rob Roy Macgregor, a cunning but noble outlaw. When one old widow was due to pay an extortionate rent that she couldn't afford, Rob kindly gifted her the money she required. Once a receipt for payment had been issued, the outlaw ambushed the rent collector on his way home and took the coin back. 

Rob repeatedly evaded attempts to capture him but even when he was caught, it was never for long. He had a knack of breaking out of prisons either by daring escape or simply bribing the guards who were usually in awe of his legend.