THE WRITER ON Rob Roy MacGregor is faced with a surprising problem – surprising in that while his subject is famous, known the world over, comparatively little authentic source material is available. Even now not much factual history actually devoted to him has been written, although references to him in works dealing with the contemporary historical scene are legion. The majority of Rob’s exploits have been handed down in local tradition, by word of mouth, in the true Gaelic and Highland practice, via what is sometimes called the ‘national memory’ – by no means the most accurate of media, however excellent a picture it is apt to give of the character of the subject. Sir Walter Scott’s renowned novel, with its notes, which has been so largely responsible for spreading the fame of Rob Roy beyond Scotland, is more valuable for its introduction than for the novel itself, which deals with only a small fraction of a long and exciting life – and even so relies heavily on tales collected in the MacGregor country almost a century after Rob’s death. To some extent, Scotland’s Rob Roy has a resemblance to England’s Robin Hood in more than his character and exploits, although the latter may be a wholly legendary figure.
While the main outline of Rob’s career is known and recorded, the author has to pick and choose for his details amongst the great mass of semi-legendary tales, seeking to select what can best be substantiated, what the known events of the times make to seem most likely and what best agrees with his interpretation of the hero’s character; an operation allowing scope for considerable latitude in presentation. The following account must be accepted therefore as one man’s selection to interpret a complex and somewhat mysterious character.
ONE OF ROB Roy’s SIGNATURES