Rob Roy (novel)

Rob Roy is a novel by Walter Scott about Frank Osbaldistone, the son of an English merchant who goes to the Scottish Highlands to collect a debt stolen from him. Rob Roy MacGregor, who the book is named after, appears in the book several times but is not the lead character (infact the narrative does not move to Scotland until half way through the book).

The story takes place at the time of the first Jacobite rebellion. The plot has been critisised as disjointed, the end especially is hurried. Critics were disapointed that Rob Roy was not presented as a more impressive figure however in general the critisism was favourable.

Rob Roy was written from the Spring of 1817 and published on Hogmanay of that year. Like the origional Waverly novel it was published anonymously and came in three volumes. The demand from the novel was huge and a whole ship from Leith to London contained nothing but an entire edition of it. Scott visited Loch Lomond and the cathedral in Glasgow as research for the novel.

Like the more recent Rob Roy film the character is based on truth but the story is complete fiction.