Orphaned as a young teenager, Lowlander David Balfours only relative is his guardian and uncle, Ebenezer. Ill-thought of and disliked by many, its not long before Ebenezer betrays his nephew and David finds himself trapped aboard a ship.He soon strikes up a friendship with fugitive stranger and Scottish Highlander Alan Breck and becomes embroiled in the fierce Jacobite struggle against English rule. A tale of high-seas adventure, loyalty and fighting, the complex relationship between Alan and David stops Stevensons novel from becoming just a boys adventure novel.