When young David Balfour arrives at his uncle's bleak Scottish house to claim his inheritance his relative first tries to murder him then has him shipped off to be sold as a slave in the colonies. Fortunately for the lad he strikes up a friendship with Alan Breck escaping from Bonnie Prince Charlie's defeat at Culludon. When the ship's captain tries to kill Breck for his money the two manage to get to land and set out for Edinburgh dodging the ruthless Redcoats.