Original subtitles

Ahoy, there!

Fire!

Ah!

Those dragoons have done the trick.

It’s well we had them.

It takes more than foot soldiers to stop Highland men.

Prisoners, sir.

Three lairds and a clan chief among them, sir.

[soldier] Halt!

The price of rebellion, MacGregor.

Take them to Stirling.

Keep the rebels on the run.

- General Argyll? - Yes?

General Cadogen reporting, sir,

acting on orders from London to reinforce Your Grace.

I’m in command of 4,000 mercenaries from the Continent.

How will you have me use them?

You may march your men to the top of the hill

in full view of the Highlanders, and hold them there.

You will give me the signal to charge?

There will be no signal.

The very sight of such numbers will win the day for us.

But milord duke, my muskets can wipe every rebel in Scotland

off the face of the earth. Give me a free hand,

and there’ll be more bonnets than heads in half an hour.

No. We must spare the lovely bluebonnets.

They’re the finest men in the world.

I came to kill your lovely bluebonnets,

and to sweep through the Highlands with fire and sword.

- And by all the goats in... - I’m a Highlander myself,

you bloody-minded mercenary!

I shall be forced to report this to Mr. Walpole.

Report what you will.

But whilst you’re under my command, you’ll do as your told.

- [barking] - The men are coming home.

Aye, but some are not.

What has happened to my Robby?

They’ve taken him to Stirling Castle.

You’re his nearest kinsmen,

and you dare to show your faces in the glen without him.

We come to ask for his best plaid and sporran

and we’ll give ourselves up to be at his side.

They’ll not be taking Rob to England

like a breekless Catherine.

He must go as a gentleman. Even to his own hanging.

He is not hanged yet.

This is far enough. You’ll wait for me here.

I will not let Your Ladyship go into Stirling alone.

Bide here, I tell you.

- Argyll? - Yes, Montrose?

The council has been reviewing

Wightman’s final report of the battle.

[Argyll] Yes?

The figures appear to be, uh, inconclusive.

In what way?

Our losses were greater than those of the rebels.

Milord duke, victories are not always measured by the numbers slain.

I have no doubt that you can make London see it that way.

Just a moment.

Cousin Margaret.

- You know why I’ve come? - Aye.

You’ve been told.

I’m sorry, Margaret, but I’m very...

- You’re busy just now? - Well, I, uh...

I can wait.

Aye.

You have a list of the prisoners?

[Montrose] Such as it is. A mere 19 in all.

And only three lairds among them.

However, we do have the MacGregor chief

to throw to the English jurists.

Scots will be tried in Scotland, MacGregor and the rest.

Milord, would it not be politic, in view of so slight a victory,

to deliver up our chief prize for trial in London?

Would you be responsible for taking him?

I would indeed.

And you call yourself a Scot.

There’s little of the good Scots left in your speech,

- and none at all in your heart! - Milord!

What a trial for a politician like you.

A captive tied to your chariot wheels.

I am not secretary of state for Scotland. You are.

And it’s your loyalty that may be questioned, not mine.

Are you interested in my loyalty or the office I hold?

I’ll tell you this, Argyll.

If you don’t deliver MacGregor to London,

you’ll have no office to hold.

You’ll do well to think it over.

Her Ladyship of Glengyll,

putting an ear to the door like a serving wench.

And you, born a Campbell.

I’m not proud to be called Campbell

when the chief of my own clan put my Robby in jail.

His own hot blood put him there.

If yours had not gone cold, Argyll,

you’d be in jail beside him.

Oh, I’m fighting for Scotland too. But in a different way.

I realized we can never seat

the exiled King James on England’s throne.

If we’re to live in peace, we must be better neighbors.

And before I let hotheads like your Rob destroy Scotland,

I’ll see them in jail!

London must think you’re the great man.

Margaret, I’m trying to get an amnesty for all the Highlands.

To do so, I must make a vow towards London.

It may sound hard to you,

but Rob must stand his trial with the rest.

Oh, I see now.

Would it help you at all to send my Robby to London?

Do you know what you’re saying?

Down there they’ll stretch his neck in a minute.

If... If you did send him there,

would His Grace that you call Montrose take him?

Does it matter?

It might.

It’s a long road to London.

The ways are bad and full of highwaymen.

I should not like Montrose to fall in

with the kind of highwaymen you’d put in his path,

you MacGregor woman, you.

Oh, you have my word as one Campbell to another,

no MacGregor would harm a hair of his wig.

Ach, yes, we must mind his wig.

’Twould be a great catastrophe if his feathers were ruffled.

[chuckling] Oh, aye.

- [sheep bleating] - [dog barking]

You must forgive my coachman if he seems over-anxious

to get you out of the country.

- Like his master. - True.

Once you’re rid of me in London,

you think you’ll have a free hand in the Highlands.

Half our crofters pay rent now.

I see no reason to deny the other half my patronage.

- No reason but one. - And what is that?

When my clansmen have their bellyful

of thieving land-grubbers,

they fling them in the loch.

Nay, Killearn. Let him talk.

His words will be choked off all too soon.

[man] Come on, come on!

- Come along! - [bleating]

Come away there!

- Give way there! Make way! - Aye, sir, aye.

You all heel and make way for the gentleman.

Aye. Whoa, come on. Come on.

You blathering fools! Drive those sheep off the road!

Wipe the dust from his clothes, Nabby.

His Lordship’s wig.

Aye, that’s better.

Will Your Grace please accept this small reminder

to keep your nose out of MacGregor business?

Oh, Robby! [chuckles]

- So you got away. - Aye.

Thanks to Dugal, Hugh and Nabby.

Ah, the bonny lads.

New curtains.

I was making things fine for your homecoming.

- You were so sure I’d be back? - Well, I hoped.

Mother, the trouble’s not ended yet.

What are you looking for?

- My father’s pistols. - I put them away.

- Where? - In the big chest in my room.

You’ve no need of them, Rob.

You wouldn’t say that

if you knew who was taking me to London.

I do know.

It was I who sent the men to stop Montrose’s coach.

But it was Argyll himself who winked at what was done.

You went to Argyll...

...and got down on your knees to the great Campbell?

Have a care what you’re saying, Robert.

I’m a Campbell too.

It seems you’ve forgotten that you married a MacGregor.

I’m sorry, Mother.

Argyll is not the enemy you think he is.

He quelled the rising of the clans like any Englishman.

Yes, and he always will. But once the fighting’s over,

he’s just as good a Highlander as you are.

He’s set his mind on an amnesty for the Highlands.

He wants the war forgotten.

Why don’t you forget it too, Rob?

Why don’t you try the ways of peace, and settle down?

I suppose you had a lassie all picked out for me.

I don’t know who would have you.

Has no one at the inn been asking about me?

Do you mean Helen Mary?

- And why not? - Oh, she’s been busy, I hear.

- Busy? - Well,

you wouldn’t expect so bonny a lassie

to be starved for attention, would you?

Oh, no. Not if that’s what she’s wanting.

And why not?

Uh, is there anyone she might have a particular fancy for?

- How would I know? - Is there?

Well, if I were you...

Uh, bring me that curtain, please.

...I would find out... for myself.

I’ll do no such thing.

It was the horsemen, I tell you.

Take away the horsemen,

and we’d have driven them into the river Annan.

They don’t know what fighting is nowadays.

It would be a far different story back in ’93.

Did I ever tell you about the fighting at Killiecrankie?

You see, it was like this.

There was a redcoat coming at me from the front.

And another, all crouched and ready

to spring from the rocks above.

That’s not counting the one who had me surrounded.

All I had was my sword.

And what do you think I did then?

- I cut and I... - And I slashed!

Till the first one gave round.

I hacked at his head, and cut at his knees.

And then I turned to settle the hash of the one behind me.

Spring at the one on the rocks above.

Whirled towards another one!

Beat down his guard! And...

Away he went to better days.

What was all that about?

I’ve been slaying and slaughtering a few redcoats.

- Oh. - I’ll chop the haggis,

go back to your baking.

You need an apron over that pretty dress.

Um... what day is it today?

It’s Thursday, Uncle Hamish.

Oh, so it is. So it is.

And, uh, why are you wearing your Sunday best?

You’re not expecting anyone?

- Oh, leave the girl alone. - Oh, she started it.

[woman] Go on, get out of here.

Let’s see now, where was I?

You were wading in red blood right up to the knee.

Oh, yes, yes. [laughs]

When I was in me prime,

I could bring down two with every stroke.

[girl] Three!

- And sometimes four. - [all laughing]

Out! Out with you!

[Rob] Good evening, Hamish MacPherson.

Rob! Oh, Rob, lad.

[laughs] If you’d had me in the battle,

the two of us could’ve chased the Sassenachs

all the way down to London.

[Rob] There’s no doubt about it.

[Hamish] No doubt about it at all.

They say your cousin Dugal is a great man with a claymore.

And I don’t deny it.

We’re about the same tallness and broadness,

though I outweigh him by a stone or two. But, oh, Rob...

- Good evening, Rob. - ...in ’93 at Killiecrankie

- with Montrose. - Helen Mary.

Welcome home.

Not the Montrose that you escaped from. No.

Not that devil who sold himself to the English.

- No... - Helen Mary.

Excuse me.

It was his uncle. His uncle, the great Montrose.

- The Bonny Dundee. - Ah, those were the grand days.

Aye.

- Do you mind when you stalk the sentry? - Aye.

Ah, of all your great deeds,

that’s the story I like the best.

[Hamish] Aye.

How you took ’em by surprise in broad daylight. Aye.

Ah, lad, that was the instinct of the hunter.

There he was.

Standing up for all the world to see

like a cairn on a mountaintop.

And there was...

Good evening.

Oh, Rob!

- It’s grand to have you back. - Thank you.

Sit down.

You can help the lassie, if you’ve a mind.

Uh, thank you, but, uh...

Helen Mary. Could I have a straightforward word with you?

- Alone? - Alone? What are you thinking of, Rob?

I think I can be trusted.

Helen Mary,

have I not been civil to you in the past?

Oh, yes, you have, Rob. Very civil.

Oh, you’re a God-fearing lad, Rob.

But you’ve been away to the wars.

Who knows but you’ve picked up the loose ways of a soldier?

Talking from experience, no doubt?

Pay no heed to him, Rob. Sit down.

You may speak as free as you like.

There are no eavesdroppers in this house.

And there’ll be no bagpipes either.

Just going to soften the reed.

What was it you were wanting to ask me about?

Uh... I, uh...

Yes, Rob?

I wonder how matters lie between us.

You were wondering, uh, how matters lie between us.

What do you mean?

I mean, you’re not a bad-looking girl.

It’s good of you to say so.

There are other lads about that may have thought so too.

Oh, I don’t know.

[Hamish] What about Hector Stewart?

Well, he may have cast his eye upon me in the kirk.

- No doubt you stared back at that round-eyed bullock. - I did not.

Hector was minded to speak a straightforward word too,

but he never got past the threshold.

- Have I...? - Oh, no.

My mother sends you her love.

You can take mine back to her.

She loves you like her own daughter.

You wouldn’t believe the changes she’s...

You wouldn’t believe the changes she’s made in the house.

Uh, we’ve two new leather chairs,

and new curtains... curtains for the windows.

- [reed squeaking] - A great bed of timber.

[shouting] And a looking glass as tall as...

A looking glass as tall as yourself.

My!

There’s many a lass that’d be proud

to have a house like Inversnaid.

I’ve no doubt.

Uh... maybe you would.

- It’s better now. - Shh.

Did you come looking for a housekeeper, Rob?

You’d think he’d be looking for a wife.

Well, a man must have something

to look at after the kirk on Sundays.

You know fine why I’ve come.

I’ve been casting my eye upon you too these last three years.

Have you now?

Why would you ever do that?

Helen Mary,

- will you be my...? - [bagpipes blare]

What were you saying?

Kinsmen and friends!

- [crowd silences] - To Helen Mary, my bride.

She’s blithe and she’s bonny.

She’s my mother over again.

And I’d spill my heart’s blood in her defense.

As this will be token.

[woman] Ach, she’s a bonny wee lass.

♪ When all things are gay we will drink while we may ♪

♪ With a toast to our laddie in a merry, merry cup ♪

♪ We will set our cares aside if you kiss the bonny bride ♪

♪ And go leaping high and wide ♪

♪ While your legs will hold you up ♪

[man] Whoo!

What brings you here?

I come to read a proclamation from King George.

"It has pleased His Majesty to signify his approval

of an act of grace and pardon,

granting amnesty to all persons who’ve committed treasonable offenses

against him. Such pardon and amnesty

to be granted to all the Highland clans,

save only the cursed and traitorous Clan MacGregor,

whose name shall be forever abolished.

Herewith it is decreed that any man known as MacGregor

shall henceforward call himself

and his bairns already procreated

after any other surname he may choose.

And it shall be unlawful

for a minister of the Church of Scotland

to baptize or christen any male child

called by the name of MacGregor.

Nor shall any man of the Clan MacGregor

at any time bear arms,

either weapons offensive or weapons defensive,

"under pain of death."

You and your black cattle

had best get out of MacGregor country while you may.

Still high and mighty.

Maybe this will cool your pride.

I bear a warrant for the arrest

of the escaped prisoner Rob MacGregor

and his return to Stirling Castle.

Signed and sealed by the secretary of state for Scotland.

Don’t you believe him, Rob.

The duke of Argyll would never put his name to such an order.

This order is from the new secretary.

- The duke of Montrose. - Let me see it.

With pleasure, my dear lady.

If you didn’t abide among the mists and the crows,

you’d know Argyll has been stripped of his offices

and sent to his castle at Inverary.

Then your Montrose is plied with fencibles.

- Aye. - Sent to humble the MacGregors.

Aye!

- [man] Give us the word, Rob. - Aye, give us the word.

No, put up your dirks.

- And go back the punch bowl. - [man] Aye.

- The punch bowl. - Aye.

Go and get puggled if you want,

but if you try any of your games,

we’ll take more than your names away from ya.

[Helen Mary] Rob!

Go with my mother, Helen Mary, to Inversnaid.

Come, lass.

You’ve not seen the last of Rob MacGregor.

It takes more than the hook of a Sassenach

to hold a Scottish salmon.

Get after him!

I’ll go down!

Don’t let him get away.

[man] Behind the great stones!

Downstream, you dunderheads!

A day and a night is a long time to wait.

Are you sure he said he’d meet us here?

Aye. He said the punch bowl.

No, he’s not coming.

Don’t thrash yourself, Dugal.

Those fencibles will never take Robert to the Highlands.

- Well, he’s not here now. - Give him time, man.

He’s had all the time in the world, and more.

You needn’t get your beard in a blaze.

Aye, bide a wee while longer. Sit down, man. Sit down.

[singing in Scottish dialect]

Ah, hold your voice!

[man] And you hold yours!

I like to hear the lad sing.

This is no time for singing, or for argy-bargy.

You old women can sit here till the strike of day.

I’m going after Rob, even if I have to go on my own.

- You’ll not go alone, Dugal. - You can count on me.

- Me too! - Come on then.

Your chief gave orders to meet him here, and here you’ll stay.

- Stand aside, James. - Stop this!

What’s all this stramash about?

- It was me. It was my doing. - Aye, I don’t doubt that.

He was just wanting to go after you, Rob.

There’ll be no going after me.

And there’ll be no more fighting,

among yourselves or against others.

Now that Montrose is the high and mighty lordling of Scotland,

- the clan will have to fight. - No.

If the clan shows fight, he’ll burn you out of house.

You’re not the men he wants. He’s after me.

You will not be giving yourself up, Rob.

No. I’ll lead His Lordship such a chase,

he’ll have no time left for the MacGregors.

We’re to let you take all the blows and knocks?

What kind of men do you think we are?

I know the kind you’re going to be.

You’re going back to your own houses.

Hide your pistols in the grain bins

and your claymores in the thatch.

And learn to speak as discreetly as a Glasgow bailie.

With our bonnets in our hands?

Aye, with your bonnets in your hands.

[Helen Mary] Rob.

Rob, you did come back.

Oh, Helen Mary.

You made a bad bargain when you took me for a husband.

Don’t say that, Rob.

If I had known all this was in store for me,

aye, and ten times worse,

I’d still have married you.

[man] No sign of him yet.

Sure he didn’t slip past in the dark?

No, sir. I’ve had 20 men posted all night long.

Mmm...

What are you going to do?

I’ll take to the heather.

- You’ll not go far away. - No, I must look to my clan.

If I don’t keep an eye on those hotheads,

they’ll have themselves hanged within a twelvemonth.

But if in the end, I’m driven

from these hills into the far north...

...I’ll not leave without you.

I’ll be waiting.

[man pounding] Open up!

- Where is Rob MacGregor? - I don’t know.

I give you my word, my son is not here.

Well?

The duke of Montrose is entitled to his rent money.

But he has no right to the double tax.

No right?

I want my receipt too.

And what do you call yourself?

My name is Dugal MacGregor.

There is no name as MacGregor. Put him down as MacAllister

and be done with it.

There will be none of that in my house.

- This is the inn of Hamish MacPherson. - Why, you...

Torcal!

- So it’s your inn? - Yes.

And where’s the charter for the land you built it on?

There is my charter.

- And there’s mine! - [all gasping]

- No, Dugal! - Any more trouble from you,

or any of the rest of you mangy tykes,

and I’ll take you to Stirling and leave your crops forfeit!

Now maybe you’ll listen to me.

This... is the quarter rent you pay to the duke of Montrose.

The same as it always is, aye.

But this one grows and grows.

Next quarter, it’ll be doubled.

Then doubled again.

Until it grows so great,

you’ll have to sell your livestock and farm gear

and your land itself

to keep the bag full, unless...

...you wish to claim it now.

The whole sum will be posted as a reward

for the man who leads us to Rob Roy MacGregor.

[Rob] I’ll claim it.

Take their weapons.

Dugal! Give it to Callum. Throw them in the loch.

Aye.

Give every man back what he’s due.

Aye.

As for you, you poor, cowardly walking act of Parliament,

go and tell your master this:

My men have laid down their arms.

They obey your laws because I told them to.

And that command they still must keep.

As for me, you may take me if you can.

But leave my men alone.

For any levy you may plague them with hereafter,

I’ll take double the amount

from Montrose’s own granary and from his cattle herds.

If you burn out our MacGregor crops and steadings,

I’ll burn yours.

If you kill my men...

...I’ll kill you, Killearn.

Time after time you let the Red MacGregor

slip through your fingers.

And that’s not all.

On the 20th day of this month, to punish Dugal MacGregor

for false information,

you stripped his croft of its farm gear.

- Is that not so? - True, Your Grace.

And on the 21st, ten of my finest cattle disappeared.

You further report

that fencibles quartered in MacGregor houses

are waylaid and beaten by an unknown hand.

An unknown hand, you witless dolt!

You’ve made me the laughing stock of Edinburgh and Stirling.

Now London is asking questions.

Mr. Walpole himself!

We’ve done our best, milord, but I need more men.

You have all my fencible troops now,

save only my personal guards.

How many do you need to capture one man?

He’s more than one man, Your Grace.

That plowman on the hill is Rob MacGregor.

The man who carries the water

from the spring is Rob MacGregor.

The boatman on the loch is Rob MacGregor!

And even the wee lad who fetches in the cows.

As for the women,

a soul of honor!

Her Ladyship of Glengyll

has swore herself with such conviction

the devil himself would believe her.

And all the time she was hiding her son in the house.

Then bring her in.

We’ll show them what our courts can do

to those who harbor a proscribed outlaw.

A desperate measure, Your Grace.

It may make the outlaw desperate too.

Aye, it may bring the whole clan about our ears.

We’ll sorely need the backing of the redcoats.

Very well.

If Colonel Carpenter can spare us the soldiers,

we’ll re-garrison the old fort at Inversnaid.

You have no right to strip my house.

For harboring an outlaw,

your chattels are forfeit to the Crown.

As for you, my fine lady, we’re taking you to Stirling.

She did not break your law!

She did not know her son was in the house!

Torcal!

Get rid of the girl.

You slinking coward. Leave the girl alone.

Helen Mary!

Muskets!

[Helen Mary] Rob!

- Are you all right, Mother? - Yes. Here, Rob.

- [gunfire] - Get down.

Dugal!

[Lady Glengyll coughing]

She can’t endure the smoke much longer.

[Killearn] MacGregor!

Come out, MacGregor!

We’ll spare your women if you give yourself up.

Bring her out, Helen Mary.

Willy, fetch Rob.

- What is it, Rob? - I must look to my mother.

Dugal, see that the fort is surrounded.

Don’t let one of them show his head outside.

We’ll keep them in siege until they starve or surrender.

Aye.

[whispering] Robby...

He’s coming, Mother.

He mustn’t fight with the soldiers.

You must stop him, Helen Mary.

Yes, Mother.

There must be no more killing.

It’s so easy to set the heather on fire...

...and so hard to put it out.

I have come to honor my kinswoman.

You honor us all, milord.

Your mother was a great lady. God blessed and bless her.

MacGregor, this time there’ll be no escape.

You barbarian! You crude, unfeeling fool! Get you gone!

Take them both.

So your Campbells have joined the MacGregors.

Mr. Walpole shall hear of this.

Still threatening me with London?

Then I’ll tell you something about our king’s minister

you may not know.

Mr. Walpole buys many men like you,

aye, and sells them, too, when they no longer please him.

So get back south and lick his boots, while yet you may!

[man] I am the resurrection and the light, says the Lord.

He that believeth in me, though he were dead,

yet shall he live.

Fare ye well, milord. We MacGregors stand in debt to you.

The Highlands would be in your debt were you to lift the siege

- from Inversnaid Fort. - Let my mother’s murderers go free?

No. We tried to have peace, milord.

And when they denied us amnesty,

we still tried to keep their laws.

But now we know that they’d ravage

and burn and butcher us all

if we lay down our arms.

Not if I could have you included in the general amnesty.

I have lost office. I have lost the ear of Mr. Walpole.

But as a Knight of the Guard that I still may go to the king.

You have concerned yourself too much with our quarrel.

The peace of the Highlands concerns us all.

Will you not try once more to let reason prevail?

I will not give a promise I may not be able to keep.

But again, my thanks.

Helen Mary, I beg you to restrain him.

He may listen to you.

I’ll do all I can.

You must let the soldiers go, Rob,

and give Argyll a chance to make peace.

And be murdered for it?

I’d rather be shot for a wolf than a sheep.

Maybe you must humble your pride for the sake of the rest.

It’s so easy to set the heather on fire,

so hard to put it out.

Empty words, Helen Mary.

They’re not mine, Rob.

Those were the last words spoken by your mother.

Sir, the MacGregor himself has come under a flag of truce.

- He is offering us terms. - Offering us terms?

- You go back and tell him... - I pray you, sir.

Let me give him his answer.

[Killearn] MacGregor!

Well? Is it peace or war?

- Is it bad, Rob? - No.

Now, Rob, do we beg for mercy with our bonnets in our hands?

No. It’s war.

Madam, stop!

Here. Here you are, lady.

A new ballad about Rob Roy. All for one penny.

The duke’s man rode from Stirling and up to Inversnaid

to put 100 pound on Rob MacGregor’s head

The gold, it went on beggin’ So did the duke as well

For in walked bold MacGregor and claimed it for himself

Here it is. It’s true history.

True history as I’m a Christian woman.

[woman] Mr. Billingsley.

The Highland Rogue, if you please.

Certainly, countess. I am deeply honored

by His Majesty’s patronage.

This cabinet meeting has been called, gentlemen,

to consider the very dangerous state of affairs

existing in the Scottish Highlands.

Our secretary of state for Scotland

brings with him the disturbing intelligence

that the Clan MacGregor,

led by their outlawed chieftain, Rob Roy,

has openly revolted and besieged the king’s fort at Inversnaid.

We have every reason to believe

that the other clans will join them

in a full-scale uprising.

The other clans appear to be content with the king’s amnesty?

Milord Marlborough, the amnesty saved their hides.

But their loyalty to the king is only skin deep.

Scratch a Highlander, and you’ll find a rebel underneath.

Why doesn’t Colonel Carpenter

march a force up to relieve the fort?

Because, sir, it might seriously weaken his garrison at Stirling.

And in the face of a general revolt.

What general revolt?

The clans rose in ’48 and in ’78 and in ’93.

And they tried it again only a few short months ago.

All they’ve ever needed to touch them off

is one troublemaker.

Now they have MacGregor.

Tempest in a teapot.

Can be more serious than you think, Marlborough.

We haven’t the time for bickering.

Has His Majesty been made aware of the situation?

It was the king himself who requested us to sift the facts

and present our recommendations.

His Majesty is even now in the throne room

conducting his own unique study

of the Highlands situation.

[man] "And when the coachman"

had been laid low,

and Montrose himself

was sitting in the dust of the road,

Rob Roy lifted the wig

of the duke of Montrose,

"und... and..."

And?

"Tweaked."

This is what, "tweaked"?

Tweaked his nose.

- Tweaked? - Ja.

Tweaked his nose?

[speaking German]

[man] Your Majesty?

The duke of Argyll requests an audience with His Majesty.

[speaking German]

Argyll?

[speaking German]

His Majesty will receive him.

Your Grace?

His Grace, the duke of Argyll.

Does the duke not realize

that he’s no longer an accepted person at Court?

I do indeed. Nor would I intrude without great cause.

But I beg of you to explain to His Majesty

that when the safety of the realm is in danger,

an honest man will go straight to his king.

Then how many troops do you propose

to send to the Highlands?

I believe 6,000 would be adequate.

Six thousand? To relieve one small fort?

Milord Marlborough,

it is not for me to expound the philosophy of war

to the hero of Blenheim and the first soldier of Europe.

But I must humbly propose

that we follow your military examples,

and strike a ruthless and crushing blow

at the head and front of the trouble.

[chuckling] Oh, well...

I suppose if the secretary’s going to cite

my own campaigns against me...

He’s right, Marlborough. It’s reason and good sense.

Perfectly sound.

I agree, milord.

I have never questioned the secretary’s wisdom.

My only concern is where I’ll find the money for the troops.

All you can think about, Walpole, is money, money, money.

I’ll never mention the word again, sir,

if you’ll show me a way to get along without it.

Herr Walpole, Herr Montrose. [speaks German]

Majesty.

I am astounded to find His Grace of Argyll

admitted to the royal presence.

He, more than any other, has been responsible

for thwarting our secretary’s attempt to capture the outlaw.

That I am proud to admit.

Will the countess please explain to His Majesty

that this brave gentleman tried to surprise Rob Roy MacGregor

at his mother’s funeral.

We in the Highlands respect our dead.

My liege lord,

Mr. Walpole will tell you

that the cabinet has this day recommended

the immediate dispatch of 6,000 soldiers

to bring the Highlands under control.

Not one would be needed were it not for this man!

They’re not needed now.

Send bayonets into our mountains

and they’ll be matched with murdering knives.

But if you will send me alone and unarmed

to speak the words a Highlander can understand,

I will bring Rob Roy MacGregor back with me to London.

Preposterous! The only thing a Highlander can understand is...

[speaking German]

[speaking German]

MacGregor?

Here in London?

[speaking German]

[speaking German]

[Helen Mary] Rob.

- Get you back to the inn. - Rob, you cannot do it.

You keep out of this.

I tried to make peace. I did as you asked, Helen Mary.

As your mother asked.

Aye, and both of you wrong.

I’ll trust no man again unless he be kinsman to me.

Nor listen to any woman.

And no one will stop me

blowing those cutthroats out of the Highlands.

Give me a hand.

- What’s in her? - She’s loaded with grape shot.

Good, we’ll rake them with it.

Light her.

Stand back, MacGregor!

Order your men out of the fort.

If you don’t...

Rob!

You’ve made a desperate fool of yourself, MacGregor.

And you’ve made a fool of me.

I went to the king to plead your cause.

He heard me out and bade me bring you

to London to make your peace.

And now you’ve committed an overt act of war,

which may well be more than the king can forgive.

Do you think we MacGregors will bow the knee to German Geordie?

No.

We took this fort.

And we’ll hold it against all your kings!

[all] Aye.

If you do,

I’ll come back with an army and take it from you myself.

Ach, let him go.

We need have no fear. We’re with you.

[man] To the last man.

Aye. You’re brave men.

And when the English armies come

and set the whole Highlands aflame,

bravely you’ll die to the last man.

Then nothing will be left of the Clan MacGregor,

nothing but the women and the burned houses

and the fatherless bairns

to tell of your glorious deeds.

Do you think I’ll sing your praises then, Robert MacGregor?

No.

I’ll say that once you were a man

who wanted to save your people.

You even denied yourself a wife

that none might suffer because of you.

I honored you then.

But I do not honor you now.

Ach, now the lassie means well. But you know how women are.

They’ll have you dead and buried before you’ve done any fighting.

There’ll be fighting by the time we’ve gathered the clans.

- We’ll gather all the clans. - Aye.

The Robertsons will join the Drummonds of Perthshire.

And the Gordons under the good man of the bog. We’ll surely meet.

Then the Stewarts of Appin will come in.

And the MacKenzies of Kintail. And the Camerons of Murray.

And the MacLeans of Mull.

When the redcoat armies come marching up

to smoke out a nest of MacGregors,

they’ll find a whole swarm

of bluebonnets a-buzzing about their ears.

[speaking German]

Sire, MacGregor has refused to come.

Worse than that, he has taken your fort at Inversnaid

and is determined to hold it.

If the other clans join him,

the army these gentlemen have urged upon you

will be most sorely needed.

In such a pass, Your Majesty,

the only reparation I can make

is humbly to offer my sword

against the rebels to redeem my failure.

- [speaking German] - [bagpipes playing]

[chuckles, speaking German]

His Majesty awaits you. Alone.

I have come to Your Majesty

because you sent the duke of Argyll to me.

I trust him...

...and ask his pardon.

From Your Majesty I ask no favor but one:

I beg of you, grant amnesty to my clan.

As for me...

...you may do what you will.

[speaking German]

I have heard.

I hear many things.

I hear you capture my soldiers and take my fort.

You bring disgrace upon my clan and take my name away from me.

I pray, Your Majesty, let me remove this insolence.

The king does not fear the bold enemy.

The king fears only the self-seeking friend.

I give you back your sword

and your name...

...Rob Roy MacGregor.

You are a great rogue.

And you, sire,

are a great king.

It must have been a wonderful sight, Hugh.

- And what happened then? - Right into the palace we went.

And there, in the great hall,

sitting all alone with his hat on his head,

was King Geordie, glowering out of a great wig.

Oh, I wish I could have seen him.

And what was he like?

He was like Her Ladyship’s Galloway nag

when he’s just going to take a bite out of you. Heh!

And you should have seen the lords and dukes

with clipped-up breeches.

And wee bodkins hanging about their knees to trip them up.

And not a man’s sword among them.

And right through all the coaches, bending and bowing

like barley in the wind, marches Rob.

As proud and as straight as an evergreen pine.

And he says to the king, he says,

"Geordie, I’ve come to get my name back,

- "and I’ll take my pardon now." - Aye.

- The king liked the look of Rob. - [all] Aye.

And the king said, "MacGregor," he said, "how would you like to be

my secretary of state for Scotland?"

And Rob said, "I’d do it, Geordie,

but I’ve got to go home now

and look after my great herds of cattle."

"Give the post back to Argyll."

Hear that, Helen Mary?

I heard.

When do you think he’ll be back?

Oh, you needn’t be looking for him yet, lassie.

The way they were wining and dining him,

he won’t be back for a week.

And what were the fine ladies like?

[man] They were covered with jewels, all over.

Great, red, heaving carbuncle stones on their fingers.

And diamonds as big as ducks’ eggs hanging from their ears.

Were the ladies very...?

Were their clothes very beautiful?

Well, uh...

They had cockernonnies and bobs of ribbon

piled up on their heads.

Oh, and golden combs.

And they walked on wee clobbers with heels so high,

a man had to carry them on his arm

for fear they would fall over.

Oh, that must have been a lovely sight.

The painted hussies! They’d better not make sheep’s eyes at our Robby.

Ach, it’s only natural

when a man marches into a town after a battle

swinging along to the skattle of the pipes,

that the ladies look down from balconies and windows,

especially if...

If he’s a fine figure of a man,

with an eagle feather shining

in his bonnet and his tartans flying!