Darsie Latimer is a young man who gets kidnapped by Hugh Redgauntlet, and taken to a village in Dumfries. After much intrigue Darsie discovers that Redgauntlet is his uncle. He also discovers that a number of prominent Jacobites, and Bonnie Prince Charlie himself are staying in the village. Redgauntlet has summoned them all to start a new Jacobite rebellion, and he wants Darsie to join them to recover the British throne for the Stuart dynasty.