 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.