′I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both; and I believe they both get paid in the end; but the fools first.′

Orphaned as a young teenager, Lowlander David Balfour′s only relative is his guardian and uncle, Ebenezer. Ill-thought of and disliked by many, it′s 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 Stevenson′s novel from becoming ′just′ an adventure novel for boys.