1719, the Highlands of Scotland. The Jacobite rising has failed. The Stuart king remains in exile in Italy, leaving Clan Gregor's dreams of restoring their name and lands unattainable. In despair Alexander, chieftain of the Loch Lomond MacGregors, hopes that his young but gifted son Alex will one day restore the clan's fortunes. Yearning to please the father he loves, Alex embarks on a gruelling education which at times seems senseless to him. He hopes to one day exceed his father, becoming a cultured and influential chieftain, who can win battles both with words and weapons. Clan life has always been dangerous and even more so for the MacGregors. A series of brutal events strikes at the heart of the family and threatens the clan's very existence. Can Alex, still a child, somehow save the clan and those he loves or must he turn his back on them and forge his own future?