Robin Hood or Crook? The Epic Story of Rob Roy MacGregor (or Campbell)
Channel: Celtic History Decoded
Date: 2023-12-05

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Robin Hood or Crook? The Epic Story of Rob Roy MacGregor (or Campbell)

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:09 Blackmail 
3:20 Blood Feud 
4:29 Spy?
6:46 Robin Hood or Crook?
7:45 Support

A robin hood figure or a Highland gangster? This is the epic story of Rob Roy MacGregor, a story of cattle raiding, financial ruin, resurrection and great escapes. Yet for a man who had such a wild life, he somehow managed to die peacefully in his bed in Balquidder at the age of 63. It was a wild life nonetheless.

The name Rob Roy MacGregor is so famous today yet he couldn’t use his own surname for parts of his life due the laws against the MacGregors, instead using his mother’s maiden name Campbell at times. So this is also the story of Rob Roy Campbell. Known for his dark red hair, often signing his name Red Rob, the tales of this Highland outlaw had been exaggerated over the centuries, in the likes of Sir Walter Scott’s novel Rob Roy and in a beautiful poem written by William Wordsworth called Rob Roy's Grave.

A famous man is Robin Hood,
The English ballad-singer's joy!
And Scotland has a thief as good,
An outlaw of as daring mood;

She has her brave Rob Roy!
Then clear the weeds from off his Grave,
And let us chant a passing stave,
In honour of that Hero brave! 

Today I’ve taken you to the beautiful Glengyle, a tiny village at the head of Loch Katrine. It is the birthplace of Rob Roy MacGregor, born here in March 1671 to Donald McGregor of Glengyle and Margaret Campbell. 
But back to the story. Donald MacGregor was the younger brother of the chief of the clan MacGregor, so Rob Roy was born into a position of some status. At the age of 18, Rob Roy joined his father and other clansmen in the failed Jacobite rising of 1689, that aimed to restore the House of Stuart to the British throne. Donald was taken to jail where he was held on high treason charges for two years, released just as his wife died. 
 
In 1701, Rob Roy acquired land on Loch Lomondside and at Balquidder, where he prospered as a cattle dealer. Like many other Scottish clan chiefs during the 17th and 18th centuries, MacGregor operated an extra-legal watch over the cattle herds of the Lowland gentry in return for protection money, which was used to feed the families of his tenants and clansmen. 

Sources:

Rob Roy MacGregor (1671-1734) https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/learning/hall-of-fame/hall-of-fame-a-z/macgregor-rob-roy 

Rob Roy https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rob-Roy 

Rob Roy MacGregor https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/Rob-Roy-MacGregor/ 

Rob Roy https://www.visitscotland.com/things-to-do/attractions/historic/famous-scots/rob-roy 

Rob Roy MacGregor’s Grave https://lochlomond-thetrossachs.co.uk/item/rob-roy-macgregors-grave/ 

Rob Roy's Grave - William Wordsworth http://www.poetryatlas.com/poetry/poem/2458/rob-roy&%23039;s-grave.html 

History Extra - The real Rob Roy https://www.historyextra.com/period/stuart/the-real-rob-roy/ 

Rob Roy 'was a traitor' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3236983.stm
 
The History of 'Blackmail' https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/is-blackmail-from-mail-that-is-black
 
Blackmail https://www.dictionary.com/browse/blackmail 

#robroy #history #scottishhistory