A Legend of Montrose

Tales of My Landlord (Third Series)

Company type	Literary work
Industry	Literature
Founded	1819
Founder	Sir Walter Scott
Headquarters	Edinburgh , Scotland
Products	A Legend of Montrose, The Bride of Lammermoor

A Legend of Montrose is a historical fiction work authored by Sir Walter Scott, set against the backdrop of 1640s Scotland amid the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Together with The Bride of Lammermoor, it comprises the third installment of Scott's Tales of My Landlord series, both released in 1819.

Composition

Written in May 1819 shortly after finishing The Bride of Lammermoor, A Legend of the Wars of Montrose had been conceived earlier. While recovering from illness, Scott likely dictated much of the text to John Ballantyne and William Laidlaw, although manuscript evidence indicates that certain chapters were penned personally by Scott.

Editions

The initial publication of Tales of my Landlord (Third Series), which included both novels, was issued by Archibald Constable in Edinburgh on 21 June 1819 and by Longman in London on 26 June. Published anonymously, as was customary for pre-1827 Waverley novels, the print run was approximately 10,000 copies, retailing at £1 12s (£1.60). Minor textual revisions were made later that year for the Novels and Tales edition, while substantial updates—such as added notes and an introduction—were incorporated into the 'Magnum' edition during 1829–30, appearing as Volume 15 in August 1830.

The authoritative modern edition, edited by J. H. Alexander and titled A Legend of the Wars of Montrose, was released as Volume 7b in the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels (1993). This version is primarily based on the first edition with manuscript corrections; materials from the Magnum edition are included in Volume 25a.

Plot summary

Set during the Earl of Montrose's military campaign in Scotland between 1644 and 1645 on behalf of King Charles I, the narrative unfolds amidst conflict with the Covenanter forces allied to the English Parliament during the English Civil War.

Earl of Montrose

The central storyline revolves around a love triangle involving Allan M'Aulay, his companion the Earl of Menteith, and Annot Lyle. Having been captured as a child amid a feud with the MacEagh clan (known as the Children of the Mist), Annot was raised by the M'Aulay family. Both Allan M'Aulay and Menteith serve under Montrose's command. Upon discovering her noble lineage and her abduction as an infant, Annot weds Menteith. Consumed by jealousy, M'Aulay attacks Menteith with a knife and escapes from Montrose’s forces. While Menteith survives, M'Aulay vanishes, with rumors suggesting he was killed by the MacEaghs.

Dalgetty

An important subplot focuses on Dugald Dalgetty, an experienced mercenary serving in Montrose’s army. Motivated not by ideology or faith but by a passion for warfare, Dalgetty is consummately professional and remains loyal only for the duration of his contract. His military expertise is drawn from his participation in the Thirty Years' War (1618–48) across Germany. Dalgetty stands out as one of Scott’s most memorable comic figures, though Scott later acknowledged that Dalgetty’s role became overly dominant in the story, admitting in an 1830 preface that he had erred by giving him excessive prominence.

Characters

(main figures highlighted in bold)

• The Earl of Menteith
• Anderson, his servant; later disclosed to be the Earl of Montrose
• Dugald Dalgetty, from Drumthwacket
• Angus MacAulay of Darnlinvarach castle, laird of Kintail
• Allan, his brother
• Sir Miles Mulgrave and Sir Christopher Hall, visitors
• Donald, servant
• The Children of the Mist, bandits
• Evan Dhu, from Lochiel
• Sir Duncan Campbell, of Ardenvohr
• Lady Campbell, his spouse
• Annot Lyle, later revealed as their daughter
• Lorimer, servant
• MacCallan More, Marquis of Argyle
• Ranald MacEagh, offspring of the Mist
• Kenneth, his grandson
• MacIlduy, leader of the Camerons

Chapter summary

Introduction: The narrator, Peter Pattieson, relays the story as told by More MacAlpin, a retired Serjeant residing in Gandercleugh.

Ch. 1: A depiction of Scotland’s political environment during the late 1600s.

Ch. 2: Dugald Dalgetty, a mercenary, encounters the Earl of Menteith near the Highland boundaries and shares his experiences from Continental warfare.

Ch. 3: Menteith and his servant Anderson outline to Dalgetty the benefits of serving as Royalist mercenaries.

Ch. 4: At Darnlinvarach castle, Allan MacAulay places Anderson in a position of honor above Dalgetty; Allan’s brother Angus wins a bet with Sir Miles Musgrave by using men as human chandeliers.

Ch. 5: Menteith narrates Allan’s longstanding feud with the Children of the Mist and his initial reluctance followed by growing affection for Annot Lyle.

Ch. 6: Dalgetty pledges allegiance to the Royalist cause; Annot soothes Allan with a song; Allan foresees Menteith being stabbed by a Highlander.

Ch. 7: Royalist leaders arrive; Menteith discloses Montrose’s identity as Anderson, their commander.

Ch. 8: Sir Duncan Campbell offers Marquis of Argyle’s peace proposal; Dalgetty is selected to negotiate at Inverara.

Volume Two

Ch. 1 (9): Campbell engages in political discussion with Allan and Menteith, moved by Annot’s singing.

Ch. 2 (10): On their journey, Dalgetty and Campbell evaluate Ardenvohr castle’s fortifications.

Ch. 3 (11): Lady Campbell’s somber demeanor at dinner is explained by servant Lorimer as commemorating the anniversary of her four children’s murder; Dalgetty continues to Inverara.

Ch. 4 (12): At Inverara, Dalgetty encounters hostility from Argyle.

Ch. 5 (13): While imprisoned, Dalgetty meets Ranald MacEagh, who claims responsibility for killing three Campbell children; Argyle secretly confirms that Annot survived; Dalgetty overcomes Argyle and escapes.

Ch. 6 (14): Dalgetty joins forces with Ranald and the Children of the Mist but is wounded during pursuit from Inverara.

Ch. 7 (15): Montrose’s victories compel Argyle to relinquish command and withdraw to Inverara.

Ch. 8 (16): Dalgetty and Ranald report on the Children of the Mist’s support for Montrose’s western campaign.

Ch. 9 (17): Montrose assigns Kenneth to accompany Dalgetty; Ranald and Allan develop a seer-like connection; Musgrave announces Annot will join the campaign; Ranald predicts Allan will stab Menteith; Montrose captures Inverara despite Argyle’s counterattack.

Ch. 10 (18): Both sides prepare for engagement at Inverlochy.

Ch. 11 (19): Argyle suffers defeat at Inverlochy; Dalgetty’s horse Gustavus is killed; Dalgetty intervenes in a dispute between Allan and Ranald; he is subsequently knighted.

Ch. 12 (20): After battle, Dalgetty searches for spoils; Menteith doubts pursuing Annot due to her lineage; Allan confronts Annot over her feelings for Menteith.

Ch. 13 (21): Annot mourns disrupted tranquility; summoned by Dalgetty to assist a mortally wounded Campbell; Ranald reveals her parentage secret to both Campbell and Menteith.

Ch. 14 (22): On his deathbed, Ranald instructs Kenneth to torment Allan regarding Menteith’s intentions to wed Annot; Montrose fails to change Menteith’s mind; Campbell consents to the marriage.

Ch. 15 (23): Angus MacAulay opposes the union but pledges not to interfere; on the wedding day Allan stabs Menteith, who survives and marries weeks later; Allan subsequently disappears from prominence.

Reception

A Legend of Montrose elicited a variety of responses from critics, with some pointing to a lack of stylistic refinement, weak narrative structure, and a perceived decline compared to Scott’s earlier works, attributing this to possible creative exhaustion and less compelling subject matter. Nevertheless, the novel garnered acclaim from several reviewers for its rich portrayal of seventeenth-century Highland life. The characters Ranald MacEagh and Annot Lyle were generally well regarded, although The Edinburgh Magazine considered MacEagh somewhat at odds with the Byronic archetype. Dugald Dalgetty was widely praised as an effective comic character, despite the Monthly Review criticizing his constant presence and exaggerated opinions. The depiction of battle sequences received favorable feedback, and when compared to The Bride of Lammermoor, critics found no definitive preference.

Sources and inspiration

Primary references included Robert Monro’s 1637 work Monro his Expedition..., which was instrumental in shaping the character of Dugald Dalgetty. Other notable influences were Sir James Turner’s manuscripts and the 1683 publication Pallas Armata. For the portrayal of Montrose, Scott drew upon George Wishart’s 1647 memoirs. The Ardvoirlich storyline originated from oral histories and Alexander Boswell’s 1811 account Clan-Alpin's Vow. Dalgetty’s name is derived from Captain Delgatty of Prestonpans, a military contact known to Scott.

Historical figures inspired characters like Menteith and Evan Dhu, based respectively on John Graham, Lord Kilpoint (1613–1644), and Ewen Cameron of Lochiel (1629–1719).

The narrative incorporates traditions linked to the Stewarts of Ardvorlich, particularly James Stewart of Ardvorlich. The fictional stronghold Darnlinvarach is likely modeled on Ardvorlich House—referred to as Ardenvohr in the novel—and may draw architectural influence from Dunstaffnage Castle.

One notable tale reflects seventeenth-century hospitality customs: Lady Margaret Stewart, pregnant at the time, sheltered MacGregor clansmen who had killed her brother John Drummond. They left his severed head on a silver platter alongside cold meat—an origin story for the phrase "given the cold shoulder." Traumatized, she fled into the hills where she gave birth to James Stewart, later dubbed the "Mad Major." This episode is connected to Lochan na Mna near Beinn Domhnuill.

Major James Stewart, 2nd Laird of Ardvorlich ("Mad Major"), a prominent figure in the Covenanting Wars, served as inspiration for Allan M'Aulay’s character. His gravestone can still be found at Dundurn kirk near St Fillans on Loch Earn.

The city of Montrose in Colorado was named after this literary work.

Purpose

P. D. Garside from the University of Edinburgh proposed that Scott’s objective was to emphasize the transformation occurring in seventeenth-century warfare, illustrating how the lack of a standing army left the "civilized" Lowlands temporarily exposed to incursions by the "barbarous" Highlands. Chapter 15 is highlighted as especially important in conveying this theme.

External links

• A Legend of Montrose at Project Gutenberg
• Page on A Legend of Montrose at the Walter Scott Digital Archive