Roy macgregor biography

Rob Roy MacGregor was by turn soldier, businessman, cattle-rustler and outlaw.

How did rob roy macgregor die

But above all he was a folk hero, a latter day Robin Hood whose transformation into a larger-than-life figure began with Daniel Defoe's fictionalised biography "Highland Rogue". This was published while Rob Roy's was still alive and led to the Royal Pardon in 1726 that allowed him to live out his final years quietly, literally a legend in his own lifetime.

The wider picture in Scotland at the time is set out in our Historical Timeline.

Rob MacGregor was born in February 1671 at Glengyle at the head of Loch Katrine in the Trossachs. He was the third son of clan chief Donald Glas MacGregor of Glengyle. His mother Mary was a Campbell, and it was from her that he inherited his red hair, leading to his nickname, Rob Ruadh (Gaelic for Red) which was later anglicised into Rob Roy.

The MacGregors supported the Jacobite cause in the first Jacobite uprisi