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\' a boys adventure novel.