Rob Roy

Rob Roy - The Spulzie

Hello,
Visited your website where you claim that the accursed Rob Roy was a Jacobite. Nothing could be further from the truth. At the Battle of Sherrifmuir he stood on the opposite side of the River Allan, and withstood the pleading of Cameron of Locheil to join the Highland ranks. He had the Balquidder McGregors with him and the Clan McPherson, whose Chieftain was too old to join the fight. It almost came to a standing fight between the
McPhersons and Rob Roy when they accused him, quite correctly of only being interested in Spulzie (plunder). Alexander McGregor (alias Drummond) of Balhaldie had been elected Chieftain in 1714, by a Bond of Chieftaincy (the McGregors believed wrongly that my line was defunct), and had ordered Rob Roy to bring the Glengyle contingent out. He disobeyed his elected Chieftain's orders to fight for Mar and plundered the dead after the Battle.
Balhaldie was severely wounded, and was only saved by the intervention of my direct ancestor, James Stirling (alias McGregor of the Chieftain line of Glenstrae and grandson of the McGregor Grand Chieftain). My name of Stirlingwas given as a shield by an uncle, William Stirling of Ardoch, when the Campbells sought the children of John Dow McGregorof the black armour, who was killed at the Battle Glenfruin in 1603. No! Rob Roy was not a Jacobite and is looked down upon by the ancient lines of McGregor. His son was responsible for the murder of the Red Fox for which James Stewart of the Glens was hanged.

David M. Stirling 4th December 2004