ABSTRACT
It is generally agreed that Rob Roy is a flawed novel, though it contains some of Scott's greatest writing. The world of the clan is nowhere better described than in RobRoy. The first mention of the Highlanders occurs in Scott's description of Glasgow, where they appear on the streets leading Highland cattle to market. Throughout the novel, Scott characterises the clans as a specifically tribal form of social organisation: constant comparisons are made with other tribal societies. The absolute fidelity of even distant relatives of the clan to their chief is marvellously illustrated in the incident of Rob's escape from military captivity: his call to loyalty proves stronger than the fear of army discipline for the trooper to whom he has been entrusted. Despite the victory of the heroic life-style of the clan in this incident, however, the clans are generally seen in Rob Roy as doomed to destruction, physically and economically.
