Rob Roy is a historical novel, taking place just before the Jacobite rising of 1715, with much of Scotland in turmoil. It is narrated by Frank Osbaldistone, the son of an English merchant who travels first to the North of England, and subsequently to the Scottish Highlands, to collect a debt stolen from his father. On the way he encounters the larger-than-life title character, Rob Roy MacGregor. Though Rob Roy is not the lead character, his personality and actions are key to the novel's development. The book was loosely adapted into a film in 1995, starring Liam Neeson, Tim Roth, and Jessica Lange.