Orphaned and left penniless, David Balfour sets out to find his last living relative, miserly and reclusive Uncle Ebenezer. But Ebenezer is far from welcoming, and David narrowly escapes being murdered before he is kidnapped and imprisoned on a ship bound for Carolina. When the ship is wrecked, David, along with fiery Alan Breck, makes his way back across the treacherous Highland terrain on a quest to see that justice is done. Through his powerful depiction of the contrasting personalities of his two central characters - the romantic Jacobite Breck and the rationalist Whig David - Stevenson dramatized a conflict that was at the heart of Scottish culture in the aftermath of the Jacobite rebellion, as well as creating an unforgettable adventure story. This edition contains an introduction and historical note to illuminate the social and political background of the novel, and also includes notes and a glossary.