The TARDIS

The time travellers arrive in Scotland in 1746 during the aftermath of the battle of Culloden. There The Doctor and his two companions, Polly Wright and Ben Jackson, find the British army, triumphant after the defeat over the rebel forces of Bonnie Prince Charlie, mopping up survivors of the recent battle.

Four fleeing Highlanders - Alexander McLaren, piper Jamie McCrimmon , their badly wounded Laird Colin McLaren and his daughter Kirsty- take refuge in an abandoned cottage. This cottage is not far from a glen where the TARDIS has just materialised.

As they explore their surroundings The Doctor and his companions narrowly avoid being hit by cannon fire and shortly afterwards they are captured by Alexander McLaren, who takes them to the cottage and prepares to put them to death as camp followers of the Duke of Cumberland. Kirsty, believing that The Doctor can provide medical help for the Laird, wins a stay of execution.

Leaving the TARDIS

Ben then produces a pistol, that he had found outside, and turns it on Jamie and Alexander. While Kirsty and Polly go to fetch some water, with which to clean the Laird’s wounds, The Doctor extracts a promise from Jamie and Alexander that they will not attack him and his companions. A sceptical Ben obeys The Doctor's instruction to put the pistol down, but as he does so it goes off. The sound however, attracts a group of Redcoats who descend on the cottage. Alexander is shot dead, defending them from Redcoat troops. Watching from a nearby hill Polly and Kirsty are able to slip away undetected as the soldiers storm the cottage and their Lieutenant, Algernon Ffinch, orders that all the occupants be hanged immediately.

Before this can be carried out The Doctor, Jamie, Ben, and the Laird find themselves in the custody of Grey, a crooked solicitor who it turns out sells prisoners for transportation to slavery in the West Indies. It is an illegal scam, but one he hopes will make him rich. They are taken to the prison in Inverness and incarcerated with many other prisoners, but The Doctor cons his way out of the drenched cell and then overpowers Grey and his secretary Perkins in order to make his escape. So as to move freely around The Doctor adopts the guise of a kitchen maid and a German.

The Doctor, Ben and Polly

The remaining prisoners, including Jamie, Ben and the Laird, are then transferred to a ship, The Annabelle, that is captained by the unscrupulous sea captain called Trask. It is not long before the prisoners work out they could be being sold as slaves but most accept this fate, believing this to be better than the gallows. Ben though is not willing to accept either fate and so, when the opportunity arises, he attacks Grey. But while making his escape he is caught by Trask who has him thrown into the sea.

Meanwhile, to avoid Lieutenant Ffinch - who believes the Prince to be one of them following the rumour that he fled the battlefield as a woman - Polly and Kirsty end up hiding in a cave and then in an animal pit. Eventually Ffinch finds them but they use their feminine wiles to entrap him and steal his money. Later in Inverness, the nearest major town to Culloden, they run into him again and use his previous foolishness to blackmail him into helping them find The Doctor, Ben and Jamie.

The Doctor, Polly, Kirsty and Ben - who has swum to safety – are reunited and together they hatch a plan to free Ben, Jamie and the other prisoners. The Doctor returns to the ship, is captured and while he distracts Grey the others manage to free the prisoners from the hold and supply them with arms so they can conduct an uprising. Trask though is able to flee but ends up wounded and in the sea. With The Annabelle no longer under his command the Scottish prisoners decide to sail the ship to the safety of France.

The Doctor and Polly are Captured

The Doctor, Ben and Polly return to the town, using Grey as a hostage to ensure their safe passage around the area, and are joined by Jamie, who has decided to stay and help them find the TARDIS - therefore missing the trip to France. Grey though is able to escape but The Doctor and his party then discover Lieutenant Ffinch who they force to help them return to Culloden

The travellers eventually arrive back at the glen, only to be met by Grey and a patrol of soldiers. Lieutenant Ffinch though has learned of Grey's illicit scheme and orders the soldiers to arrest the solicitor. Grey though has lost the paperwork (thanks to The Doctor) and is unable to prove any legality about his plans. Thanked by a kiss from Polly, Lieutenant Ffinch departs.

With the soldiers and Grey gone the travellers prepare to leave. The Doctor, Ben and Polly return to the TARDIS and so as to offer Jamie a place of sanctuary The Doctor invites their new friend, Jamie, to join then which Jamie nervously accepts.