Itwasmyaccidentallot，thoughnotbornaHighlanderwhichmaybeanapologyformuchbadGaelic，toresideduringmychildhoodandyouthamongpersonsoftheabovedescription；-andnow，forthepurposeofpreservingsomeideaoftheancientmannersofwhichIhavewitnessedthealmosttotalextinction，Ihaveembodiedinimaginaryscenes，andascribedtofictitiouscharacters，apartoftheincidentswhichI
thenreceivedfromthosewhowereactorsinthem。Indeed，themostromanticpartsofthisnarrativearepreciselythosewhichhaveafoundationinfact。TheexchangeofmutualprotectionbetweenaHighlandgentlemanandanofficerofrankintheking’sservice，togetherwiththespiritedmannerinwhichthelatterassertedhisrighttoreturnthefavourhehadreceived。
isliterallytrue。Theaccidentbyamusket-shot，andtheheroicreplyimputedtoFlora，relatetoaladyofranknotlongdeceased。
Andscarceagentlemanwhowasinhiding’’afterthebattleofCullodenbutcouldtellataleofstrangeconcealments，andofwildandhair’s-breadth’scapes，asextraordinaryasanywhichI
haveascribedtomyheroes。Ofthis，theescapeofCharlesEdwardhimself，asthemostprominent，isthemoststrikingexample。TheaccountsofthebattleofPrestonandskirmishatCliftonaretakenfromthenarrativeofintelligenteye-witnesses，andcorrectedfromtheHistoryoftheRebellionbythelatevenerableauthorofDouglas。TheLowlandScottishgentlemen，andthesubordinatecharacters，arenotgivenasindividualportraits，butaredrawnfromthegeneralhabitsoftheperiodofwhichIhavewitnessedsomeremnantsinmyyoungerdays，andpartlygatheredfromtradition。