Hamish Macbeth

Tongues are set wagging in Lochdubh when the lonely local laird, Major Maclean, returns home from holiday with a glamorous fiancee - but is it his animal magnetism or his Highland estate that Serena finds so irresistible? Hamish is to be best man at the wedding, but he already has his hands full coping with Anne Patterson, the overzealous WPC trainee who's been posted to Lochdubh.

Holidaying alone oil the island of Laggan-Laggan, Hamish is drawn into a twenty-year old mystery which has poisoned the community. Why do the islanders shun Hamish's hosts, the Catholic priest, Father McPhail and his Protestant sparring partner, Enoch McDuff? Anxious to avoid being caught in their inter-dominational crossfire, Hamish pretends to be Jewish.

A gang of ruthless villains descends on Lochdubh, hot on the heels of young tearaway Frankie Bryce and his Aunty Jean, Isobel's best friend in Glasgow. Isobel brings them to Lachie Junior's funeral parlour where Lachie is happy to shelter them - especially once he claps eyes on Jean. Hamish, however, has a big problem.

Esme has discovered that young Frankie Bryce has an unexpected musical talent and the villagers are pinning their hopes and staking their bets on Frankies angelic voice winning them the Willie McGraw Trophy for treble singing. But trouble arrives in Lochdubh in tile shape of Tusker Gray, Frankie's best friend from Glasgow.

When fire destroys part of Lochdubh Primary School, Esme is horrified to learn not only that the council intends closing the school for good, but that her lover Rory Campbell has been party to their plans all along. Strong passions are aroused by Esme's ensueing media campaign and with Isobel returning as a TV reporter, Hamish battles to keep the peace.

Lochdubh prepares for tile annual shinty match against Dunbracken with a ruthless Lachlan coaching the village team. Last year was Dunbracken's nineteenth win in a row; a twentieth will award them the trophy forever and there's high tension in the air. The Lochdubh players are amazed when star goalie Lachie Junior walks out on the team. Hamish, however, suspects that all is not what it seems.

TV John's long-lost brother, the one-eyed, one-legged, one-armed Kenneth McIver, is Sprung from a South American gaol by millionaire Torquil Farquar McFarquar. Ex-patriate McFarquar has a passion for all things Scottish and has heard that Kenneth knows the whereabouts of the real Stone of Destiny, coronation stone of the ancient Scottish kings.

Kenneth and Ava have stolen the Stone of Destiny, and TV John is missing. Hamish, Isobel and a posse from Lochdubh embark on a death-defying trek across mountain in order to rescue their friend and save a treasured symbol. As adversity brings Hamish and Isobel closer together, myth begins to merge with reality and the ghosts of Scotland's past appear to help them on their way.