A party on the Highland Tour, taking a scenic break from their journey come upon a miserable hut hid away among some cliffs; the ladies, upon enquiring what lies before them, hear the wretched tale of Elspat MacTavish, the Highland Widow, condemned forever to live penitent and alone. Condemned by her love for her husband and her only son. Full of honourable intentions, after the suppression of the Highland clans, to join the coalition on its campaign against the French into America, the unfortunate Hamish alas finds himself tricked by his own mother. The ensuing events lead to a tragic ending, made all the more pathetic by the unquenchable passion of a once-proud nation beating still in the breast of one woman.