A Prince of Good Fellows

In Short

A Prince of Good Fellows is an episodic historical romance following James V of Scotland as he travels through his kingdom incognito under the pseudonym of the Guidman of Ballengeich. Moving from the fortified walls of Stirling Castle to the lawless Border country and the remote Isle of Skye, the king slip-threads through assassinations, kidnappings, border skirmishes, and fraudulent alchemical schemes. Guided by a desire for impartial justice and an appetite for adventure, James matches wits with rebels, chieftains, and commoners before concluding his wanderings with a royal courtship in France. It endures as a lively, humorous portrait of royal bravado and regional Scottish identity.

The Story

The narrative opens in Stirling, where King James V learns of a plot forged by a group of local craftsmen—led by a anxious cobbler named Flemming—who plan to abduct the monarch in order to force a hearing on their grievances. Using his favorite disguise as the plain-spoken Guidman of Ballengeich, James infiltrates the conspirators, provides them with a signed safe-conduct, and invites them to present their case at court. Upon their arrival, he pardons the terrified men, demonstrating the blend of shrewd politics and theatrical mercy that defines his reign.

This desire to see his realm unvarnished drives James into repeated hazardous excursions. Hearing that the Laird of Arnprior has intercepted royal venison, James visits the laird’s hall, commands a feast of his own stolen game, and sarcastically dubs his host the "King of Kippen." Later, when confronted by noblewomen of the Douglas clan who seek his death to avenge their family's downfall, James uses cool historical logic to disarm their anger, arguing that royal abductions and assassinations never achieve their intended political ends.

Seeking further adventure, James sets out for the Scottish Borders disguised as an ordinary drover, accompanied by his court poet, Sir David Lyndsay, and the cobbler Flemming. The trio's total ignorance of the cattle trade quickly exposes them to local suspicion, culminating in their capture by the famous reiver Johnny Armstrong. After escaping, James returns at the head of a thousand mounted men, outmaneuvering Armstrong and surrounding his forces in the forest to enforce crown authority.

Back at court, James investigates a charlatan who claims he can extract pure gold from Scottish soil, dive under water in full armor, and construct silk wings to fly troops over the English border. Skeptical of the inventor's motives, the king penetrates the deception, proving the man is merely trying to conceal his true operations from the crown. James then tries his hand at living as a roadside beggar, a stint that nearly ends in disaster when he encounters a condemned prisoner whose letter warning against the Stirling abduction scheme was intercepted, leading James to issue a swift reprieve.

The king’s travels reach their peak in the Highlands and the Hebrides. He receives the proud Chief of the Clan MacNab, granting him land rights to settle an ancient feud dating back to Robert the Bruce. Moving on to the Isle of Skye alongside his former hostage MacDonald, James enters a bardic poetry contest, but is soon detained as a suspected spy by the formidable MacLeod of Dunvegan. Standing his ground against MacLeod’s threats of a deep dungeon, James maintains his cover until royal authority is restored.

The episodic journeys conclude as James turns from domestic escapades to international diplomacy. Facing pressure to secure the Scottish succession, he reluctantly travels through cold, muddy France to the court of King Francis at Loches. His gloom vanishes when he scales a dangerous wall to retrieve a lost handkerchief for the Princess Madeleine, winning her heart and concluding his adventures with a royal wedding.

How It Unfolds

The conspirators' errand Eleven frightened craftsmen from Stirling gather to present a grievance to the monarch, only to discover that the sympathetic stranger who guided their council is King James himself. Rather than executing them for their clumsy abduction plot, the king laughs away their treason, host a feast, and grants them their lives.

Dinner with the King of Kippen When the Laird of Arnprior seizes royal venison meant for Stirling Castle, James rides directly to the laird's hall to claim a seat at the table. He dines on his own stolen game and dryly bestows upon his host the mocking title of "King of Kippen."

Disarmed by history Cornered by Catherine Douglas and her kin, who hold a drawn dagger to his chest to avenge their family's exile, James calmly debates his captors. He cites the tragic history of his ancestors to prove that murdering a king never yields political profit.

The mock drovers hit the Border James, Sir David Lyndsay, and Flemming the cobbler travel south toward England disguised as cattle drovers. Their utter lack of livestock vocabulary immediately alerts every border innkeeper and outlaw that the trio are impostors.

Trapping the border raider After being captured by the notorious freebooter Johnny Armstrong, James retreats only to return with a thousand mounted troopers. He surrounds Armstrong’s forty men in the woods, turning the tables on the outlaw who failed to recognize his king.

Unmasking the alchemist Investigating an foreign inventor who promises gold-making, underwater armors, and flying silk wings, James sneaks into the laboratory. He deduces that the charlatan's true goal is hiding his illegal dealings from the crown.

A royal pardon on the road While experimenting with life as a travelling beggar, James walks the road with an outlaw who is unknowingly heading to the gallows. Upon learning that the man actually tried to stop the earlier Stirling abduction plot, James races to halt the execution.

The Highland chieftain's demand Finlay MacNab arrives in Stirling with twenty men to demand restitution for land charters destroyed two centuries earlier by Robert the Bruce. James defuses the confrontation by disarming the chief with royal hospitality and granting new deeds of tenure.

Detained in Skye While visiting the Isle of Skye alongside the young chieftain MacDonald, James is arrested as a Lowland spy by MacLeod of Dunvegan. James boldly warns his captor that the MacLeod will eventually apologize on bended knees at Stirling.

Leaping for a princess Arriving in northern France to contract a state marriage, a gloomy James lightens his mood by scaling a castle wall and leaping across a high parapet to return a dropped handkerchief to Madeleine of France, winning her hand.

The People

• King James V: The young monarch of Scotland, who possesses a sharp wit, a strong sense of personal justice, and an insatiable desire to roam his kingdom in disguise. He wants to govern wisely without being blinded by his courtiers, though his reckless bravado repeatedly places his life in danger. Through his travels, he matures from an adventurous youth into a politically astuote ruler who knows when to pardon and when to strike.
• Sir David Lyndsay: The court poet, scholar, and closest personal friend to the king. He acts as the voice of caution during their travels, constantly attempting to restrain James's wild impulses, while remaining deeply loyal to the crown.
• Flemming: A timid cobbler from Stirling who is reluctantly dragged into political intrigue. He wants nothing more than a quiet life and a roof over his head, but his involvement in a foiled kidnapping plot leads to him serving as the king's improbable travelling companion.
• Johnny Armstrong: A powerful and defiant border raider who operates with near-total impunity along the English border. He views the realm through the lens of force, but is ultimately outmatched when James turns his own tactical traps against him.
• MacLeod of Dunvegan: The fierce, proud chieftain of Skye who places the ancient rights of his clan far above the authority of the Scottish crown. He is unawed by royal threats, holding James captive until diplomatic authority restores balance.
• Madeleine of France: A spirited French princess whose charm and defiance instantly break through James's cynical resistance to a state marriage.

In Its Own Voice

"As you get north of Stirling, Buchanan," replied James, with a smile, "it is customary to bring the knife with you when you go out to dine."

When the king surprises the Laird of Arnprior after the laird intercepts royal game, he turns a potential act of rebellion into a quiet display of royal authority over a stolen meal.

"The cobbler should stick to his honesty, and not endeavour to tread the slippery path of courtiership."

Reflecting on his interactions with his subjects, James notes the clumsy flattery of the cobbler Flemming while acknowledging the real dangers that surround those who attempt to manipulate the crown.

"The cock crows blithely on his own midden. Your midden is here, while mine is far away..."

Defying the threats of MacLeod of Dunvegan while held captive on Skye, the king maintains his pride by promising that their roles will eventually be reversed back at court.

What It's Really About

Beneath its adventurous surface, the book investigates the nature of monarchical authority and the deep cultural fractures of sixteenth-century Scotland. It questions whether a king can truly understand his people through formal court reports, asserting that genuine justice requires direct, unmediated contact with every level of society—from cobblers and beggars to rebellious Highland chiefs. The narrative repeatedly contrasts the formal legal machinery of Stirling Castle with the informal, customary law of the Highlands and the Borders, suggesting that personal charisma, pragmatism, and mercy are far more effective tools for unifying a divided nation than brute military force or rigid decrees.

Why Read It Today

This collection of interconnected tales offers an entertaining, atmospheric journey into historical fiction, ideal for readers who enjoy tales of royal intrigue, romanticized outlawry, and regional folklore. Robert Barr writes with a light, warm touch, balancing dramatic encounters with genuine comedic timing. The narrative moves at a brisk pace, relying on crisp dialogue and clever reversals rather than dense, encumbering descriptions.

Readers should be prepared for period-specific elements, including frequent references to Scottish regional geography, historical clan feuds, and occasional snatches of Scots dialect ("mirk," "cateran," "guidman"). Furthermore, the story reflects early twentieth-century historical fiction tropes, presenting an idealized view of royal benevolence and romanticized Highland culture. Yet these elements only add to the period charm of the work. What remains with the reader is the vivid portrait of a young monarch using his wits, humor, and courage to navigate the perilous, beautiful landscape of his own kingdom.