The Highlanders (TV story)

The Highlanders was the fourth story of Season 4 of Doctor Who. The story was the last of the 'pure historical' genre of Doctor Who television stories which had been a regular feature of the show since its inception. It also marked the first appearance of Frazer Hines as companion Jamie McCrimmon.

Synopsis
The time travellers arrive in Scotland in the aftermath of the battle of Culloden. The Doctor gains the trust of a small band of fleeing Highlanders by offering to tend their wounded Laird, Colin McLaren; but while Polly and the Laird's daughter, Kirsty, are away fetching water, he and the others are all captured by Redcoat troops under the command of Lieutenant Algernon ffinch.

Grey, a crooked solicitor who sells prisoners for transportation to slavery in the West Indies, then secures the group into his custody. Polly and Kirsty blackmail ffinch into helping, and the Doctor eventually wins the day by smuggling arms to the Highlanders, who are being held on board a stolen ship, the Annabelle.

Grey and the ship's unscrupulous captain, Trask, are overpowered and the vessel returned to its rightful owner, MacKay, who agrees to take the Scots to safety in France.

The Doctor, Polly and Ben return to the TARDIS, where they are joined on their travels by the young piper Jamie McCrimmon.

Plot
to be added

Cast

 * The Doctor - Patrick Troughton
 * Ben Jackson - Michael Craze
 * Polly - Anneke Wills
 * Jamie McCrimmon - Frazer Hines
 * Alexander - William Dysart
 * The Laird - Donald Bisset
 * Kirsty - Hannah Gordon
 * Lieutenant Algernon Ffinch - Michael Elwyn
 * Sergeant - Peter Welch
 * Solicitor Grey - David Garth
 * Perkins - Sydney Arnold
 * Sentry - Tom Bowman
 * Trask - Dallas Cavell
 * Mollie - Barbara Bruce
 * Willie Mackay - Andrew Downie
 * Sailor - Peter Diamond
 * Colonel Attwood - Guy Middleton

Crew

 * Assistant Floor Manager - Nicholas John
 * Costumes - Sandra Reid
 * Designer - Geoffrey Kirkland
 * Fight Arranger - Peter Diamond
 * Make-Up - Gillian James
 * Producer - Innes Lloyd
 * Production Assistant - Fiona Cumming
 * Script Editor - Gerry Davis
 * Special Sounds - Brian Hodgson
 * Studio Lighting - George Summers, Ken McGregor
 * Studio Sound - Larry Goodson
 * Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
 * Title Music - Ron Grainer

Story Notes

 * This story had the working title Culloden.

Ratings

 * Episode 1 - 6.7 million viewers
 * Episode 2 - 6.8 million viewers
 * Episode 3 - 7.4 million viewers
 * Episode 4 - 7.3 million viewers

Myths
to be added

Location Filming
to be added

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors
to be added

Continuity
to be added

DVD, Video and Other Releases
This has not yet been released on DVD or video.

Target Novelisations

 * The Highlanders (novelisation)