James VI and the Gowrie Mystery

United Kingdom’s best kept secret. A conspiracy – or a cover-up?

On August 5, 1600, the tranquil city of Perth became the stage for an event that would echo through centuries: the brutal deaths of the Ruthven brothers, which the Crown quickly framed as an assassination attempt on James VI. But is the official version the full truth – or a carefully constructed lie? And what about Logan of Restalrig ?

Through the reedition of Andrew Lang’s 1902 essay and the comments from the editor, the book offers a clear lens on the events and their surroundings based on solid archive and documents. The editor, author and direct descendant of Logan of Restalrig, Heracles Harixcalde Logan attempts to revive history before facing trial on the spot where James VI was supposedly detained, on top of which Perth’s courthouse has since been built, and to clear the name of his ancestors.

Cui bono ? Who truly benefited from the crimes ?

James VI and the Mystery of the Gowrie reveals the enduring legacy of one of Scotland’s most disturbing injustices – and invites you, the reader, to make history right.