The almost bloodless revolution that took place in Scotland at the end of 1638 was welcomed by most of the people, but heralded seven tumultuous decades of warfare, civil strife, noisy controversies, political chicanery, assassinations, coups d'etat and moments of national triumph and disaster before the Union of 1707 with England.

Mixing history and biography, The Killing Time explores the lives of six people who were at heart of the political and social turmoil: John Graham, Viscount Dundee, first and greatest hero of the Jacobites; James Dahrymple, first Viscount Stair and his son John, who was behind the Massacre of Glencoe; Sir George Mackenzie, lawyer, poet and philosopher forced into politics of the bloodiest sort; Richard Cameron, martyred religious leader or fanatical terrorist; James Drummond, Earl of Perth and Lord High Chancellor, and William Carstares, secret agent. Relive the politics and power struggles of this mysterious but significant period of Scottish history.