It is Scotland in the early eighteenth century.
Superbly crafted and deftly executed, it resists any easy.
Hogg\'s masterpiece is a brilliant portrayal of the power of evil and a scathing critique of organised religion.
Under his influence Robert commits a series of murders which he regards as \'justified\' by God under the tenets of his faith.
Robert Wringhim, a boy of strict Calvinist upbringing, is corrupted by a shadowy figure who calls himself Gil-Martin.
Fear and superstition grip the land.
It is Scotland in the early eighteenth century