Roderick’s memoir begins with an explanation that he is writing at the behest of his advocate, Andrew Sinclair, who has asked that he write an account of his crimes. He explains that he is guilty of the murders, but that he carried them out for his family’s benefit. He goes on to explain the layout of Culduie, which is comprised of nine houses and belongs to the parish of Applecross, a short distance from the town of the same name, where Lord Middleton (who owns the land Culduie sits upon) lives. Roderick and the other residents of Culduie are crofters, or tenant farmers who work small plots of land belonging to the nobility. Lachlan Mackenzie and Roderick’s father have feuded since before Roderick’s birth, and Roderick recounts being frightened of Lachlan as a child.

Detailing his family history, Roderick describes how his mother and father married after becoming close following a shipwreck in which Una’s and John’s brothers were both killed. They first had a daughter named Jetta, who was followed by Roderick within a year. While Roderick’s father is religious, Jetta and Una are both superstitious and claim to receive prophetic visions.