As the great age of canal building comes to Glasgow, a wild and beautiful girl is rescued from a life of poverty and abuse by the old Earl of Kirklee. Isla Anderson has always dreamed of becoming a Lady, and when she goes to live at Kirklee Castle as one of the family it seems as if all her dreams have come true. However, not everyone is willing to forget Isla's humble origins, especially Lady Dorothy - a haughty and spiteful woman who makes no secret of her fervent desire to send Isla straight back to the slums from which she came.