In 1960s Scotland, the farming industry is on the brink of huge changes, becoming more mechanised and less dependent on manpower, but at Lochandee, it is a time of hope and promise for the future.

Ross and Rachel Maxwell have every reason to be proud of their expanding family. Daughter Bridie and her Nick are as happily married as they are, and working hard to build up their own farm. Eldest son Conan's transport business is prospering, with he and Fiona planning to develop into the burgeoning tourist industry.

Youngest son, Ewan, is showing the same keen interest in farming as they did at his age. But there is a cloud on the horizon – the young woman Gerda Fritz-Allan, who seems to have caught his eye. Beautiful, ambitious and utterly selfish, she has the power to wreak untold damage, changing the lives of the Maxwell family for ever.