d ub h ▁( pr on ounced ▁with ▁the ▁g utt ural ▁' ch ' ▁sound , ▁Lo CH - DO O ). ▁ ▁Mac b eth ▁does ▁this ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁way , ▁without ▁und ue ▁reli ance ▁on ▁the ▁letter ▁of ▁the ▁law ▁and ▁with ▁every ▁intention ▁of ▁avoid ing ▁being ▁promoted ▁out ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁his ▁ideal ▁job . ▁He ▁strongly ▁dis lik es ▁invol vement ▁from ▁In ver ness ▁police , ▁and ▁sometimes ▁his ▁main ▁work ▁doesn ' t ▁seem ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁capture ▁of ▁local ▁very ▁pet ty ▁crim inals , ▁but ▁to ▁keep ▁them ▁away ▁from ▁prison ▁and ▁pen alt ies . ▁ ▁The ▁major ▁running ▁theme ▁of ▁the ▁series ▁is ▁the ▁t ension ▁caused ▁by ▁Ham ish ' s ▁att raction ▁to ▁both ▁the ▁journalist ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁newspaper , ▁I so bel ▁S uther land ▁( Sh ir ley ▁Hend erson ) ▁and ▁the ▁arist ocr atic ▁author ▁Alex andra ▁Mac lean ▁( Val erie ▁G og an ). ▁Other ▁them es ▁include ▁the ▁cla ir voy ance ▁of ▁Ham ish ' s ▁friend ▁and ▁co - worker ▁" TV ▁John ", ▁John ▁Mc I ver ▁( R alph ▁R ia ch ), ▁the ▁not - so - secret ▁rom ance ▁between ▁the ▁school - te acher ▁Es me ▁Murray ▁and ▁the ▁shop keeper ▁R ory ▁Campbell , ▁the ▁vol atile ▁marriage ▁of ▁the ▁public an ▁Bar ney ▁M eld rum ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Ag nes , ▁the ▁schemes ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁L ach ie