Meg is an older Romani woman who leads a solitary, itinerant life outdoors in the Scottish highlands. Rather than occupying a traditional house, she sleeps on the ground and uses a churchyard tomb as her reading material. She sustains herself by foraging local vegetation, eating blackberries and broom pods, and drinking the dew from wild roses. She possesses notable physical strength and wears lower-class garb, including a chip hat and an old red blanket cloak. She experiences frequent hunger, sometimes skipping supper to stare at the moon, but she maintains a steady routine away from civilized society.

These individuals reside in the rugged Scottish highlands near Meg's wandering grounds. They live out in the wilds, representing the human society situated on the edges of the untamed moors. While Meg primarily isolates herself from human companionship, she occasionally interacts with these locals. They receive woven mats made of rushes, which Meg creates with her own hands and freely gifts to them.

The unnamed narrator chronicles Meg's daily habits, her foraging diet, and her isolation in the natural environment. Operating as an observer from a later historical period, the speaker documents her resourcefulness, her physical appearance, and her handmade crafts. The speaker views her with deep respect, comparing her strength to royalty and mythical figures. This narrator concludes the account by noting her long-ago death and offering a quiet blessing for her eternal rest.