Three strikes and you're transported doesn't appear to have been the norm in Scotland in the 1840s. My great great great grandmother was only transported after her sixth offence. However I'm not surprised at descendants growing up with "cover stories" of their errant ancestors. My only surving aunt, who is in her nineties and still living in the UK was told about our convict ancestor and refuses to believe it, totally convinced that researching your family tree is just "digging for dirt". I guess she's not going to be a lot of help on latter generations now!