Sir Walter Scott

Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh as the son of a solicitor Walter Scott and Anne, a daughter of professor of medicine.

In all he wrote twenty-seven historical novels. Through his books readers entered the lives of both great and ordinary people caught up in dramatic historical events.

He studied Arts and Law at Edinburgh University arts and law and was apprenticed to his father in 1786 and in 1792 he was called to the bar.

In 1799 he was appointed sheriff depute of the county of Selkirk.

In 1802-03 Scott's first major work, Minstrelsy Of The Scottish Border appeared.

The Lay of the Last Minstrel was published in 1805 and made him the most popular author of the day. It was followed by Marmion in 1808. The Lady in The Lake appeared in 1810 and Rokeby in 1813. Scott's last major poem, The Lord of The Isles, was published in 1815.

In the 1810s Scott published several novels anonymously or under the pseudonym Jebediah Cleisbotham or 'Author of Waverley.' Rob Roy, published in 1817 sold out within two weeks.

Also published during this time were:- Waverley, Guy Mannering, Tales Of My Landlord, The Heart Of Midlothian ,The Bride Of Lammermoor, In A Legend Of Montrose and Ivanhoe.

In 1820 he was made a baronet and during this decade appeared Kenilworth, The Fortunes Of Nigel, Peveril Of The Peak, Quentin Durward, The Talisman, Woodstock, The Surgeon's Daughter, and Anne Of Geierstein .

A few years later he founded the Bannatyne Club, which published old Scottish documents. He visited France in 1826 to collect material for his Life of Napoleon, which was published in 9 volumes in 1827. He died in 1832, and was buried beside his ancestors in Dryburgh Abbey.

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