Sir Walter Scott writing at his desk [Library shelfmark: MS.23062].
Walter Scott (1771–1832) first gained a reputation as a poet thanks to works such as 'The Lay of the Last Minstrel' (1805). However, it is as a novelist that he is best known thanks to works such as 'Waverley' (1814), and 'The Heart of Mid-Lothian' (1818).
Scott was instrumental in developing and popularising the historical novel. He took recognisable historical events, such as the Jacobite rebellion for 'Waverley' and the Porteous Riots for 'The Heart of Mid-Lothian' and populated his stories with fictional characters.
These characters often interacted with historical figures such as Edward Waverley with Bonnie Prince Charlie and Jeanie Deans with the Duke of Argyll.