Discovering Edinburgh...
By Bob McCulloch ©
The Scott Monument
it was John Langholm and when he offered the known that he wished to meet “the author of the
information to Burns he was rewarded with a Waverley novels and he invited him to a private
Dominating the east end of Princes Street is a
gracious smile and an inclination of his head. It dinner in 1815. His novel “Ivanhoe” published
Gothic spire erected to the memory of Sir Walter
was a moment that would remain with Scott for in 1817 which sold 10,000 copies in two weeks,
Scott (1771-1832) who in the early 19
th
century
the rest of his life. This was a very forward thing was a break from the Scottish background of
was Scotlandʼs most prolifi c writer. His books
for Scott to do as in those days a child should his earlier work in that it was set in 12c. England
were read worldwide and he was the fi rst author
be seen and not heard.
and the main character was a Saxon nobleman.
to achieve superstar status. The title of his fi rst In the story Ivanhoe takes part in a jousting
novel “Waverley lives on in that it is the name
At the age of twenty-fi ve he began writing poetry
competition watched by Prince John, also
of the main train station in the Capital and also
and with his friend Archibald Constable founded
taking part in the tournament was a character
the name of a railway line, paddle steamer and
a printing press. When his poem “The Lay of
named Robin of Locksley (Robin Hood) with a
a pen company. Waverley went on to become
the Last Minstrel was published in 1805 it was
band of merry men including Friar Tuck, Alan
the most successful novel published in English.
a huge success and brought Scott national
a Dale and Little John. Robinʼs feat of splitting
The streets in the Inch housing estate are
fame. In 1807 Constable gave him a 1000
an opponentʼs arrow in the archery competition
named after characters and places in his novels.
guinea advance to write a poem and he wrote
appears for the fi rst time in Ivanhoe. The
The formula was simple, historical novels with
“Marmion which sold 28,000 copies. The poem
persona that Scott gave the character lives on in
a mixture of fact and fi ction and poems that
“Marmion contains the most quoted verse “Oh
todayʼs perception of the outlaw who robbed the
romanticized life in Scotland with the added
what a tangled web we weave, when fi rst we
rich to give to the poor. An ardent nationalist he
bonus that the author remained anonymous.
practice to deceive” but is never attributed to
took umbrage when the government announced
The books being published under the name “the
Scott. His next work “The Lady of the Lake” sold
that the Scottish banks would stop printing £1
author of the “Waverley novel.” Speculation
25,000 copies in eight months. “The Lady of the
notes and he started a campaign that led to
was rife in the drawing rooms of the gentry and
Lake” was set to music and became “Hail to the
the reversal of the decision. In honour of his
endless names were suggested. “The Wizard
Chief played when the President of USA makes
victory every banknote produced by The Bank of
of the North was a popular nickname for the
an appearance.
Scotland bears his portrait.
anonymous author. Catherine Sinclair author
and benefactor, (who took a great
Scott married Margaret Genevieve
When George 1V made his fi rst visit as reigning
interest in cab drivers and became
Charpentier in 1797 and they had fi ve
Monarch in 1822, the whole event was stage
known as their patron saint) was the
children. In 1799 he was appointed
managed by Scott who persuaded the Monarch
fi rst person to guess the authorʼs
Sheriff Deputy of the County of Selkirk
identity before he declared it publicly
and he purchased land where he had a
to wear a kilt albeit with pink tights. Scott was
at a dinner in Assembly Rooms
house built. Due to the close proximity
responsible for fi nding the Honours of Scotland
George Street in 1827.
of Melrose Abbey and the river Tweed
comprising the crown made for James V in
where the Abbots crossed he named
1540, a sword presented to James 1V by Pope
Walter Scott was born in Guthrie
the property Abbotsford and today the
Julius in 1507 and the sceptre dating from the
Street on 15
th
August 1771 and in
house is a major tourist attraction in the
15
th
C. They had been missing for 111 years
1773 he contracted polio and to cure
Borders. Constable and Scott parted
since the Union of Parliaments was signed in
his lameness he was sent to live
company in 1809 when Scott started
1707. When he persuaded George 1V to give
with his grandparents in the Borders.
a rival publishing company with the
him permission to open a locked chest in the
Cured but left lame he returned to
brothers John and James Ballantyne
dungeons of Edinburgh Castle the honours were
Edinburgh in 1778 to prepare for
but due to bad management decisions
discovered. They are the oldest in the United
school. He attended the Royal High
the publishing fi rm went into fi nancial
Kingdom, and they now take pride of place in
School before going on to university
diffi culties. The crisis came to a head
the Castle.
studying classics aged only 12,
in 1826, with debts of £121,000 Scott
more than a year younger than his
was facing social ruin and rather than
On 15
th
August 1840, the sixty ninth anniversary
fellow students. In 1786 he began
face bankruptcy Scott pledged to pay
of his birth the foundation stone of the Scott
an apprenticeship in his
all the debts in full, putting
Monument was laid. The day was declared a
fatherʼs law fi rm. When he
Abbotsford up as collateral
national holiday. The Lord Provost and other
decided to make the law his
and promising all future
dignitaries were in attendance; a Masonic
profession he returned to
earnings from his writing to
procession left from the university and a seven-
his creditors, a promise he
gun salvo was fi red in Princes Street gardens.
university to study law. After
would keep from the grave.
A design competition held ten years previously
graduating from university
In 1814 he published
was won by John Morvo who turned out to be
he became a lawyer in
“Waverley and it was an
George Meikle Kemp a Peeblesshire carpenter
Edinburgh, being admitted
instant success, thereafter
who had no previous experience in design.
to the aculty of Advocates
he published a novel every The 200ft. high monument with foundations
in 1792. During the winter of
year working late into the 50ft. below ground has fi gures of three Scottish
1786-7 there took place the
night. The strict regime Monarchs 16 poets and 64 of Scottʼs characters
only meeting between Walter
had an adverse effect on adorning it and has 287 steps leading to a
Scott and Robert Burns at
his health and ultimately viewing platform. At the base is a statue of
Professor Adam Fergusonʼs
led to his early death. After Scott with his dog Maida in Carrera marble
house in Sciennes House
his demise the sales of his by Sir John Steele. Kemp did not live to see
Place where the Professor
books continued and his the work completed as he fell into the canal
hosted literary salons, Burns
creditors were all paid in full at Fountainbridge and drowned in 1844. The
admired a print on the wall
by 1847. monument was completed in 1846. Sir Walter
depicting the poem “Justice
Scott died 21
st
.September 1832 and is buried in
of the Peace and enquired
George, Prince Regent
Dryburgh Abbey.
as to who had written the
(later George 1V) an ardent
poem. Only Scott knew that
reader of his work let it be
Copyright Bob McCulloch 2009
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