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tastic Gothic space-rocket” memorial to Scott on the city’s Highlands as an unspoiled area of natural beauty, putting
busy Princes Street. Completed in 1846, 14 years after the aside legends of clannish in-fighting and violence. His por-
writer’s death, the monument soars to 200 feet, forming a trayals of the highlands helped spawn an influx of tourists
protective cover over Scott’s statue and that of his dog, Maida. from Industrial Age cities that continues today. He helped
maintain the Scottish banknote as currency that remains in
Meanwhile, Scotland’s other great city -- Glasgow -- features a use today and he helped ensure the preservation of the Scots
soaring monument to Scott in the city center. Glaswegians are language.
quick to point out that their tribute to Scott came years before His finest moment, perhaps, was in 1822, when Scott was
that in Edinburgh, his hometown. delegated with organizing the visit of King George VI to Edin-
burgh. To accolades, the king presented himself while attired
So, who was this writer who is so widely venerated that his in a native tartan kilt, further sealing our notions of Scottish-
desk this year was acclaimed as one of the top 25 objects ness. The fact that Queen Victoria, influenced by Scott’s
that have shaped Scottish history? romantic writings, moved the British royal household each
year to Scotland’s Balmoral Castle also helped.
Scott’s novels became the “fulcrum” that formed Scotland’s
identity: “The fact that we still have a national identity of any A little more than an hour by train from Edinburgh’s Waverley
kind is down to Scott,” said Scottish author Stuart Kelly. Station, the story of this towering author -- who commanded
Much of how the world views Scotland today can be traced a worldwide audience -- unfolds at his self-made estate Ab-
to Scott’s writings of the early 18th century. His works include botsford, a bucolic manor along the River Tweed in Scot-
the Waverley series, “Rob Roy,” “Kenilworth,” “The Heart of land’s Borders region. A hero of the Romantic period, Scott’s
Mid-Lothian.” “Ivanhoe,” another of his best sellers, was his literature paled during the rise of Realism, but has found new
first novel to be set outside Scotland. validity among critics. For a time, some of his works, such as
“Ivanhoe,” were recast as children’s literature.
It was Scott who virtually invented the idea of the Scottish Each year, about 70,000 literary pilgrims make the trip to

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