Abbotsford notice board © 2007 Scotiana

Hi everybody,

Today is September 21st, the first day of the autumn season though here, in the south of France, it looks like a summer day, warm and sunny! I wonder what is the weather like in Scotland now…

Is it as beautiful as it was, 179 years ago, in that quiet and beautiful corner of the Scottish Borders where Abbotsford, Sir Walter Scott”s house, was about to live one of its saddest days. On that 21 September 1832, if the weather happened to be fine, the hearts were heavy as Sir Walter was saying adieu to his beloved family, friends, servants and faithful dogs, leaving them forever…

Abbotsford view upon the Tweed River © 2007 Scotiana

Here is what John Gibson Lockhart, Sir Walter’s son-in-law, writes about this mourning day :

“About half-past one P.M. on the 21st of September, Sir Walter breathed his last, in the presence of his children. It was a beautiful day – so warm, that every window was wide open – and so perfectly still, that the sound of all others most delicious to his ear, the gentle ripple of the Tweed over its pebbles, was distinctly audible as we knelt around the bed, and his eldest son kissed and closed his eyes. No sculptor ever modelled a more majestic image of repose.” (Narrative of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart (*)- John Gibson Lockhart)

A few days before Sir Walter had called for his son-in-law:

“As I was dressing on the morning of Monday the 17th of September, Nicolson came into my room, and told me that his master had awoke in a state of composure and consciousness, and wished to see me immediately. I found him entirely himself, though in the last extreme of feebleness. His eye was clear and calm – every trace of the wild fire of delirium extinguished. ‘Lockhart’, he said, ‘I may have but a minute to speak to you. My dear, be a good man – be virtuous – be religious – be a good man. Nothing else will give you any comfort when you come to lie here.’ – He paused, and I said – ‘Shall I send for Sophia and Anne?’ – ‘No,’ said he, ‘don’t disturb them. Poor souls! I know they were up all night – God bless you all.’ – With this he sunk into a very tranquil sleep, and, indeed, he scarcely afterwards gave any sign of consciousness, except for an instant on the arrival of his sons.” (Narrative of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart - John Gibson Lockhart)

Scott's View Eildon Hills © 2006 Scotiana

A few days before, Sir Walter had come back exhausted from a long journey in Italy which had been supposed to restore his health, and he had arrived just in time to see once again his dear Abbotsford, on the banks of the Tweed river, not far from the now famous Scott’s view with the Eildon Hills towering up in the horizon. There, five days later, on the 26th September 1832,  Sir Walter’s horses which led the long and grieving funeral procession would naturally stop a last time on their way to their master’s final rest, in the beautiful Dryburgh Abbey.

Narrative of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart 2010

‘Almost every newspaper that announced this event in Scotland, and many in England, had the signs of mourning usual on the demise of a king. With hardly an exception, the voice was that of universal, unmixed grief and veneration.’

‘His funeral was conducted in an unostentatious manner, but the attendance was very great. Few of his old friends then in Scotland were absent, – and many, both friends and strangers, came from a great distance. His domestics and foresters made it their petition that no hireling hand might assist in carrying his remains. They themselves bore the coffin to the hearse, and from the hearse to the grave.’

(Narrative of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart - John Gibson Lockhart)

I can’t help associating with the beautiful Scott’s view one personal memory which is quite in keeping with the mood of my article. It was at the end of a grey day, on June 17 2006. I had decided to walk alone down the valley to see what the landscape looked like below when I fell upon a very moving testimony on the path.

Scottish Borders Unknown In Memoriam on the Scott's View path © 2006 Scotiana

I stopped still and stayed a few minutes meditative and silent before going on. I will never forget that moment.

Scottish Borders Scott's View In Memoriam poem © 2006 Scotiana

Here is the little poem which was tied to a wooden post…

Dryburgh Abbey Walter Scott's grave © 2006 Scotiana

Sir Walter rests in a most romantic place, under the shade of a beautiful sandstone arched building. With its mediaeval ruins, its majestic trees, Dryburgh Abbey is a remarkable place where Sir Walter used to come very often.

Scottish Borders Dryburgh Abbey © 2001 Scotiana

Below are a few interesting extracts from the description of Dryburgh Abbey I’ve found on the website of Historic Scotland which maintains the site :

The graceful ruins of Dryburgh Abbey nestle in wooded seclusion beside the River Tweed. On entering, the visitor immediately understands why the contemplative life of a medieval monk was attractive. The abbey was established in 1150 by white-clad Premonstratensian canons (…)

At Dryburgh, the visitor gets closer to the cloistered life of the medieval monk than perhaps anywhere else in Scotland.

There is an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity; and the abbey church and cloister – the spiritual and domestic homes of the brethren – remain substantially complete. The church is a fine relic of Gothic architecture, particularly the transepts flanking the presbytery, lovingly hewn from warm-pink sandstone. The cloister retains its feeling of privileged enclosure. Its highlight is the 13th-century chapter house, which still has precious painted wall-plaster surviving, and a wonderful acoustic. Other features of interest include the warming house and dormitory in the east range.

In the 18th century, the ivy-clad ruin attracted the attention of David Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan. The chief founder of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1780, Buchan purchased Dryburgh House and set about creating a charming landscape, in which the ancient abbey figured prominently.

When he died in 1829, he was laid to rest in its sacristy. Three years later, on 26 September 1832, Buchan’s close friend, Sir Walter Scott, antiquarian and novelist, was buried in the north transept (which he called ‘St Mary’s Aisle’). A third great Scot, Field-Marshal Earl Haig, was interred beside Scott in 1928.

 

 

In a reverential silence I end this post, feeling like opening one of the last pages of Sir Walter’s Journal.

1832, April 16

Having remained several months at Naples, we resolved to take a tour to Rome during the Holy Week and view the ecclesiastical shows which take place, although diminished in smplendour by the Pope’s poverty. So on the 15th we set out from Naples, my children unwell… We entered Rome by a gate renovated by one of the old Pontiffs, but which, I forget, and so paraded the streets by moonlight to discover, if possible, some appearance of the learned Sir William Gell or the pretty Mrs. Ashley. At length we found our old servant who guided us to the lodgings taken by Sir William Gell, where all was comfortable, a good fire included, which our fatigue and the chilliness of the night required. We dispersed as soon as we had taken some food, wine and water.

We slept reasonably, but on the next morning

That’s where the Journal ends…

Dryburgh Abbey wooded park © 2006 Scotiana

Bonne lecture!

A bientôt. Mairiuna

Note: (*)=Baronet

Abbotsford © 2006 Scotiana

Hi everybody!

Hope this article finds you well and enjoying life.

We received a letter in reference with the restoration of Sir Walter Scott’s House in the Borders region of Scotland and thought it would be great to share its contents as it is a cause that is close to our heart.

Samantha Hobrough is part of the Abbotsford’s delegation and they are looking to meet with people who might be able to assist them with fundraising, marketing or by introducing them to useful contacts.

Here’s an extract of her letter:

Hi

I’ve come across your website and wondered if you might be able to
help? I will be visiting New York and Toronto in the autumn as part of
a delegation from Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott in the
borders of Scotland.

We arrive in New York on the evening of the 9th
October and then leave for Toronto on the 13th October until the 16th
October.

Abbotsford has now secured the full £11.68 million required for a
major capital campaign to restore the house that Sir Walter Scott
built and which houses so many of his treasures, and to build a new
Visitor Reception Building to greatly enhance the experience of all
those who visit us.

Construction of our new Visitor Reception Building
commenced on 6th June 2011 and work on the Historic House commences on
16th September. This means that we will now be focusing on raising the
£3 million endowment campaign to protect the long term future of the
Abbotsford estate and the important legacy left by Sir Walter Scott.

(…)

Samantha Hobrough

If you would like to get in touch with Samantha Hobrough, she can be reached via their website : Abbotsford, The Home of Walter Scott

To illustrate the interest of Saving Abbotsford, we are going to quote below a few lines from a very interesting article sent by Iain and Margaret and written by Patricia Maxwell-Scott, a very charming lady and a descendant of Sir Walter.  We’re also going to quote some extracts from the colourful and very informative brochures we’ve received some time ago from the Sir Walter Scott Club.  Our readers who are interested by the subject can dowmload a full information pack here.

Patricia and Jean Maxwell-Scott Glasgow Illustrated April 1964

Scott and his family moved into the little farmhouse in 1812, but he did not start enlarging and rebuilding the house until 1818.

Visitors started coming to Abbotsford the year after Sir Walter’s death in 1832 and the first visitors book was begun in that year. They have come ever since in increasing numbers until there are now 30,000 every year.

Scott loved Abbotsford and delighted in building it; his journal and letters are full of allusions to its progress and to his happiness in finding more and more treasures to add to his collection. Above all he loved the view of the Tweed and he wrote: ‘The view to the Tweed from all the principal apartments is beautiful. You look out from among bowers over a lawn of sweet turf upon the clearest of all streams fringed with the wildest of birch woods and backed with the green hills of Ettrick Forest.

(‘Living at Abbotsford’ by Patricia Maxwell-Scott of Abbotsford – Glasgow Illustrated – April 1964)

The Campaign to Save Abbotsford - The Abbotsford Trust page 1

The Campaign to Save Abbotsford - The Abbotsford Trust page 2

Walter Scott A vision for the future - Abbotsford Trust brochure

The Abbotsford Trust is determined to ensure that Scott’s internationally important legacy, as symbolised through Abbotsford, not only survives but succeeds in ensuring that people throughout the United Kingdom and all over the world continue to learn about Scott and come to understand the contribution he has made to our society and sense of national identity. With this in mind, the Trust is embarking upon an ambitious and visionary programme to reinvigorate and redevelop the house, collections and remaining estate. (…)

Through the creation of a new visitor reception building at Abbotsford and the upgrading of the whole visitor experience, the Trust aims to encapsulate the story of Sir Walter Scott and articulate it in a way that will appeal to a modern Scottish and international audience.

Abbotsford New Visitor Centre design Abbotsford Trust Brochure

The new Visitor Centre will include:

Interpretation to introduce the story of Sir Walter Scott and Abbotsford.

A new cafe-tearoom with greater capacity and a terrace overlooking the house, gardens and wider landscape.

A new shop.

Exhibition spaces.

The new Visitor Centre will be free to access.

(A Vision for the Future – The Abbotsford Trust Brochure)

Saving Abbotsford through Leaving a Legacy Abbotsford Trust brochure

For over 170 years Abbotsford has acted as a beacon in the Scottish Borders. It has attracted people from across the world, touched by the works of Sir Walter Scott, his ideas and the legacy that he passed down to his family and wider society. Many individuals have imprinted their presence upon the house and estate. This includes heads of state, great literary giants and the servants who worked here. All have contributed to create a unique atmosphere and to play a part in the great legacy that can be found at Abbotsford. (…)

 

(Saving Abbotsford through Leaving a Legacy – The Abbotsford Trust Brochure)

Saving Abbotsford for the future Abbotsford Trust brochure

Abbotsford is important to the people of Scotland, the rest of the United Kingdom and to the wider internation communicty. Currently it is enjoyed by a relatively small number of people and this is still declining. The Abbotsford Trust believes that it is crucial for a wider audience to be inspired and for a new, younger generation to  discover the extraordinary achievements of Sir Walter Scott and how they relate to the modern world.

(Saving Abbotsford For The Future  – Abbotsford Trust brochure)

Saving Abbotsford Saving the Environment Abbotsford Trust brochure

The house, garden and landscape of Abbotsford are the creation of Sir Walter Scott and were developed from scratch between 1811 and 1825. While Scott is justly famed world-wide as Scotland’s most successful and prolific author of the 19th century, his surmounting interest, which gave him most pleasure – beyond even his antiquarian, historical and literary interests – was planting. At Abbotsford he assembled an estate by various land purchases, created enclosed gardens and parkland to complement the house, and laid out the largely unimproved land to form an extended wooded agricultural landscape which is uniquely adapted to its Tweedside setting.

The landscape composition is outstanding in aesthetic, scenic and architectural terms and its association with Scott gives it outstanding national value. The ambition of the capital campaign is to create a new visitor reception building that builds upon the garden innovation that Scott created at Abbotsford. The new build is designed to be environmentally sensitive and sustainable. (…)

(Saving Abbotsford – Saving the Environment – The Abbotsford Trust Brochure)

Abbotsford © 2006 Scotiana

We have fond and moving memories of our visits to Abbotsford and wish that Sir Walter Scott’s beautiful legacy will rise and shine for years to come.

Bonne lecture!

Janice and Mairiuna

Abbotsford Nigel Tranter exhibition author's typewriter © 2006 Scotiana

Since we are speaking of Robert the Bruce I would like to introduce today Nigel Tranter, a very popular Scottish author who has written, among many other books of historical fiction, a trilogy about the great Scottish king. He died in 2000, at the age of 90.  He was a great admirer of Sir Walter Scott and indeed, we discovered this author in 2006, at Abbotsford where a very interesting exhibition was devoted to him in Sir Walter’s bedroom  … but I will let Janice tell you more about this fascinating author…  

Mairiuna in  Robert the Bruce’s Heart Buried at Melrose Abbey  

Hi Mairiuna. Thanks for the invite! I am pleased to write about Nigel Tranter, one of Scotland’s best-loved author and acclaimed storyteller. Indeed, we have both a number of his books.

Quite young he took interest in castles and delved into their history, which led him, at the age of 25 to publish his first book, The Fortalices and Early Mansions of Southern Scotland 1400-1650. (1935) 

His wife then encouraged him to write his first novel.  He wrote In our Arms our Fortune which was rejected by the publishers, but the following one, Trespass (1937) launched his career. 

Trespass by Nigel G Tranter -Ward Lock - Ed 1941

Since those early days, he wrote more than 130 books, including some children books, during a passionate life-long interest of his own country’s history. 

Furthermore, he accomplished this noble task without the help of a computer, as he relied solely on his elderly manual typewriter! 

Nigel Tranter At Work At His Typewriter- Copyright The Scotsman Publications

Upon visiting in 2006 the Nigel Tranter Exhibition at Abbotsford, (which has since been relocated in one of the aisles of Athelstaneford Church, where he celebrated his marriage to May on July 11^th, 1933) we discovered a wealth of fascinating insights about his writings. 

I remember how thrilled the three of us were to explore the different aspects of his life and  literary career throughout the exhibits. 

Let’s take a closer look today at one of his most popular novel:  The Bruce Trilogy. 

This trilogy ( 1. The Steps To the Empty Throne, 2. The Path To The Hero King and 3. The Price of The King’s Peace ) is all about the story of Robert the Bruce, along side of  William Wallace, another great hero of Scotland, fighting for his most burning desire: an independent Scotland. 

Born in Glasgow on 23 November 1909, on the same day that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was chairing a public meeting in Edinburgh on Congo, and in the same year Geronimo died, he grew up to work as an accountant in the Scottish National Insurance Company. 

Married to May Jean Campbell Grieve in 1933, the loving couple had two children, Frances May and Philip. 

(…) In the first couple of decades of their marriage, May’s retiring nature and the presence of young children in the house, combined with Nigel’s deliberate encouragement of his outside interest in public affairs, led to a situation in which he developed a full and busy life of committees and public meetings in which May did not share, or could only share vicariously, and which regularly took him away from the house in the evenings: she occasionally took him to task about it, complaining she never saw him, but it had no very noticeable effect. 

She once counted up that he was chairman of eleven different organisations, a story he is fond of recounting, with a hint of pride in his achievement. 

Nigel and May Tranter in the garden of Quarry House, Aberfeldy, Scotland

But it must have looked somewhat different to May, sitting at home by the fire, and she must have felt at times that she had to share him with half Scotland. 

When great success came to him in the 1970s after the publication of the Bruce trilogy she of course rejoiced for him, but she had no taste for the public exposure and razzmatazz that went with it, nor did she enjoy the invasion of their private life. 

She was a willing accomplice when it came to composing letters to the press, but she would have preferred not to have them about the house. And she fiercely protected Quarry House as his workplace as well as her home, barring the way to the importunate. 

 

(…) He himself approached the writing of the Bruce trilogy with some trepidation, partly on grounds of its magnitude and partly because of the sheer importance of the subject, having thrust it from him for some years. 

Once started, it quickly became all-absorbing. When it was over, he wrote to a correspondent, “For the past four years, I have practically been Robert Bruce. The job is finished now and to some extent I feel quite lost.” Tranter of course writes all his heroes largely out of his own experience, posing the question “What would I have done?” where the historical material fails him, but Bruce was a move up to a new dimension. 

Source: Nigel Tranter Scotland’s Storyteller, Ray Bradfield, B& W Publishing Ltd, Edinburgh 1999 

SYNOPSIS – BRUCE TRILOGY

‘In a world of treachery and violence, Scotland’s most famous hero unites his people in a deadly fight for national survival. In 1296 Edward Plantagenet, King of England, was determined to bludgeon the freedom-loving Scots into submission. Despite internal clashes and his fierce love for his antagonist’s goddaughter, Robert the Bruce, both Norman lord and Celtic earl, took up the challenge of leading his people against the invaders from the South. 

After a desperate struggle, Bruce rose finally to face the English at the memorable battle of Bannockburn. But far from bringing peace, his mighty victory was to herald fourteen years of infighting, savagery, heroism and treachery before the English could be brought to sit at a peace-table and to acknowledge Bruce as a sovereign king. 

In this bestselling trilogy, Nigel Tranter charts these turbulent years, revealing the flowering of Bruce’s character; how, tutored and encouraged by the heroic William Wallace, he determined to continue the fight for an independent Scotland, sustained by a passionate love for his land and devotion to his people.’ 

Bannockburn - Battle For Liberty by John Sadler

The battle of Bannockburn took place on June 24th, 1314. It was a decisive battle in the first war of Scottish Independence and the Scottish victory helped to lead to the independence of Scotland being fully recognised in 1328. 

We will dig more into this subject in upcoming posts, but  meanwhile, be sure to get your hands on a copy of The Bruce Trilogy if you have not done so yet! 

.
 

Take care and talk soon, 

Janice

Indeed, we didn’t know much about Scotland and its history for it was our first journey there, only seven days in June which left their mark on us forever. Our first impressions of Scottish people, culture, landscapes, cities, monuments and history date back from these days and, since then, our quest for Scotland has never ceased to go on.  Each new travel there, be it virtual or physical, brings its lot of marvels and adds new pieces to our great and beautiful Scottish puzzle…

Melrose Abbey & churchyard © 2006 Scotiana

Melrose Abbey is one of the Scottish marvels, not only because it is an architectural gem but also because it is rich in history and full of mystery. Its red-tinted ruins include the dilapidated remains of a 12th century old Cistercian monastery, the magnificent and well-preserved gothic-style Abbey Church and a graveyard with the usual lot of mossy weathered stones.

Charles S. Olcott The Country of Sir Walter Scott Cassell edition 1913

Spreading herbs and flowerets bright
Glistened with the dew of night;
Nor herb nor floweret glistened there
But was carved in the cloister arches as fair.

Seven graceful arches, forming stalls or seats once used by the dignitaries of the church, make a continuous line along the eastern wall. Above the arches, and joining one to another, are stone carvings of rare delicacy and beauty. Of the more than a hundred separate figures in this frieze no two are alike. There are roses, lilacs, thistles, ferns, oak leaves, and scores of other representations of the forms of nature, all exquisitely carved with inimitable accuracy. Scott admired these arches so greatly that he copied one of them for the fireplace of the entrance hall at Abbotsford.

The ‘steel-clenched postern door,’ through which the monk and the knight now entered the chancel, stands nearly intact. Its three arches rest on graceful pilasters surmounted by capitals, with carved foliage so delicate that a straw can be passed behind the stalks of the leaves. We found it interesting upon entering this door to note the accuracy of the poet’s descriptions, which the guide quoted with great fluency. The pillars supporting the lofty roof spread out to form the great arches, seeming to be ‘bundles of lances which garlands had bound.’

We stood beneath this arched roof for a long time to admire the beautiful East Window, and the guide quoted; -
The moon on the East Oriel shone
Through slender shafts of shapely stone
By foliaged tracery combined.

(The Country of Sir Walter Scott – Charles S. Olcott 1913)

A lot of people, religious or not, have been buried there but most of them have been forgotten since a long time. A few legendary figures still survive however and they can still trigger the visitor’s imagination.  Among them, two Scottish kings and a very mysterious wizard …

Sir Walter Scott Monument Edinburgh © 2007 Scotiana

There are many intriguing tales and legends attached to this old abbey and Sir Walter Scott, who lived nearby and was a recurrent visitor of the place, much contributed to popularize them. The reading of Sir Walter’s books is allowing us to venture in territories which would be quite difficult for us to tread otherwise, I mean, local and national feud and history. But we’ve fallen under the spell of the Magician of the North and, to say the truth, we can more easily follow the steps of Sir Walter in the fields – the battlefields -  of historical fiction, than the more arduous paths of archaelogists, historians and scholars …

Sir Walter received many people at Abbotsford. He was reputed for his hospitality, his cheerfulness, his kindness and, of course, his visitors could not have found better guide to make them visit the neighbourhood. A number of Sir Walter’s visitors were themselves writers and they have left very lively memories of their meetings with the master of Abbotsford. Irving Washington, a well-known American writer, has been one of the most famous visitors. John Lockhart quotes him largely in his Life of Sir Walter Scott. I can’t help to share with you a very interesting extract.

My edition of John Lockhart’s book is rather ancient (1865) , the text is divided into two columns and the letters are so small that I must use my cross-stich magnifying-glass to read it… but it’s worth the effort! This text is one more example of Sir Walter’s entertaining character and we also get acquainted with Johnny Bower, Melrose Abbey’s sexton then and a passionate guide of the place. Such a colourful man must have left his mark in the history of Melrose!

Abbotsford entrance door © 2001 Scotiana

So, let us follow Washington Irving in his visit to Abbotsford and Melrose Abbey…

Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott John Lockhart 1865 Cadell edition titlepage

Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott John Lockhart 1865 Cadell edition frontispiece

“Before Scott reached the gate, he called out in a hearty tone, welcoming me to Abbotsford, and asking news of Campbell. Arrived at the door of the chaise, he grasped me warmly by the hand: ‘Come, drive down, drive down to the house,’ said he; ‘ye’re just in time for breakfast, and afterwards ye shall see all the wonders of the Abbey.’
“I should have excused myself on the plea of having already made my breakfast. ‘Hut, man,’ cried he, ‘ a ride in the morning in the keen air of the Scotch hills is warrant enough for a second breakfast.’
“I was accordingly whirled to the portal of the cottage, and in a few moments found myself seated at the breakfast-table. There was no one present but the family, which consisted of Mrs Scott; her eldest daughter, Sophia, then a fine girl about seventeen; Miss Ann Scott, two or three years younger; Walter, a well-grown stripling; and Charles, a lively boy, eleven or twelve years of age.
“ I soon felt myself quite at home, and my heart in a glow, with the cordial welcome I experienced. I had thought to make a mere morning visit, but found I was not to be let off so lightly.’You must not think our neighbourhood is to be read in a morning like a newspaper,’ said Scott; ‘it takes several days of study for an observant traveller, that has a relish for auld-world trumpery. After breakfast you shall make your visit to Melrose Abbey; I shall not be able to accompany you, as I have some household affairs to attend to; but I will put you in charge of my son Charles, who is very learned in all things touching the old ruin and the neighbourhood it stands in; and he and my friend Johnnie Bower, will tell you the whole truth to believe, unless you be a true and nothing-doubting antiquary. When you come back, I’ll take you out on a ramble about the neighbourhood. To-morrow we will take a look at the Yarrow, and the next day we will drive over to Dryburgh Abbey, which is a fine old ruin, well worth the seeing.’ – In a word, before Scott had got through with his plan, I found myself committed for a visit of several days, and it seemed as if a little realm of romance was suddenly open before me.”

After breakfast, while Scott, no doubt, wrote a chapter of Rob Roy, Mr Irving, under young Charles’s guidance, saw Melrose Abbey and Johnnie Bower the elder, whose son long since inherited his office as showman of the ruins, and all his enthusiasm about them and their poet. The senior on this occasion was loud in his praises of the affability of Scott. “He’ll come here sometimes,” said he, “with great folks in his company, and the first I’ll know of it is hearing his voice calling out Johnny! – Johnny Bower! – and when I go out I’m sure to be greeted with a joke or a pleasant word. He’ll stand and crack, an’ laugh wi’ me just like an auld wife, – and to think that of a man that has such an awfu’ knowledge of history!”
On his return from the Abbey, Irving found Scott ready for a ramble.”
(John Lockhart Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott – ‘Washington Irving – 1817′ -  Edinburgh : Robert Cadell, St. Andrew Square 1865)

Narrative of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart 2010

Hum, Janice ! I think I’m going to invest soon in a new book ! This new edition of John Lockhart’s  book does look good and I must preserve my rare edition of it… as well as my vision too

Melrose Abbey Robert the Bruce's heart casket © 2006 Scotiana

It’s only during our last trip to Scotland, in July 2007, that we’ve had the opportunity to see the emblematic carved stone which marks the place where the leaden casket supposed to be containing Robert the Bruce’s heart has been reburied in 1997.
This round stone, carved with the symbolic design of a heart intertwined with St Andrew’s cross, is the result of a competition launched by Historic Scotland and won by Victoria Oswald, a BBC sound engineer. The golden words engraved in early Scots around the plain circular stone read “A noble hart may have no ease, gif freedom failye” which means in modern language, “A noble heart can know no ease without freedom.” These words come from John Barbour’s long narrative poem The Brus, a historical and patriotic text which celebrates Robert the Bruce and James Douglas, and also focuses on the Scottish victory at Bannockburn.
How can we be sure, you may ask, that it is Robert the Bruce’s heart which is enclosed in the Melrose casket? Many people think it is and that could certainly be proved, or refuted, with DNA tests but is it necessary to lift the veil?
An exhumation of the king’s body at Dunfermline, in 1818, has already showed that the heart had effectively been taken from it, probably to be embalmed and placed in a casket as it was the custom then. Of course, like most venerated relics, it is surrounded by an aura of mystery.

Robert the Bruce portrait Source : Wikipedia

A lot of ink has been spilled over the long story of Robert Bruce’s heart…  let us content to say that, in 1329, while he lay dying, Robert the Bruce asked Sir James Douglas to take his heart to the Holy Land. In 1330, while trying to do so, Sir James was killed in Spain, with a number of Scottish knights, in a heroic battle against the Moors. Before dying, however, and in a desperate effort to prevent the royal casket from falling into the hands of the enemy, Sir James threw it to his fellow knights, shouting. ‘Now pass thou onward before us, as thou wast wont, and I will follow thee or die.’One of the surviving knights was Sir William Keith. He took with him Bruce’s heart casket and the remains of his unlucky companions and went back to Scotland. Some time later, Robert the Bruce’s heart was buried in Melrose Abbey.

The Country of Sir Walter Scott photo Melrose Charles S. Olscott Cassell 1913

Beneath the window lies the heart of Robert Bruce. It had been the desire of the monarch that his heart be interred in the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. After his death the body was buried beneath the high altar of the church at Dunfermline, but the heart was taken out and committed to the keeping of James, Lord Douglas, who undertook to carry it to the Holy Land. But James was defeated and killed by the Saracens, and the heart of his royal master was taken to Melrose and buried there. This was as it should be, for the heart of Bruce, figuratively speaking, was always in Melrose. After the destruction of the abbey in 1322 by Edward II on his retreat from Scotland, Bruce made a grant of £2000 sterling, a sum equivalent to about  £ 50,000 in the money of to-day. Because of this munificence the abbey was rebuilt in all the beauty and perfection which Gothic architecture could suggest, so that even in ruins it is still a structure of graceful magnificence. In 1384, the abbey was again destroyed, but later restored. In 1544, 1545, and finally a century later under the Reformation, the abbey suffered serious damage from which it never recovered. (The Country of Sir Walter Scott – Charles S. Olcott 1913)

Clan Douglas coat of arms Source:Wikipedia

It is interesting to note that following the times of this heroic battle in Spain, in the 1330s, the arms of the Douglas changed, now bearing on their shield the heart as an emblem…
A long long time after these events, in 1921, excavations took place beneath the Chapter House of the Abbey and a leaden casket supposed to contain Robert the Bruce’s heart was discovered then. It was  soon reburied in due place but in 1996 it was removed again to be re-examined before being reburied a second time, on 22 June 1998. A commemorative plaque has been put on the site on 24 June, the anniversary date of Bruce’s victory at Bannockburn.

Nigel Tranter Robert the Bruce Trilogy Volume 1 The Steps to the Empty Throne 1st edition Hodder and Stoughton 1969

Since we are speaking of Robert the Bruce I would like to introduce today Nigel Tranter, a very popular Scottish author who has written, among many other books of historical fiction, a trilogy about the great Scottish king. He died in 2000, at the age of 90.  He was a great admirer of Sir Walter Scott and indeed, we discovered this author in 2006, at Abbotsford where a very interesting exhibition was devoted to him in Sir Walter’s bedroom  … but I will let Janice tell you more about this fascinating author…

Abbotsford Nigel Tranter exhibition author's typewriter © 2006 Scotiana

Bonne lecture !

A bientôt.

Mairiuna.

Today people are discovering or rediscovering the great authors of the past. Walter Scott is one of them, a most famous one and not only in Scotland. In France, for example, a new translation of his books is under way, in the prestigious “Bibliothèque de la Pleiade”, each novel being translated, introduced, and annotated by a French university scholar. Henri Suhamy (Université Paris X-Nanterre), who has devoted much of his time to the study of Shakespeare, is also a great admirer of Sir Walter Scott.  In 1993, he published a very interesting and lively biography of the author of the Waverley novels under the title of Sir Walter Scott . In Scotland, let us mention the 30-volume set of the Waverley novels, based on manuscripts, which has just been published by the Edinburgh University.

We’re not experts in Walter Scott’s books but we’ve already read, with great interest and much pleasure, some of the Waverley novels, the Chronicles of the Canongate and a few pages of Scott’s poetry. During his life and for a long time after his death (1832), Sir Walter Scott,  who is generally considered as the inventor of the historical novel, has been much admired and read all over the world,  especially in France where Victor Hugo, Balzac, Alexandre Dumas were among his most fervent admirers.

As many other people,  we do like very much the moving story of Sir Walter and Abbotsford, his “Dalilah” as he used to call it and which he had built  ‘by the sweat of his brow’ or should we say of his pen…  Having been lucky to visit Abbotsford at its best, we would be very sad to learn that this touching place of pilgrimage would not be preserved for the future  generations.

Such was the thought that suddenly occurred to me on opening The Abbotsford Trust’s letter entitled ‘Save Abbotsford’… the phrase struck me as lightning !

H.V. Morton - Source : The H.V. Morton Society

To defend Abbotsford is to defend the memory of its master! In such a case, I could not have found a better advocate than H.V. Morton, the famous travel writer I’m widely quoting in this post.  HV Morton toured Scotland in the 1920s and 30s, driving a Bullnose Morris, from south to north and east to west, and he wrote two unforgettable books about his travels : In Search of Scotland (1929) and In Scotland Again (1933). Not only did he know the art of travelling but he had also become a master in the art of telling stories, with emotion, humour and much erudition. These two books are among our favourites and we’ve used them largely when preparing our trips to Scotland.

But let us begin with the beginning! The journey is starting not far from Abbotsford… in front of the Eildon Hills, a very beautiful landscape and a favourite place of Sir Walter.  It’s not just the house that should be preserved but the whole area around it !

Scott's View - Eildon Hills © 2006 Scotiana

As you go through this haunted country, now so peaceful, where the gaunt outline of the peel towers rises up from field or wood, you may see in imagination a solitary horseman, the presiding genius of this Borderland, reining in his horse to gaze round him with eyes which see more of Scotland than any man has ever seen – Walter Scott. (H.V. Morton In Search of Scotland 1929)

In 1929, when H.V. Morton wrote these lines, nearly a century had already passed since “the genius of the Borderland” had crossed the ultime frontier. Today, we still imagine Sir Walter riding the country on his favourite horse, or walking the path to the Eildon Hills with one or two of his cherished dogs on his heels… he will be there forever…

Scott's View Eildon Hills © 2006 Scotiana

Scott's View Eildon Hills © 2006 Scotiana

Scott's View - Eildon Hills © 2006 Scotiana

Facing the Eildon Hills on Bemersyde is ‘Sir Walter’s View’. It is perhaps the loveliest view on the Border. Here Scott used to drive in his carriage and sit silently for half an hour gazing over the land whose people he loved and whose legends were in his blood.

And I thought that this perhaps was the greatest tribute ever paid to a writer by one of his own people. Scott was no mere author. He was a Border chief and a prince of ballad-singers; and something of his quality found its way into the hearts of men who worked around him with scythe and spade.

It was evening when I stood there. The sun was sinking above Melrose, and the smoke from the distant farms lay in the air and drifted in thin banks to lie over the waters of the Tweed. It was so still that I heard dogs barking far down in the valley ; and as the sun sank the grey mists grew denser between the hills, outlining the valleys and lying like grey veils in the hollow places.

And I met an old man returning from work. I talked to him. His mind was full of a recent fishing competition in the Tweed, and he talked freely about baskets of ‘troot’. Gradually I led him to Scott, and found, as I had imagined, that he had never read a line of him! He told me the story of ‘Sir Walter’s’ funeral, how the long line of carriages was held up on Bemersyde because Scott’s carriage horses, drawing the hearse, stopped at the view he loved so well and stood patiently there for half an hour, as they had done so often.

‘Aye, he was a graund man!’ said the old fellow who had never read a line of Scott! (H.V. Morton In Search of Scotland 1929)

Sir Walter and his native place definitely belong to our collective imaginary and as such it must be preserved !

Now, let’s go a little further, following the Tweed up to the ford of the Abbot…

Abbotsford photochrom print color ca. 1890-1900 Source : The Library of Congress on Flickr

Abbotsford is a many-turreted mansion standing among trees and built on rising ground which slopes gently to the Tweed. It looks as though it has been composed by the author of Ivanhoe.

As you skirt the high walls that surround it and observe its towers, its air of having descended from Border keep and baronial castle, it would appear only right that a herald should ride to the sound of trumpets and inquire your status in Debrett. (H.V. Morton In Search of Scotland 1929)

Just try to imagine we too are sitting aboard a little boat, drifting on the river Tweed, in front of Abbotsford…I’m not sure the house can be seen today as clearly as on this old photo. The vegetation must be thicker but the house is quite recognizable. Let us hope it will remain as such for a long long time…

Whether you like or not its architecture, you can hardly remain indifferent to Abbotsford. Each time we’ve visited it, the doors closed behind us, at exactly 5 o’clock, except in 2000 when we fell upon Dame Maxwell-Scott in person and she very kindly let us stay a little longer in the house!  So reluctant are we to leave, with our insatiable curiosity about the place and its master, that we always are the last visitors to depart. In 2006, we met Michael,  the very friendly and learned man who used to welcome and advise the visitors at the entry of Abbotsford. We instantly got on well with him and he spontaneously lent us an exemplary of Walter Scott’s Journal as a guidebook to visit the house

The Journal of Walter Scott Canongate Classics 1972

Both of us finally bought an exemplary of The Journal and, I can tell you, the pages of our big volumes (more than 900) are falling apart for having been opened so often.

Whatever our country, age or literary tastes, the very name of Walter Scott,  like that of Shakespeare, Victor Hugo or Balzac, is likely to ring a bell. Most of us will probably find hard to discover where this ringing comes from… but we’re speaking of ‘The Wizard of the North’ , aren’t we ?

Anyway, visiting Abbotsford makes us feel like reading the books which have been written there, in this incredible place, this “conundrum” as Sir Walter qualified it!

I left Abbotsford with the firm determination to re-read some of the books with which Scott repaid the debt, writes H.V. Morton… for we must not forget that, here, Sir Walter wrote himself to death. One of his main reasons was to save Abbotsford!

Certainly the best way to make a good idea of an author is first to read his books and those which have been written about him, hence the interest of good bibliographies. One of the biggest volumes in my library happens to be Sir Walter Scott A Bibliographical History 1796-1832 (more than 1,000 pages). “Read, read, read” the teachers kept saying at the literary course in the University of Montaigne, in Bordeaux.  But, of course, if we are lucky enough to  be able to visit  the place where an author has lived and worked, it’s still better. For Walter Scott’s admirers it is a pilgrimage to go to Abbotsford and for those who hardly knew him before going there (which was our case in 2000), it is certainly an encouragement to read the books of the master of such a place !

Abbotsford Library © 2001 Scotiana

Every room of Abbotsford holds something of a presence so strong that even one who imagined that his interest in Scott evaporated at school must feel the awakening of an old loyalty. (H.V. Morton In Search of Scotland 1929)

Sir Walter must be let to haunt the rooms of Abbotsford forever, in a quiet environment, as if he had never ceased to be there,  writing, reading or simply enjoying life with his family and dogs…

Abbotsford Garden Tweed View © 2007 Scotiana

Before leaving Abbotsford, let us sit down one moment,   listening to the murmur of the Tweed…

Maybe the wind will tell us a poem written by Sir Walter…

Walter Scott Illustrated Poem - Picturesque Scotland in Lay and Legend Song and Story

A bientôt. Mairiuna

Box stand by Joseph Shillinglaw, Darnick, Broxburghshire - Abbotsford

Hi Mairiuna!  I’m back online and must tell you that reading your great post about Sir Walter Scott’s romantic home, Abbotsford, brought back to mind the great number of memorable, historical and valuable objects we saw when visiting the many rooms of his beloved house.

Library Room - Abbotsford © 2001 Scotiana

Let alone the magnificent library which contains more than 7,000 books, I was amazed by all the memorabilia that Sir Walter acquired during his life!  Below are just a sample of what can be found inside this venerable place of pilgrimage. He was known for being a compulsive collector and we can relate to that .

Abbotsford - Sir Walter Scott - Memorabilia © 2006 Scotiana

In Abbotsford library, there is a superb octogonal showcase containing a lock of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s hair, Napoleon’s gold cloak clasp, Marie Stuart’s crucifix and various other objects collected from friends and relations of Walter Scott also known as the “Wizard of the North“.

Pocket Book Worked By Flora MacDonald © 2006 Scotiana

It is said that the keys of Lochleven Castle, thrown into the loch after the escape of Mary Queen of Scots are on display, but I don’t recall seeing them, nor did we took photo of same. Does that ring a bell to you, Mairiuna?

Armoury Room - Abbotsford - Scotland - © 2006 Scotiana

In other rooms, we can see weapons, suits of armour, coat-of-arms, hunting trophies, paintings, antiquarian furniture and so much more, that it takes more than a day to discover all the treasures.

Lord Byron Silver Urn Offered To Sir Walter Scott © 2006 Scotiana

Just for the fun of it,  let’s showcase some of the items that are part of Scotiana’s “Sir Walter Scott memorabilia collection” and other affordable items we would like to acquire as well!

Commemorative Documents

Postcards

Old postcard depicting Sir Walter Scott and his dog Maida

Chromo Cards

Measurements: 10.5cm x 6cm (4" x 2.5" )

Chromolithography is a method for making multi-color prints. This type of color printing stemmed from the process of lithography, and it includes all types of lithography that are printed in color.

When chromolithography is used to reproduce photographs, the term photochrom is frequently used.

Chromolithography replaced coloring prints by hand, and eventually served as a replica of a real painting. Lithographers sought to find a way to print on flat surfaces with the use of chemicals instead of relief or intaglio printing. Depending on the number of colors present, a chromolithograph could take months to produce.

To make what was once referred to as a “chromo”, a lithographer – using a finished painting as a model – gradually built and corrected the print to look as much as possible like the painting in front of him, sometimes using dozens of layers.

The process can be very time-consuming and cumbersome, contingent upon the skill of the lithographer.

Source: Wikipedia

A multitude of items can fit into a collection related to “Everything Sir Walter Scott” and we would be delighted to add many more to ours (with no objection to amass duplicates of the pound bills ).

Banknotes

The front of the note features Sir Walter Scott and the Bank’s Edinburgh Head office… Scott is an apt choice.

In 1826, the Government proposed to abolish the £1 note. Scott, in the guise of ‘Malachi Malagrowther’, wrote three letters to the Edinburgh Weekly Journal. In these he argued the case for Scottish banks retaining their own note issue. The letters were a huge success, stirring up public support across Scotland. Within weeks, the Government backed down.

(Take Note – A History of Scottish Banknotes)

Postage Stamps and philatelic items

200th Anniversary of Sir Walter Scott - Great Britain - Official First Day Cover - 1971 -

Literary Anniversaries Stamp Issues -Great Britain - 2006 Official First Day Cover

Talk soon,

Janice

Abbotsford notice board © 2007 Scotiana

Abbotsford!

The Home of Sir Walter Scott!

Abbotsford © 2000 Scotiana

With hills, fields and woods in the background, like a fairytale castle, the old house emerges from beautiful gardens with its many chimneys, its crenellated turrets and crow stepped gables…

Abbotsford © 2007 Scotiana

No wonder Sir Walter was so deeply attached to Abbotsford. He designed the house in the same way he wrote his books, with passion.

In 1811, he acquired Cartyhole, a small farmhouse and the surrounding grounds, where he wanted to build his home. A new building soon replaced the old one and Walter Scott called it Abbotsford after the monks from Melrose Abbey who, at one time, had a crossing there, the abbots’ford !

If the Scottish Baronial style house we can see today appears to be so deeply rooted in the Scottish soil and history, it is not only because of its location in the Borders but also because of what Walter Scott made of it, drawing his inspiration when he designed it, from favourite places he had visited before, the abbey of Melrose or Rosslyn Chapel for example.

Indeed, Abbotsford can be visited as the home of Sir Walter, one of the world’s most sucessful novelists, but also as a museum full of the historical relics Sir Walter had collected avidly all along his life.

Abbotsford Sir Walter Scott's study © 2001 Scotiana

What an inspiring place for Sir Walter to write !

The great Scottish author lived in Abbotsford for 20 years, from 1912 to 1932, until the very day of his death, in fact. There, he wrote the whole series of the Waverley Novels, plus many other books among which are the 9 volumes of Napoleon, and the four volumes of Tales of a Scottish Grandfather which he dedicated to his six-year-old ill-fated grandchild John Hugh Lockhart, nicknamed by him Hugh Littlejohn.

Below is the list of the Waverley novels, just to give you an idea of the author’s work! In fact, Sir Walter wrote himself to death to pay for the huge amount of debts which, in 1826, fell upon himself and his fellow partners and friends, Archibald Constable & Co., his publisher, and James Ballantyne & Co., as the result of an unfortunate business venture. A bad year indeed since the very same year he lost his dear wife, Charlotte.

Waverley or Tis Sixty Years Since 1814
Guy Mannering, or The Astrologer 1815
The Antiquary 1816
The Black Dwarf 1816
The Tale of Old Mortality 1816
Rob Roy 1818
The Heart of Midlothian 1818
The Bride of Lammermoor 1819
A Legend of Montrose 1919
Ivanhoe 1919
The Monastery 1820
The Abbot 1820
Kenilworth 1821
The Pirate 1822
The Fortunes of Nigel 1822
Peveril of the Peak 1822
Quentin Durward 1823
St Ronan’s Well 1824
Redgauntlet 1824
The Betrothed 1825
The Talisman 1825
Woodstock or The Cavalier 1826
St Valentine’s Day, or The Fair Maid of Perth 1828
Anne of Geierstein or The Maiden in the Mist 1829
Count Robert of Paris 1831
Castle Dangerous 1831

Abbotsford dining room © 2001 Scotiana

Now, let’s go back to 1832. We are at the end of the summer….

Sir Walter, who is now 61, is returning home after a tour of Malta and Italy. He is exhausted. Following his friends’ advice, he had departed for a long holiday in the southern countries, hoping that sunny skies would do him good but his condition had got worse there and now he feels his end is drawing near. He urges his companions to carry him home quickly, for fear he won’t be able to see his dear old place a last time. Finally, after catching a last glimpse of his dear Eildon Hills from the window of his horse-drawn carriage,  Sir Walter arrives at Abbotsford.

There, on 21 September, he  will pass quietly by the window of his dining room where he had been propped up in his bed so that he could see his favourite view of the Tweed river, surrounded by his beloved family, his faithful servants and cherished dogs. …

Abbotsford Gardens view on The Tweed River © 2007 Scotiana

Invisible but very close, the river Tweed still murmurs…

Walter Scott at his desk in his Abbotsford study © 2006 Scotiana

The house triggered our curiosity at once when we came to visit it for the first time in 2000 and since then, we’ve never ceased to look for its master whose presence can still be felt in each of Abbotsford rooms. During one of our last visits there, in 2006, we took the oath to read all Sir Walter’s books…

Up until 2004, Abbotsford was under the care of the family. In 2000, we happened to meet there a charming lady with whom we exchanged a few words in our bad english.  She let us stay in the house up to the last minute to take pictures of the whole place. I’m not sure, but she may have been Lady Maxwell-Scott. The great lady died in 2004. I’ve found a very interesting article entitled ‘Dame Jean Maxwell-Scott’ in the obituaries of The Independent on Sunday, dated 10 May 2004.

I knew that since her death Abbotsford has been managed by a charitable Trust and we noticed some changes during our last visit there in 2007.

A few days ago, I found a big envelope in my mailbox. It came from the Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club of which we are members. It contained several documents edited by the Abbotsford Trust, the aim of which was to save Abbotsford.

SAVE IT!?

No need to say we are going to read these documents very carefully!

The Save Abbotsford Trust brochure 2010

In one of my next posts, I will tell you more about the Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club and the Abbotsford Trust’s  “a vision for the future“.

A bientôt. Mairiuna.

Walter Scott bust Abbotsford Scotiana.com

We’ll begin the new year, on Scotiana,  with our reading of Walter Scott’s Rob Roy, one of the most famous Waverley novels. The French and English audio files will be available for download as well. That’ll take some doing but Janice and I are very enthusiastic about sharing with you our reading of this great Scottish author!

Abbotsford Sir Walter Scott's study and library Scotiana.com 2006

But first, and to give things a bit of atmosphere, let us go back to Abbotsford, Sir Walter’s beautiful mansion. That will make us journey back to the time of the great writer. Can’t you see him, leaning at his desk, in his quiet study, surrounded by his books and dear souvenirs? If you can’t I invite you to have a closer look at the contents of his desk as Janice is doing in the following picture

Abbotsford Closer look at Sir Walter Scott's desk Scotiana.com 2006

And to help us trigger our imagination, let us open again A Day with Scott. In this little old book I had mentioned in my last post,  May Byron seems to have catched the sense of the place particularly well. I still don’t know when this book was published, but I will check that soon in our Sir Walter Scott Bibliographical History. For biographical purposes we’ll also make some incursions in Lockhart’s Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart.  The author of this very interesting biography happens to be Sir Walter’s son-in-law, so he must know better.

Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart Lockhart one-volume 1845 edition Robert Cadell, Edinburgh

Indeed, I have in my library a very old one-volume edition of this book. It was published in 1845 if I’ve not been mistaken by the roman date appearing on the title page and which reads MDCCCXLV…

In the frontispiece of the book there is a picture of Sir Walter with one of his dogs …

Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott, Bart Lockhart one-volume 1845 edition Robert Cadell, Edinburgh

But let us see what May Byron has to say about  Sir Walter’s writing place :

Everything in Scott’s room betokened a most sympathetic humanity. Just inside his desk, carefully set in certain order, lay a collection of little relics, so placed that they might catch his eye, every morning before he began work. Little old-fashioned toilet-boxes that had once lain upon his mother’s dressing table, – the silver candlestick which he had bought for her with his first earnings, – little packets of children’s curls, each named in her delicate Italian hand : and many other touching mementoes of those long passed away….
Hour by hour, line by line, stanza by stanza, the poet wrote steadily on : he was never charged with hurrying or scamping his work. The early dawn is not, one would suppose, the period most conducive to the divine afflatus : “thoughts that breathe and words that burn” are rarely associated with the chilly morning twilight. But Scott’s genius was of a singularly sane character, robust and well-controlled as the man himself. “When at his desk,” says Lockhart, “the truth is that he did little more, as far as regarded poetry, than write down the lines which he had fashioned in his mind” already, while pursuing out-of-door vocations.

A quiet place to write indeed, though there must have been many comings and goings in the house. We must not forget that Sir Walter lived at Abbotsford with his family and servants, that he used to entertain his many friends at home and that he also was a very busy man, working as a sheriff in nearby Selkirk. One special mention here for Tom Purdie, the faithful and irreplaceable servant who took so well care of the domain and of his master.  “I wrought till two o’clock till I was almost nervous with correcting and scribbling” wrote Sir Walter in his Journal,  “I then walkd or rather was dragd through the snow by Tom Purdie while Skene accompanied. What a blessing there is in a man like Tom whom no familiarity can spoil, whom you may scold and praise and joke with, knowing the quality of the man is unalterable in his love and reverence to his master. Use an ordinary servant in the same way and he will be your master in a month.”
Something seems to be lacking in our picture ! Have you guessed what it is? The dogs, of course ! For Sir Walter would no be Sir Walter without his dogs.  He cherished them and there was always one or two of them lying at his feet or walking on his heels…

Sir Walter Scott's Dogs The New York Times 1898

But let us read again May Byron …

Meanwhile, as close as the pile of books would permit, a couple of splendid dogs lay waiting and watching for their master’s frequent glance and word, – for alike in work and conversation, Scott would often pause to speak to his dogs as though to friends and rational beings – which indeed they were. Maida, the great-iron-grey staghound, grave and stately, was hardly ever separated from his side; and as for the greyhounds, setters, and terriers of the establishment, they were practically innumerable. Scott had been accustomed, as a child, to be sent out upon the Border hills in charge of a shepherd; and he declared that “the habit of lying in the turf there among the sheep and the lambs had given his mind a peculiar tenderness for animals which it had ever retained.” This mutual attraction between the “Wizard of the North’ and his canine friends, often finds expression in his poems and romances. The staghound Maida was the “Bevis” of Woodstock. Lufra, in The Lady of the Lake, “the fleetest hound in all the North,” whose action precipitates the finale : the great dog Roswal, the companion of Sir Kenneth in The Talisman, – and several others, will recur to the memory at once.

Indeed, Sir Walter has often been pictured with one or two of his dogs at his side.

Painting by Sir Francis Grant of "Sir Walter Scott in his study at Abbotsford writing his last novel 'Count Robert of Paris' ", 1831. Source : SCRAN

I’ve often wondered how a man like Sir Walter Scott can have posed for so many long hours with his dogs, keeping still and quiet …But I let the master speak for himself and for the dogs.  In his Journal, on 7 saturday 1826, Sir Walter has written something full of humour and tenderness about the question…

Sunday. Knight (1), a young artist, son of the performer, came to paint my picture at the request of Terry (2) – This is very far from being agreeable as I submitted to this distressing state of constraint last year (3) – to Newton (4) at request of Lockhart, Leslie (5) at request of My American friend (6), Wilkie for his picture of the King’s arrival at Holy Rood House (7) and some one beside. I am as tired of the operation as old Maida (8) who had been so often sketchd that he got up and went away with signs of Loathing whenever he saw an artist unfurl his paper and handle his brushes. But this young man is civil and modest and I have agreed he shall sit in the room while I work and take the best likeness he can without compelling me into forced attitudes or the yawning fatigues of an actual sitting. I think if he has talent he may do more my way than in the customary mode – at least I cannot have the hangdog look which the unfortunate Theseus has who is doomd to sit for what seems an eternity (9).

(1) Knight : John Prescott Knight (1803-1829)

(2) Daniel Terry (?1780-1829), the gentleman-actor. Scott first met him through the Ballantynes in 1810, and their similar tastes for old plays drew them together. Terry idolized Scott even to the extent of talking like him and imitating his handwriting. He “Terryfied” (that is, dramatized) some of the Waverley Novels, and helped to furnish Abbotsford. See Life iii.223 and, e.g., Letters, vii. 278

(3) Scott means 1824

(4) Gilbert Stewart Newton (1794-1835)

(5) C.R. Leslie, R. A., who painted Scott’s portrait in October 1824.

(6) George Ticknor (1791-1871), Professor of French and Spanish at Harvard, who had visited Edinburgh in 1819. The portrait was painted in 1824 and Scott ‘with a tact and amiability very characteristic of him, selected the young American painter, then making himself known in England’. Ticknor’s Life, i. 389

(7) The picture referred to, which now hangs in Holyrood, is a composite portrait, celebrating the visit of George IV to Edinburgh in 1822 when Scott himself arranged and managed the entire proceedings.

(8) His favourite deerhound, which died in 1824.

(9) An allusion to Virgil’s Aeneid, vi. 617 quoted by Scott in the Entry for 14 June 1830.

The Journal of Sir Walter Scott Canongate Classics 1998

Hum… my  paperback copy of The Journal is falling into pieces and I think Janice’s book is no better…  I must try and find a hardback copy very soon for this big volume (918 pages in the Canongate edition) has become a true bible for us…

Abbotsford entrance door and dog statues Scotiana.com 2001

Camp, Nimrod, Spice, Triton, Ginger, Maida…the most famous dogs who have shared the short span of their life with Sir Walter did not fail to leave him memories as only dogs can do and I know what I’m talking about.  Not only did their master used to remember them with emotion in his Letters and in his Journal but he also made them live in his books, as we shall see later, following our reading of Walter Scott’s novels.

Abbotsford Chinese drawing room Ginger picture Scotiana.com 2006

Here is Ginger as we can discover him in a beautiful picture at Abbotsford…

Scott Monument Edinburgh Walter Scott and Maida statue Sir John Steel Princes Street Scotiana.com 2007

As for Maida, the favourite, she has been immortalized in the marble by Sir John Steel who represented the dog forever sitting at the side of his beloved master.The beautiful white statue of Sir Walter and Maida is definitely the most touching element of the Scott Monument, that huge gothic building which dominates Princes Street in Edinburgh. But, in the heart of the beautiful Scottish capital, Maida must share the limelight with Greyfriars Bobby, another famous Scottish dog whose moving story I will tell you in my next post.
My last words will be for Maida, as would have liked his master.

Abbotsford Walter Scott's House Entrance Maida dog statue Scotiana 2001

On the gravel path, as if keeping watch in front of the door of Abbotsford, we fall upon the statue of a dog tilting her head to her side as dogs use to do. On an inscribed plinth a latin phrase reads :  “Maidae marmorea dormis sub imagine Maida / Ante fores domini sit tibi terra levis” which Walter Scott translated into the words :

“Beneath the sculptured form which late you wore
Sleep soundly, Maida, at your master’s door.

WOUF !

A bientôt.

Mairiuna.

Abbotsford Scotiana.com 2006

We can’t help returning to Abbotsford each time we go to Scotland to pay homage to the great writer. Sir Walter Scott’s presence can still be felt in each room of the vast house and along the quiet alleys  of the beautiful park surrounding it. In some corner of the garden you may happen to fall upon the statue of a character, as if it had just emerged from a page of a Waverley novel, like that of Edie Ochiltree from The Antiquary.

Abbotsford Garden Edie Ochiltree statue Scotiana.com 2007

And, if you are lucky enough to be gifted with the power of second view, may be you’ll happen to fall upon a ghost in Abbotsford. Sir Walter himself claimed that it was haunted by George Bullock, a man who had contributed to the design and building of Abbotsford. This man died in London, in 1818, and, on the two nights following his death, Walter Scott was awaken by big noises coming from inside the house, which made him rise up and take a sword to search it. He still didn’t know about the death of George Bullock but when he learnt it, he immediately associated the noises with him. The ghost is supposed to have come several times to Abbotsford.

Abbotsford Dining Room Scotiana.com 2001 JCh

Then, if ghosts are to be met in Abbotsford why not expect that of Sir Walter Scott himself who had been so deeply attached to the place. As a matter of fact, his ghost is reputed to haunt the Dining Room. There, he peacefully died on September 21st 1832, surrounded by his family and friends and his eyes turned towards his beloved view of the Tweed. Since Sir Walter had much contributed to the design of this room, no wonder it had been equipped with large bow-windows overlooking this view of the river.

Abbotsford library memorabilia show case Scotiana.com 2001

So, when we go to Abbotsford it’s to immerse in the very specific atmosphere of the place rather than to visit it as a museum, though it can also be visited as a museum! What museum, indeed! Not only did Sir Walter Scott spend a lot of money to build this superb gothic-style turreted mansion, on the banks of the river Tweed, but he also bought innumerable antiquarian objects and memorabilia to decorate it. The word “decorate” may appear to be somewhat inappropriate here. Walter Scott, who has often been said to have invented the historical novel, liked to surround him with inspiring objects coming from olden times and having belonged to famous people, like Bonnie Prince Charlie, Marie Stuart, Napoleon and of course Rob Roy! Added to Sir Walter’s deep sense of place, all these historical things surrounding him must have certainly contributed to trigger his imagination!  “Objets inanimés avez-vous donc une âme?” (*)

Abbotsford The Entrance Hall Scotiana.com 2001

How I’d like to be shut, after closing time, within the walls of Abbotsford in order to be free to roam, all alone,  from room to room, and to get familiarised with the place where the Waverley novels have been written, day after day, with this very place where, sadly enough, Sir Walter wrote himself to death in order to face the debts due to the bankcrupcy of his fellow editors. Yes, I would like very much to be given the opportunity to stay here long enough to get a deep sense of the place.

Abbotsford The Entrance Hall Armour Scotiana.com 2001 JCh

Mind you, I would not like to meet, in the dark, one of those fearful knights in armour which stand here and there in the house as if mounting guard… I’d certainly prefer to stay amidst the bookshelves of Sir Walter’s study and library.

Abbotsford Library Scotiana.com 2001

But now, and before going further about Walter Scott’s novel Rob Roy, let me open for you a book I have in my library. It’s entitled The Country of Sir Walter Scott and I’ve found in it a very interesting passage describing the objects you can see at Abbotsford and which have belonged to Rob Roy… very interesting indeed, even if, like me,  you are not very enthusiastic about arms.

The Country of Sir Walter Scott Charles Olcott London Cassell & CO, Limited 1913

Charles S. Olcott’s book is a very interesting and touching literary travel book. “On the first day of May 1911,” he wrote in his introduction, “we began our exploration of the ‘Scott Country.’ … This was the beginning of a tour which eventually led into nearly every county of Scotland, as far north as the Shetland Islands, and through a large part of England and Wales. We went wherever we thought we might find a beautiful or an interesting picture, connected in some way with the life of Sir Walter, or mentioned by him in some novel or poem. Knowing that he had derived his inspiration for an intimate knowledge of the country, we sought to follow his footsteps so far as possible. ”

And now, here is Charles S. Olcott’s list of Rob Roy memorabilia to be found at Abbotsford :

An old flintlock gun of extreme length, with silver plate containing the initials R.M.C. ; a fine Highland broadsword, with the highly prized Andrea Ferrara mark on the blade ; a dirk two feet long, with carved handle and silver-mounted sheath ; a skene dhu, or black knife, a short thick weapon of the kind used in the Highlands for dispatching game or orther servile purposes for which it would be a profanation to use the dirk ; a well-worn brown leather purse ; and a sporran, with semicircular clasp and secret lock, which for a century has defied the ingenuity of all who have attempted to open it, are among the treasures of Abbotsford. They were all once the property of Robert MacGregor Campbell, or Rob Roy, the famous ‘Robin Hood of the Highlands.’
When I was permitted to take the long old-fashioned gun into my own hands and to test its weight by carrying the butt to my shoulder and casting my eye over the long octagonal barrel, I could not help feeling that Rob Roy was a far less mythical person than his prototype of the Forest of Sherwood.

Is not that a good preamble to our discovery of Walter Scott’s famous novel Rob Roy? I let you think things over until our next post unless, in the meantime, you’ve decided like Janice and I to read or re-read the book…

A bientôt.

Mairiuna.

(*) Harmonies poétiques et religieuses “Milly ou la terre natale” Lamartine.

Scott's View Eildon Hills Scotiana.com 2006

Day after day, in our quest of Scotland, we go deeper and deeper into that fascinating country and like hungry pilgrims on a never ending path we discover new horizons at each turn. So, let us walk on, listening on the road to what people say and write there…

If you could see my library, you couldn’t believe it. Since 2000, the year when we first discovered the country, I have collected many many books by Scottish writers and about Scotland. Janice has been doing the same thing, on the other side of the ocean, both of us dreaming of improbable libraries which would contain the whole of our precious treasures.

If you ask me the ritual question “What three books would you choose to bring with you on a desert island?”, I would immediately answer : I can’t ! To begin with, how could I let behind a single volume of George Mackay Brown or Iain Crichton Smith, my favourite Scottish authors ! I need to have them beside me. Isn’t their writing at the origin of that Scottish pilgrimage which led us as far as Orkney and the Hebrides? Then, on my bedside table,  there’s always a book by Kenneth White open on a poem or a geopoetic page, so I could not travel without having several of his books in my bag. And I don’t speak of all those books we’re discovering every day and which make us dream, think and travel, laugh, weep or even thrill. Remember, there’s  no computer on a desert island and much time to read !  NO, definitely, I could not choose ! So, why not discover these favourite of ours, one after the other, in Scotiana. We’ve already introduced some of them…

Sir Walter Scott Edinburgh Monument The author and his dog Maida Scotiana 2006

Today, not to lose Rob Roy’s trail, and also because we do love this author, we’re going to enter the world of Sir Walter Scott, one of the most famous Scottish writers, if not the most famous one.

Abbotsford Scotiana.com 2000

Abbotsford Scotiana.com 2001

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So, let us follow Sir Walter and that his faithful dogs on the road of his beloved country, in the heart of the Scottish Borders, and within the rooms of his cherished home at Abbotsford, a beautiful gothic manor which reflects its master and had been built near Melrose, on the banks of the River Tweed.

Abbotsford Walter's study Scotiana.com 2006

During our last visit to Abbotsford, Janice and I promised to read all Walter Scott’s books, including the big volume of his Journal which Michael, a Walter Scott admirer and a very friendly man whom we had met at the reception, had so kindly lent us for the visit. Big challenges, as usual ! But we promised ! And here we were, in Abbotsford,  deeply moved and very happy to be there, feeling in each room of this mythical house the presence of the “maître des lieux”… what memories ! To this day we’ve read Rob Roy and Waverley, also Quentin Durward the action of which happens to be situated in Touraine, France (and in the process, I’ve learned a lot of French history), The Highland Widow, My Aunt Margaret’s Mirror, The Tapestried Chamber. We’ve begun to read The Fair Maid of Perth, have made little incursions in Walter Scott’s poetry and big ones in his very interesting Journal.

Now, try to imagine the great writer at his desk…

Abbotsford Sir Walter Scott's study Rob Roy painting Scotiana.com 2007

Abbotsford Sir Walter Scott's study Scotiana.2007

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Guess what? Walter Scott is writing his great novel Rob Roy…

Walter Scott Rob Roy 1st edition 1818 Killin Museum Scotiana.com 2006

About this very interesting book, I will tell you more in my next post… so, stay tuned !

A bientôt. Mairiuna