Sir Walter Scott's Connections

Sir Walter Scott 1771 - 1832

Born in Edinburgh he was a younger son of Walter and Anne Scott, his father being a solicitor and Writer to the Signet. The very early years of his childhood were spent in the Borders at Sandyford (Smailholm) and Kelso before returning to Edinburgh. Walter Scott was educated at Edinburgh High School and Edinburgh University and became a Advocate.

He married Margaret Charpentier in 1797 and they had four children.

In 1799 Walter Scott became Sheriff- depute of Selkirkshire and shortly after that he and his family moved to the Borders area, first to Ashiestiel then in 1812 to Cartleyhole farmhouse. This land was renamed Abbotsford and the house that now exists was built in stages and ultimately replaced the earlier house.

Sir Walter Scott was created a Baronet in 1820 by King George IV. On his death in 1832 he was buried beside his wife at Dryburgh Abbey.

Border Connections
Sir Walter Scott had connections with the border area through his ancestors, his early childhood and the many times he would ride through the Ettrick, Yarrow, Teviot and Tweed valleys. This love of the Scottish Borders was enhanced when he came to live in the area in 1804. It is not surprising therefore that there are few if any parts of the Way that do not have a close connection with Sir Walter Scott.
Some of these connections are detailed below:

Moffat - The Black Bull Inn
It is reputed that Sir Walter Scott had visited this Inn. If this is so he would be one of several well-known author/poets to have frequented this establishment. Undoubtedly the strongest literary connection with the Inn is with Robert Burns who penned a verse on the window pane. James Hogg was also thought to frequent the inn.

Moffat Area
Close at hand is the Grey Mare's Tail, this has fictional and non fictional connections with Sir Walter. The Waterfall and the Giant's Grave at its foot are mentioned in "Marmion". In true life he and his horse were forced to stop in the area due to a thick fog.
Also near Moffat is the Devil's Beef Tub, an area used by the Border Reivers to hide cattle and mentioned in the novel Redgauntlet.

Ettrick Valley
This long valley has numerous border towers. Many of them are mentioned in the "Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border".

Tibbie Shiels Inn
This was the meeting point of Sir Walter and James Hogg, and many a night would have been spent in this small inn talking over their poems and ballads.

St Mary's Loch
This crystal clear loch is referred to in Sir Walter Scott's Marmion

Oft in my mind such thoughts awake
By lone St Mary's silent lake
Thou know'st it well nor fen nor sedge
Pollute the pure lake's crystal edge.

In addition St Mary's Chapel is mentioned in "Marmion".

Douglas Burn to north of St Mary's Loch
In this area and to the north in Peebleshire is the Manor Water. This was the area in which much of the Black Dwarf novel was set.

Dryhope Tower
This was a strong peel tower and it was the birthplace in 1550 of Mary Scott, the "Flower of Yarrow" and wife of Watt Scott of Harden, an ancestor of Sir Walter Scott.

Traquair
The Waverley Novel mentions the Traquair House gates flanked by two stone Bears. It was also Sir Walter Scott who perpetuated the story that the gates would not be re-opened until a Stewart was returned to the throne.

Innerleithen
The Walter Scott connection is through the novel "St Ronan's Well". Innerleithen was first noted as a spa, the waters coming from the Dow Well. This was said to have similar water to that found in Harrogate. The spa's popularity increased as a result of Sir Walter Scott's novel , "St Ronan's Well" and the pump house is now known by this name.

Newark Castle - Yarrow Valley
Apart from a very bloody history the castle is also associated with Sir Walter Scott through the poetry of The Lay of the Last Minstrel. It relates to the Minstrel singing to the sorrowing Duchess at Newark Castle

Clovenfords, Caddenfoot & Ashiestiel
Clovenfords Inn was the stopping-off point for Sir Walter Scott between Selkirk and Lasswade, his original home outside Edinburgh, prior to his moving to Ashiestiel. Today a statue of Sir Walter Scott stands in the forecourt of the hotel.
Close to Clovenfords and beside the Tweed there is the small church of Caddonfoot with a memorial window to Sir Walter Scott.
Close by on the Tweed is Ashiestiel, a property that he rented in 1804 to enable him to be closer to his work as Sheriff-Depute of Selkirkshire. It was in 1812 that he left Ashiestiel for "Abbotsford".

Abbotsford
This area was know as Newharthaugh in 1811 when Sir Walter Scott bought the land and the little farmhouse of Cartleyhole. After moving in 1812 there was progressive development of the farmhouse and then its total replacement in 1822 by the present day main block of Abbotsford. The name however had changed to Abbotsford much earlier and recalls the fact that in past times the monks of Melrose used to ford the Tweed at a point adjacent to the property.

Melrose and Darnick
The Abbey has literary and practical connections with Sir Walter Scott. The east presbytery inspired him to pen as part of the Lay of the Last Minstrel
"The moon on the east oriel shone
Through slender shafts of stately stone,
By foliaged tracery combined;
Thou wouldst have thought some fairy's hand
Twist poplars straight the osier wand,
In many a freakish knot had twined;
Then framed a spell when the work was done
And changed the willow wreaths to stone."
On a practical level Sir Walter acted as building superintendent for much of the later restoration work of the Abbey.
Close by is Darnick with Darnick Tower. Sir Walter Scott had wanted to buy this tower prior to acquiring Abbotsford and because of his known intention he was nicknamed the "Duke of Darnick".

Allan Water
In the novel "The Monastery" Sir Walter situated elements in the Allan Valley and in the Border Tower then known as Hillslap. The fictional name for the Tower was Glendearg. Today this tower, not more than a few miles from Galashiels on the road to Lauder, is know by its fictional name.

Smailholm
In his youth, as a result of ill-health, Walter Scott was sent to stay at his grandfather's farm Sandyknowe next to Smailholm Tower. This had an important impact on him and in the ballads The Eve of St John and Marmion. One of the references to the Border Tower is:
These crags, that mountain tower,
Which charmed my fancy's wakening hour.....
Methought grim features, seamed with scars,
Glared through the window's rusty bars

Lammermuir Hills
The Lammermuir Hills are a series of low rolling hills extending from the Gala Water to the Berwickshire coast. They have been described as wild and cheerless and containing bleak moors. Perhaps a somewhat harsh description but one that suits the setting for Sir Walter Scott's novel, "The Bride of Lammermoor".

Fast Castle
The ruined castle is on the cliff face between Cockburnspath and St Abb's Head. This was known as Wolf's Crag in the novel "The Bride of Lammermoor".

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