My birth was neither distinguished nor sordid.
Sir Walter Scott
About Sir Walter Scott
Situated about an hour away from Edinburgh, Abbotsford house is the home of Sir Walter Scott, famous 19th-century Scottish poet, novelist, politician, judge and historian. The son of a city lawyer, he was born in Edinburgh’s Old Town in 1771. Scott spent a lot of time at his grandparents’ farm in the Scottish Borders where he acquired interests on old Scottish poetry, fairy-tales, history and ancient customs of the land. Scott grew up in a wealthy and loving family but it didn’t protect him from insanitary conditions in Edinburgh (just like elsewhere in Europe in that period). The boy had poor health and remained lame in his leg after his illness with polio. Most of his siblings died in infancy.
Is it worth the visit?
Yes, if you know that you can tour just the first floor of the entire castle! Although it was fun and educational, I wish I could walk around the castle and see more rooms, not just the first floor. At the entrance, you’ll receive a tour guide to learn more about history of this place and life of Sir Walter Scott. There is a luxury hotel inside the castle and it explains why tourists are limited to tour the first floor only. The garden grounds are open for visitors and they are beautiful! There are walking paths in the woodlands around Abbotford as well. So you may want to have an overnight stay at a luxury hotel and do some hiking/walking during summer to relax and enjoy the English countryside.
Writing
Sir Walter Scott was a successful and popular novelist of the 19th-century Romanticism period, in which he combined history, politics and fiction. His books and poems include:
- The Lay of the Last Minstrel (1805)
- Minstrelsy of the Scottish Borders (1802)
- Marmion (1808)
- Lady of the Lake (1810)
- Waverley (1814)
- Along with Guy Mannering (1815)
- The Antiquary (1816)
- The Tale of Old Mortality (1816)
- The Bride of Lammermoor (1819)
- The Heart of Midlothian (1818)
- Ivanhoe (1820).
Library
Sir Walter Scott amassed amazing collection of books. Nothing has been moved or claimed lost and it’s really neat to see these rare books carefully arranged in categories according to subject. Dark brown cupboards display these beautiful books without glass under metal lace covers, and the rooms containing the library are very dark and mysterious. The library displays Scott’s wide interests and reading habit to inspire his own writing.
Location:
The 120 acre estate, Abbotsford has walking paths around it in woodlands, which could be a pleasant hike in nice weather. The visitor center has the map with routes and storage facilities.
Official website: https://www.scottsabbotsford.com/
