Walter Scott (1771-1832)

Walter Scott is a famous writer and the creator of the historical novel in English literature.

He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He loved his country and was very interested in its past.

In his youth, he collected old Scottish ballads and learned a lot about the history and culture of Scotland.

Walter Scott first became known as a poet. In 1814, his first novel “Waverley” was published. During the next few years, he wrote many other novels, including “Guy Mannering”, “Rob Roy”, and “Ivanhoe”. He became one of the most famous novelists of his time.

Scott worked very quickly. For example, “Guy Mannering” was written in six weeks.

For most of his life, he lived at a farm called Abbotsford. He had a daily routine: he got up at five, lit his own fire, dressed, and went to see his horses. At six, he sat down to write until nine or ten, then had breakfast. He continued writing for two more hours, and then spent the rest of the day riding, fishing, or being with his family and friends.

In his novels, Scott describes the history of Scotland. Sometimes he idealized the past, and his historical facts are not always exact. But his love for Scotland helped him understand the life of his people. His descriptions of customs and habits are very realistic because he studied them carefully.

Through his stories, Scott helped people around the world know and love Scotland.

Scott showed that the past affects the present. This is why his novels are still read today with great interest.