Scott was born in 1771 in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. His father was a solicitor and, after university, Walter became apprenticed to his father. He was called to the bar in 1792 and was appointed the Sheriff Depute for Selkirk 7 years later. At this time his literary career was just a hobby. After translating some German works, the first poems by Scott himself were published in 1802 and he shot to fame when Lay of the Last Minstrel caught the public’s imagination 3 years later. He then moved from poetry to novels in 1814 when Waverly was published.
Scott wrote more than 20 novels in total, including Rob Roy and Ivanhoe. In addition he had 13 books of poetry, 2 short story collections and 20 works of non-fiction published, together with 5 plays. He died in 1832 at the age of 61.
Sir Walter Scott is the author of many classics of both English and Scottish literature. Test your knowledge of him with this quiz.
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It's over 200 ft tall and stands in Princes Street Gardens
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Ivanhoe is an unusual hero for Scott: he's English
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Despite the book's title, Robert "Rob Roy" McGregor Campbell is not the protagonist - that honour belongs to Francis "Frank" Osbaldistone
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Gaberlunzie is a medieval Scots word which may derive from the wallet that licenced beggars carried, although the origin is uncertain
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Scott was a lawyer by trade and was now a judge as well as a writer
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Scott did not put his name to his novels until 5 years before his death. Consequently his books were named after his first piece of fiction, Waverley, which was published in 1814
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The title character is a Cavalier in love with a Roundhead's daughter
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In the novel, the Heart of Midlothian is the old Tolbooth Prison in Edinburgh
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Donizetti wrote Lucia di Lammermoor in 1835, 16 years after The Bride of Lammermoor was published and 3 years after Scott's death
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The house was occupied by Scott's descendants until 2004. The last of his direct descendants to inhabit Abbotsford was his great-great-great-granddaughter, Dame Jean Maxwell-Scott
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