Sir Walter Scott and the “Branding” of Scotland

Sir Walter Scott. You may know him as a novelist: Ivanhoe. Rob Roy. Waverley. Or as a poet: “The Lady of the Lake.” The Lord of the Isles. His writings are less fashionable than they once were. But his legend rests on so much more: Did he “invent” the historic Scotland that exists in the popular imagination? Did he personally recover Scotland’s lost crown jewels? Why does his “Dream House” in the Scottish Borders - a product of his own fertile imagination - today draw over 75,000 visitors a year? We will take a look at the author’s whole life and legacy to try to puzzle out why his memory still looms large in Scotland.

After James Patterson retired from a career as a CPA and banker in Boston, he and Ellen found their way to Newport and have not looked back. He is interested in all things Scots, and after his recent presentation on Robert Burns, The Bard of Scotland, it seemed logical to follow up with Sir Walter Scott, another Scottish literary icon.