The Sir Walter Scott Visited
Photos
Local Area
Sir Walter Scott, novelist (1771–1832), was born in a cramped third-floor flat in College Wynd in Edinburgh’s Old Town. Six of his siblings didn’t make it past infancy, and the young Walter caught polio, leaving him with a limp. He spent time in his youth at his grandparents’ farm at Sandyknowe in the Scottish Borders learning tales and ballads of Scottish heroes. These later fueled his epic novels like Waverley, Rob Roy, and Ivanhoe. Scott’s love for Edinburgh shines through in his work. He studied at the Royal High School, and later became an advocate after studying law at the University of Edinburgh and in adult life lived at 25 George Square. His fingerprints are all over the city. As well as his literary endeavours he is also famous for rediscovering the long-lost Honours of Scotland in Edinburgh Castle in 1818, turning a dusty chest into a national treasure. Scott’s rediscovery of the Honours of Scotland was a big deal, boosting Scottish pride after the 1707 Act of Union had left many feeling like England’s wee colony. His work helped spark a Highland revival, making tartan and bagpipes symbols of national identity rather than just rebel gear. His novels, like The Heart of Midlothian, immortalized local landmarks like the Old Tolbooth, now marked by a heart-shaped mosaic on the Royal Mile where folks still spit for luck. Edinburgh in Scott’s time was a tale of two cities: the smoky, crowded Old Town and the elegant New Town. The city was buzzing with Enlightenment thinkers, but also grimy with poor sanitation, hence the nickname “Auld Reekie”. The city’s Waverley Station, named after his novels, is the only train station in the world named after a work of fiction. The Scott Monument is a 200-foot tribute to the man located in Princes Street Gardens. This Gothic rocket was finished in 1846 and is the world’s largest monument to a writer. The monument is made of Binny sandstone, blackened by years of Edinburgh’s sooty air. It has 287 spiral steps to the top and rewards climbers with jaw-dropping views of Edinburgh Castle, Calton Hill, and the Salisbury Crags. At its base, a white Carrara marble statue of Scott and his dog Maida sits proudly, surrounded by 64 carved figures from his novels, like Jeanie Deans and Rob Roy MacGregor.
The Pub
A 'tricky' pub to access, you need to be flying somewhere as the pub is located 'gateside' at Edinburgh Airport which used to be RAF Turnhouse. It's a typical airport unit type bar / restaurant. Nothing much of note except the rip aff airport pricing and limited menu items, oh and place was full of AC/DC fans who had all been to see the auld codgers performing at Murrayfield stadium the previous night. Staff seemed plentiful and very efficient, a really well run place given it was rammed.
Football Team
Whilst there are closer Wetherspoons to Tynecastle, I'll include Hearts here, given they are named after Scott’s novel The Heart of Midlothian! They are also the nearest stadium to the Scott Monument in Princes Street, with Tynecastle Park being a 20-minute walk away. Founded in 1874, they play in maroon and white strips in the Scottish Premiership, with Tynecastle having a capacity of around 20,000. Hearts have won the Scottish League four times (last in 1960) and the Scottish Cup eight times (most recently in 2012). Hearts’ nickname "The Jam Tarts" comes from rhyming slang for ”hearts”.
Travel
Busses there: First 77 to Buchanan Street Bus Station, Citylink AIR to Edinburgh Airport. Busses back: (planned route) Airbus A320 Easyjet EZY604 to Luton, DART to Luton Parkway, Corby train, Luton Parkway train from Corby, Luton Parkway DART to Luton Airport, Airbus A320 Easyjet EZY607 to Edinburgh, Citylink AIR to Glasgow, First 77 to Partick. Ended up staying an extra night in Corby and getting the train back Peterborough via Edinburgh then Partick
Beers
Stewart Edinburgh Festiv-Ale priced at £5.15. Golden coloured fruity and piney, 3.9%. Very good, very more'ish scoring a solid 4.5/5. Stewart Brewing is one of Edinburgh's most successful craft breweries. Based in Loanhead, just south of the capital, it was founded in 2004. They combine traditional Scottish real-ale brewing with modern craft innovations—including running a custom-built brewhouse and Scotland's first "Brew-It-Yourself" Craft Beer Kitchen. Stewart Brewing’s Edinburgh Festiv-Ale (3.9% ABV) is a seasonal session beer crafted specially to celebrate the world-famous Edinburgh Festival and Fringe season every August. Edinburgh Festiv-Ale trades traditional British malt profiles for bright, southern-hemisphere New Zealand hops, making it an easy-drinking session pale ale designed for August festival-goers. Tasting Notes; pours light and golden with a light body. Delivers vibrant, wine-like aromas of gooseberry, passion fruit, and zesty citrus, balancing a gentle bitter-sweet flavor with a clean, dry, resinous pine finish. Food Pairings; Pub Snacks, Fringe Street Food and Light Salads.