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From Glencoe to Stirling: Rob Roy, The Highlanders, & Scotland's Chivalric Age
The third quarter of the classic volume written by Scott, Tales of a Grandfather, covering the history of Scotland up to Scott's time.
- GenresHistory
288 pages, Paperback
Published October 20, 2000
About the author
Walter Scott
5,206 books2,155 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and biographer, widely recognized as the founder and master of the historical novel. His most celebrated works, including Waverley, Rob Roy, and Ivanhoe, helped shape not only the genre of historical fiction but also modern perceptions of Scottish culture and identity.
Born in Edinburgh in 1771, Scott was the son of a solicitor and a mother with a strong interest in literature and history. At the age of two, he contracted polio, which left him with a permanent limp. He spent much of his childhood in the Scottish Borders, where he developed a deep fascination with the region's folklore, ballads, and history. He studied at Edinburgh High School and later at the University of Edinburgh, qualifying as a lawyer in 1792. Though he worked in law for some time, his literary ambitions soon took precedence.
Scott began his literary career with translations and collections of traditional ballads, notably in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. He gained early fame with narrative poems such as The Lay of the Last Minstrel and The Lady of the Lake. As the popularity of poetic storytelling declined, especially with the rise of Lord Byron, Scott turned to prose. His first novel, Waverley, published anonymously in 1814, was set during the Jacobite rising of 1745 and is considered the first true historical novel. The success of Waverley led to a long series of novels, known collectively as the Waverley Novels, which blended historical events with compelling fictional narratives.
Over the following years, Scott produced a remarkable number of novels, including Old Mortality, The Heart of Midlothian, and The Bride of Lammermoor, each contributing to the romantic image of Scotland that became popular throughout Europe. With Ivanhoe, published in 1819, he turned his attention to medieval England, broadening his appeal and confirming his status as a major literary figure. His works were not only popular in his own time but also laid the groundwork for historical fiction as a respected literary form.
Scott married Charlotte Genevieve Charpentier in 1797, and they had five children. In 1820, he was granted a baronetcy and became Sir Walter Scott. He built a grand home, Abbotsford House, near Melrose, which reflected his passion for history and the Scottish past. However, in 1825, financial disaster struck when his publishers went bankrupt. Rather than declare bankruptcy himself, Scott chose to work tirelessly to pay off the debts through his writing. He continued to produce novels and non-fiction works at a staggering pace despite declining health.
Walter Scott died in 1832, leaving behind a literary legacy that influenced generations of writers and readers. His works remain widely read and studied, and he is credited with helping to revive interest in Scottish history and culture. Abbotsford House, now a museum, stands as a monument to his life and achievements.
Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and biographer, widely recognized as the founder and master of the historical novel. His most celebrated works, including Waverley, Rob Roy, and Ivanhoe, helped shape not only the genre of historical fiction but also modern perceptions of Scottish culture and identity.
Born in Edinburgh in 1771, Scott was the son of a solicitor and a mother with a strong interest in literature and history. At the age of two, he contracted polio, which left him with a permanent limp. He spent much of his childhood in the Scottish Borders, where he developed a deep fascination with the region's folklore, ballads, and history. He studied at Edinburgh High School and later at the University of Edinburgh, qualifying as a lawyer in 1792. Though he worked in law for some time, his literary ambitions soon took precedence.
Scott began his literary career with translations and collections of traditional ballads, notably in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. He gained early fame with narrative poems such as The Lay of the Last Minstrel and The Lady of the Lake. As the popularity of poetic storytelling declined, especially with the rise of Lord Byron, Scott turned to prose. His first novel, Waverley, published anonymously in 1814, was set during the Jacobite rising of 1745 and is considered the first true historical novel. The success of Waverley led to a long series of novels, known collectively as the Waverley Novels, which blended historical events with compelling fictional narratives.
Over the following years, Scott produced a remarkable number of novels, including Old Mortality, The Heart of Midlothian, and The Bride of Lammermoor, each contributing to the romantic image of Scotland that became popular throughout Europe. With Ivanhoe, published in 1819, he turned his attention to medieval England, broadening his appeal and confirming his status as a major literary figure. His works were not only popular in his own time but also laid the groundwork for historical fiction as a respected literary form.
Scott married Charlotte Genevieve Charpentier in 1797, and they had five children. In 1820, he was granted a baronetcy and became Sir Walter Scott. He built a grand home, Abbotsford House, near Melrose, which reflected his passion for history and the Scottish past. However, in 1825, financial disaster struck when his publishers went bankrupt. Rather than declare bankruptcy himself, Scott chose to work tirelessly to pay off the debts through his writing. He continued to produce novels and non-fiction works at a staggering pace despite declining health.
Walter Scott died in 1832, leaving behind a literary legacy that influenced generations of writers and readers. His works remain widely read and studied, and he is credited with helping to revive interest in Scottish history and culture. Abbotsford House, now a museum, stands as a monument to his life and achievements.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 21, 2011
At the risk of sounding like a hippie modern, I "found" myself through reading this book. In high school I feasted upon the romances of Sir Walter Scott. I read through Rob Roy three or four times, longing to be a Scottish outlaw heroically resisting the banking apparatus which has destroyed lives and nations. Indeed, I longed to see myself hiding in the glens (or bayous) about to carry out some raid.
While this history does not have the same romantic flavor as Rob Roy and Ivanhoe, one still gets the "Scottish" charm. Scott occasionally violates the line between prose and poetry when describing the beauty of the Scottish highlands.
As history goes, this is actually one of the better ones. Scott is not neutral, but more importantly, he is not neutral in the places which you do not expect. He avoids facile conclusions like, "Scotland good; England bad." More so than others, he is aware of the painful nuances of post-Cromwellian British history. The battle is not between England and Scotland, but between Cromwell and Presbyterian, Cromwell and Jacobite, Presbyterian and Jacobite, and obviously, Presbyterian vs Presbyterian (!!!!). And then there are the Anglicans. Scott narrates through the nuances far better and more effortlessly than any theologian.
I am not the "covenanter-wannabe" I was when I first acquired these books. Indeed, I am quite critical of the Covenanters. That said, I, with Scott, duly note areas where the Covenanters showed true Christian heroism. On the other hand, I, with Scott, acknowledge areas where the Covenanters are guilty of downright murder--and to point this out, contra Joe Morecraft, does not destine one for the lowest pits of hell.
Sir Walter Scott's sympathies lie with the Jacobite Highlanders, but not so much with James II's attempts to reintroduce Catholicism in Britain in a crass, top-down manner. And that's my position as well.
One area of criticism with the modern editing of the book: the subtitle suggests part of the narrative deals with Rob Roy's heroic exploits. It does not. Rob Roy does not appear once in the book. True, the last chapter does set the stage for Roy's career, but Roy does not appear in this book.
This book is probably a bit more advanced to be advertised to ten year olds (as Scott thinks). On the other hand, it is the best introduction to the Covenanters and the post-Cromwellian period. As the Calvinist reader may be familiar with, these books are much better than the "Banner of Truth" books on the Covenanters. These books, to the contrary, provide a consistent narrative and avoid a lot of extraneous detail.
While this history does not have the same romantic flavor as Rob Roy and Ivanhoe, one still gets the "Scottish" charm. Scott occasionally violates the line between prose and poetry when describing the beauty of the Scottish highlands.
As history goes, this is actually one of the better ones. Scott is not neutral, but more importantly, he is not neutral in the places which you do not expect. He avoids facile conclusions like, "Scotland good; England bad." More so than others, he is aware of the painful nuances of post-Cromwellian British history. The battle is not between England and Scotland, but between Cromwell and Presbyterian, Cromwell and Jacobite, Presbyterian and Jacobite, and obviously, Presbyterian vs Presbyterian (!!!!). And then there are the Anglicans. Scott narrates through the nuances far better and more effortlessly than any theologian.
I am not the "covenanter-wannabe" I was when I first acquired these books. Indeed, I am quite critical of the Covenanters. That said, I, with Scott, duly note areas where the Covenanters showed true Christian heroism. On the other hand, I, with Scott, acknowledge areas where the Covenanters are guilty of downright murder--and to point this out, contra Joe Morecraft, does not destine one for the lowest pits of hell.
Sir Walter Scott's sympathies lie with the Jacobite Highlanders, but not so much with James II's attempts to reintroduce Catholicism in Britain in a crass, top-down manner. And that's my position as well.
One area of criticism with the modern editing of the book: the subtitle suggests part of the narrative deals with Rob Roy's heroic exploits. It does not. Rob Roy does not appear once in the book. True, the last chapter does set the stage for Roy's career, but Roy does not appear in this book.
This book is probably a bit more advanced to be advertised to ten year olds (as Scott thinks). On the other hand, it is the best introduction to the Covenanters and the post-Cromwellian period. As the Calvinist reader may be familiar with, these books are much better than the "Banner of Truth" books on the Covenanters. These books, to the contrary, provide a consistent narrative and avoid a lot of extraneous detail.
March 29, 2026
Excellent for research.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews