walter Scott was the foremost literary figure of his day. Born in 1771, and outliving by the time of his death in 1832, all the great romanticists except Coleridge and Wordsworth, he was incomparably better known than any of them.

The Waverley Novels, as Scott’s 26 novels came to be called were the world’s first real historical novels and the world’s first best-sellers. They paved the way for the great popular novels of the Victorian age, influenced Puskin and Tolstoy as well as George Elliot and Dickens, and earned him the money to buy land, to plant trees and to build Abbotsford.

Scott inspired more operas than any other writer except Shakespeare. His literary reputation introduced him to the great men of his time, and he developed friendships with Wordsworth, Coleridge and Byron, Lawrence, Turner and Humphrey Davy, Cumming and Wellington. The Prince Regent conferred a baronetcy on him and when he became George IV, encouraged Scott to orchestrate the first royal visit to Scotland for 60 years.

After the financial crash of 1826 and the subsequent fall of many companies, Scott’s publisher and partner, became liable for debts amounting to £20m in today’s terms. Although Scott’s own personal liabilities were modest, he elected to pay off the entire debt on his own and stated that “my own right hand shall do it” and for the remaining years of his life he devoted himself to his self-imposed task.

Abbotsford is the exclusive creation of Scott. His “Conundrum Castle” was where Scotland’s greatest son created a notion of Scotland that was more romantic perhaps, but also higher, more honourable, more noble than it had been in the past, and inconsequence, raised Scotland’s reputation in the world. Here he worked diligently and the result was the legend of a great man which exists for so many people across the world to the present day.

Abbotsford, up until 2004 was under the care of the family, and is now managed by a Charitable Trust determined to restore the house and redevelop the estate in order to make it self-sustaining. It is the objective of the trustees to ensure that Abbotsford becomes the centre of a renaissance of Scott’s works, but in a way that a modern audience will appreciate.

A new visitor’s centre will contain interpretation of Scott’s life and achievements, conference and exhibition facilities, together with restaurant and retail areas of a high quality. The Trust is determined to raise the funds to achieve our objectives with the help of our friends and partners, and we are currently seeking funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to this end. If successful the contents of Scott’s collection, under the care of the Faculty of Advocates, will come under the care of a Collection Trust to protect them into the future. Together, both Trusts will develop a wide range of educational programmes and exhibitions.