A calm, monastic space with lawns and topiary yew trees (planted after Scott’s death), the South Court has a central basin on a stepped plinth.

This once stood in the Tolbooth in Edinburgh and in 1660 was filled with wine for the people to drink from on the Restoration of Charles II. On two sides, a tall yew hedge (planted in the1850s by Lockhart, Scott’s son-in-law) grows hard against the stone boundary wall and has peep-holes cut into it to show ancient stones collected by Scott.