Abbotsford House **

Region: Lothian & Scottish Borders

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© Copyright Tim Heaton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Description:

Abbotsford, a magnificent country house, was the home of the 19th century novelist Sir Walter Scott. He was not only a writer of novels and poems, but also popularised tartan, saved the Scottish banknote and rediscovered his country’s Crown Jewels.

Sir Walter Scott turned the house into a real mansion, building into the walls many sculptured stones from ruined castles and abbeys of Scotland.

The estate and its neo-Medieval features reflect Scott's desire for a historical feel, but the writer ensured that the house would provide all the comforts of modern living. Scott used the space as a proving-ground for new technologies. The house was outfitted with early gas lighting and pneumatic bells connecting residents with servants elsewhere in the house. Although opened to the public in 1833, it continued to be occupied by Scott's descendants until 2004.