Sir Walter Scott

Sir Walter Scott was a prolific and talented writer and is renowned for popularising historical fiction. His poetry transformed a landscape perceived as wild and mysterious into something truly sublime; a picturesque Scotland graced with magnificent glens and beautiful lochs. He then turned his hand to writing novels, where he weaved history with fiction to create an array of bestsellers that includes Ivanhoe, Waverley, Rob Roy, The Heart of Mid-Lothian and The Bride of Lammermoor. He made a mark on the literary world and influenced some of the prominent writers of the nineteenth century, including Balzac, Tolstoy, Manzoni, the Brothers Grimm, the Brontë sisters, Fenimore Cooper and Thomas Hardy. To this very day, Scott’s legacy remains embedded in Scottish culture, architecture and even fashion. In 2021, we’re commemorating 250 years since the birth of one of Scotland’s most talented writers with a UK £2 coin, which is available in a range of editions.