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1783 - Scott began studying Classics at the
University of Edinburgh, then later studied
Law.
1792 - Scott began working as an Advocate in
Edinburgh, at a time he was also writing
Ballads and Poems.
1797 - Scott married his wife Jean
Carpenter, with them having 5 children whilst
living in Edinburgh.
1799 - Scott was appointed Sheriff-Depute of
the County of Selkirk in the Borders, leading
to him living between Edinburgh and in the
Borders.
Scott worked as Sheriff at Selkirk Court
from 1799 till his death in 1832, mainly
dealing with petty crime such as theft and
poaching. The Court is now a museum in the
centre of Selkirk.
1800 - the first of Walter Scott's Ballads
was published, the start of his road to
fame.
Scott was interested in True Stories, often
visiting historic places for inspiration, and
liked to solve mysteries.
1804 - Scott leased the Mansion House of
Ashestiel, 6
miles northwest of Selkirk, on the south bank
of the River Tweed.
1809 - Scott visited the extremely scenic
area of Loch Katrine in the Trossachs area of
Scotland, where he produced his famous poem -
The Lady of the
Lake.
1811 - Scott bought Cartley Hole Farm, on
the south bank of the River Tweed, 5 miles
northeast of Selkirk, 2 miles west of
Melrose.
1812 - Scott built a Cottage on the site,
giving it the name, Abbotsford. The name is
after a shallow river crossing, Ford, used by
Abbots.
1815 - Scott traveled to Europe to visit the
site of the Battle of
Waterloo, where Napoleon of France was
defeated for the final time. Scott wrote the
Poem: The Field of Waterloo, during that
trip.
1817 - Scott wrote the novel Rob Roy, about
a true life Scottish Outlaw from the Loch
Katrine area. His novels and poems about
Scotland are said to have vastly increased
tourism in Scotland.
1818 - Scott was one of a group that
rediscovered the Scottish Crown
Jewels, hidden at Edinburgh Castle since
the Act of the Union in 1707.
Scott also had an interest in the Knights
Templar, and visited Rosslyn
Chapel, one of the places associated with
the Knight Templar and the Holy Grail. There
seems to be no documents from Scott, so far, on
what he found about the Knights Templar in
Scotland.
1824 - the Baronial style Mansion House of
Abbotsford was completed for Scott on the site
of his Cottage.
1825 - a banking crises led to the collapse
of the printing business Scott had a
partnership in, leading to vast debts.
1826 - Scott's wife Charlotte died. She was
buried in the Scott family vault at Dryburgh
Abbey by Melrose.
Scott continued to write as much as he could
to try and pay off his debts, producing Novels,
Short Stories and more. He managed to pay off
about two thirds of his debt before his health
began to deteriorate.
1831 - Scott took a tour of Europe and
Italy. After his return from Europe, he was
diagnosed with Typhus.
1823, 21st September - Scott died in the
Dining Room of Abbotsford. He was buried next
to his wife in Dryburgh Abbey
a few days later.
1833 - Abbotsford House was opened to the
public as a Museum. Ongoing sales of Scott's
literature soon paid off all his remaining
debts, and along with money from the Museum,
gave his descendants a comfortable life.
1839 - a Statue of Sir
Walter Scott was erected at Selkirk Market
Square, in front of the Court he worked in for
many years.
1844 - the vast Scott Monument
was completed in Princes Street Gardens in
Edinburgh, with amazing views from
the top, after climbing the many narrow
stairs.
1847 - Scott's son Walter died, leading to
Abbotsford passing to his granddaughter
Charlotte. It was Charlotte that had the Hope
Scott Wing and Chapel built onto the original
House.
Charlotte and her family lived in the new
building until 2004, so the main House could be
kept open to the public.
2013 - Abbotsford was re-opened to the
public by the Queen after a 2 year renovation
project, that also saw the new Visitor Centre
built.
Today, there are large numbers of visitors
to Abbotsford from around the world, one of the
top attractions in the Borders of Scotland.
Extended History
at Wiki
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