
Step into the winding alleys of 18th‑century Edinburgh, where whispered legends mingle with everyday life. This lively collection gathers a dozen compact tales that capture the city’s smoky taverns, hidden gardens, and the restless hearts of its inhabitants. Each story feels like a lantern‑lit window into a world of secret engagements, eccentric characters, and the ever‑present echo of history’s grander dramas.
The opening narrative, “The Story of the Two Red Slippers,” introduces the charming Miss Annie Yellowlees, a beautiful young woman caught between love and loyalty as political tides swirl around Prince Charles’s arrival. As her promised marriage stalls, Annie’s longing drifts through the fragrant gardens of Gowanlock’s Land, hinting at the mysterious events that will soon unfold. The tale’s vivid setting and gentle humor invite listeners to linger over the cobblestones, yearning to discover what other curious fortunes await the residents of Edinburgh’s old town.
Language
en
Duration
~7 hours (411K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United Kingdom: William P. Nimmo, 1867.
Credits
Sonya Schermann, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2022-09-27
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1800–1874
A Scottish man of letters best remembered for bringing border legends and local history to a wide readership, he helped keep popular storytelling at the heart of 19th-century Scottish print culture. His books range from folklore and romance to dark true-crime history.
View all books
by Alexander Leighton

by Philippe Aubert de Gaspé

by Annie Keary, Eliza Keary

by Dion Boucicault

by Maria Edgeworth

by Abraham Cahan

by Ben Jonson