The Journal of Sir Walter Scott From the Original Manuscript at Abbotsford

From 1825 until the final months of his life, the celebrated novelist kept a daily journal that reveals the ordinary and extraordinary moments behind his towering literary reputation. In these pages he records his thoughts on the works he was drafting, the business of running Abbotsford, and the personal challenges of aging and illness. The entries are written in his own hand, often hurried, giving listeners a vivid sense of his voice and temperament.

The edition presents the journal exactly as Scott left it, with only minor corrections, and intersperses the original entries with the careful annotations of his son‑in‑law, John Gibson Lockhart, and other contemporary letters. These notes help clarify references to the books he read, the people he met, and the cultural climate of early‑19th‑century Scotland. For anyone interested in the mind of a literary giant, the journal offers an intimate, unvarnished portrait of a writer at work, love, and eventual decline.