Summary of Waverley
Edward Waverley is a young and idealistic English nobleman posted to Scotland as an army soldier just before the Jacobite rising of 1745 – Bonnie Prince Charlie’s attempt to lead an uprising in Scotland and reclaim the British throne for the House of Stuart. Caught between duty and friendship, young Waverley must decide whether to remain loyal to the King or to support his companions among the Highland clans. To further complicate matters, he falls in love with Flora, the sister of his friend and Scottish clan chieftain, Fergus.
Reasons to read Waverley
“Waverley” was Sir Walter Scott’s first novel and the start of a series of romanticised historical novels set in Scotland. With references to Waverley, Walter Scott, and Bonnie Prince Charlie being widespread across Scotland, this novel is an ideal introduction to Scottish traditions and (romanticised) history. “Waverley” is often regarded as the first historical novel in Western literature, with Walter Scott hailed as the father of the genre. Readers daunted by the prospect of reading a 19th-century novel of over 500 pages might try Jenni Calder’s reworked 2019 version (192 pages). Other notable works by Walter Scott include the novels “Rob Roy”, “The Heart of Mid-Lothian”, “Ivanhoe”, and “The Bride of Lammermoor” – none of which were written as children’s books – as well as narrative poems such as “The Lady of the Lake”.
Setting: Scotland (UK)
Various settings in Scotland, including fictional places such as Tully-Veolan and Glennaquoich – likely inspired by Grandtully Castle and Ardtornish Castle respectively – as well as real locations such as Dundee, Prestonpans, Doune Castle, and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.
Original title: Waverley
Year of publication: 1814
Nr of pages: 544
