By Carl H. Larsen

You can't go to Scotland without somehow being caught up in the many memorials to the great Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott. In Edinburgh thousands of commuters and travelers each day see quotations from his writings along the corridors of the city's Waverley train station, named for his runaway best-seller of 1814.

You may know of some of the aphorisms credited to this world-acclaimed author, such as "Revenge, the sweetest morsel to the mouth that ever was cooked in hell" and "Oh, what a tangled web we weave ... when first we practice to deceive."

After producing a substantial body of poetry, "Waverley" was his first novel. Along with its sequels and other of his novels, Scott is credited with launching the genre of historical fiction. Published anonymously and its authorship an open secret, Scott did not acknowledge that the wildly successful "Waverley" was his work until 1827, 13 years after its publication.

A major tourist draw, just outside the station, is the "fantastic Gothic space-rocket" memorial to Scott on the city's busy Princes Street. Completed in 1846, 14 years after the writer's death, the monument soars to 200 feet, forming a protective cover over Scott's statue and that of his dog, Maida.

Meanwhile, Scotland's other great city — Glasgow — features a soaring monument to Scott in the city center. Glaswegians are quick to point out that their tribute to Scott came years before that in Edinburgh, his hometown.

So who was this writer who is so widely venerated that his desk this year was acclaimed as one of the top 25 objects that have shaped Scottish history?

Scott's novels became the "fulcrum" that formed Scotland's identity: "The fact that we still have a national identity of any kind is down to Scott," said Scottish author Stuart Kelly.

Much of how the world views Scotland today can be traced to Scott's writings of the early 18th century. His works include the Waverley series, "Rob Roy," "Kenilworth" and "The Heart of Midlothian." "Ivanhoe," another of his best-sellers, was his first novel to be set outside Scotland.

It was Scott who virtually invented the idea of the Scottish Highlands as an unspoiled area of natural beauty, putting aside legends of clannish in-fighting and violence. His portrayals of the highlands helped spawn an influx of tourists from Industrial Age cities that continues today. He helped maintain the Scottish banknote as currency that remains in use, and he helped ensure the preservation of the Scots language.

His finest moment, perhaps, was in 1822, when he was delegated with organizing the visit of King George IV to Edinburgh. To accolades, the king presented himself while attired in a native tartan kilt, further sealing our notions of Scottishness. The fact that Queen Victoria, influenced by Scott's romantic writings, moved the British royal household each year to Scotland's Balmoral Castle also helped.

A little more than an hour by train from Edinburgh's Waverley Station, the story of this towering author — who commanded a worldwide audience — unfolds at his self-made estate, Abbotsford, a bucolic manor along the River Tweed in Scotland's Borders region. Scott was a hero of the Romantic period. His literature paled during the rise of Realism but has found new validity among critics. For a time some of his works, such as "Ivanhoe," were recast as children's literature.

Each year, about 70,000 literary pilgrims make the trip to see Abbotsford and stroll amid its 120 acres of woods and meadows along the scenic rippling river that Scott could hear as he lay dying in 1832 on a bed set up in the dining room.

The castlelike home is eclectic, a "palace of his imagination," said Jayne Billam of the Abbotsford Trust. Indeed, the house, built in several stages, would "suit none but an antiquary" such as himself, Scott said. There was no grand plan guiding the design of the stone residence.

Outside are several formal gardens. Inside, Scott and his wife Charlotte lived among a collection of armor and curiosities that include relics from the battlefields of Culloden and Waterloo, a "scold's bridle" used to prevent women from speaking and an assortment of early firearms. His famous desk sits in the middle of his first-floor study, and a 9,000-volume library is just as Scott left it. On a typical day of writing Scott would spend 18 hours at his desk, turning out 8,000 words.

An exhibition details how the once-wealthy author nearly lost it all to heavy debts caused by the bankruptcy of his publisher. But he worked his way out debt by writing more and selling copyrights. ("My own right hand shall pay the debt.").

"Walter Scott dramatized and changed history," wrote author Christopher Harvie.

Without him, we'd need a new image of Scotland.

WHEN YOU GO

Abbotsford Estate: An hour south of Edinburgh by frequent train service from Waverley Station. Take the train to either Tweedbank or Galashiels. Book a taxi or inquire about the direct "Border Weaver" bus service to the estate. Otherwise, it's a 20-minute walk from Tweedbank station. There's a restaurant and gift shop selling many of Scott's books, gardens laid out by Scott and hiking trails. The home's Hope Scott Wing offers luxury overnight accommodation. The estate is closed Dec. 1 to March 1; an admission fee is charged: www.scottsabbotsford.com.

For information, lodging, events and accommodations: www. visitscotland.com.

Carl H. Larsen is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.