Scottober Reads: The Lay of the Last Minstrel

Scottober Reads

'Scottober Reads' is a seasonal series that will explore the dark and strange works of Sir Walter Scott. Each week during October, we’re going to delve into a new tale, drawn from Scott’s vast body of work.

Last week, we were cast ashore on the haunted edges of Shetland with The Pirate. This week, our journey moves into the Highlands – a landscape steeped in legend. While not a ghost story in the traditional sense, Waverley is rich with the quiet rumbling of a fading world. In Scott's hands, history becomes something uncanny. 

Step into a world where every glen holds a memory, and the past walks with you every step of the way. 

The Lay of the Last Minstrel

The Lay of the Last Minstrel is a haunting tale of love, war, and sorcery, told by an aged bard to the Duchess of Buccleuch one evening in Newark Castle. Set amid the turbulent Border feuds of the sixteenth century, the poem follows the proud, vengeful Lady of Branksome Hall.

The Lady is burdened with stopping her daughter Margaret’s forbidden romance with Lord Cranstoun - the man responsible for her husband’s death.

In desperation, she turns to dark magic, sending her knight to steal a spellbook from the tomb of an infamous wizard. But the theft soon awakens even darker forces…

Take The Lay of the Last Minstrel home!
Discover this captivating tale of dark enchantment and fierce loyalty – available now for purchase at our visitor centre.

Next week, we journey to a haunted abbey…