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The statue of Sir Walter Scott below the Scott Monument, Princes Street Gardens East, Edinburgh
Edinburgh is renowned for its literary connections and in 2004 it became the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature. The prestigious accolade was awarded to Edinburgh in recognition of its status as a world centre for literature and literary activity.
Edinburgh certainly has a rich literary history. Immerse yourself in this world by spending a day exploring sites across Scotland’s capital city with links to some of the world’s best known authors and their work.
Discover the former homes of some of Edinburgh’s former literary residents, such as the birthplace of Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott’s home and the birthplace of Muriel Spark - author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, considered an essential Edinburgh novel.
You can follow in the footsteps of the creator of Treasure Island on the Robert Louis Stevenson Experience and hear about the colourful local characters and landmarks that inspired his fiction.
You can enjoy a drink in the Oxford Bar, the favourite pub of fictional character Detective Inspector Rebus, created by the UK’s bestselling crime writer, Edinburgh-based Ian Rankin. Or why not relax with a coffee in The Elephant House in the Old Town, the cafe where JK Rowling reputedly wrote her first Harry Potter novel, The Philosopher’s Stone? Join an Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour and you can visit other drinking holes around the city that were patronised by famous writers.
In the centre of Edinburgh you can see the biggest monument to a writer anywhere in the world, the Scott Monument. Dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, considered one of Scotland’s greatest writers, the monument features a statue of Scott at its centre and is decorated in smaller statues of characters from his novels.
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