Sir Walter Scott’s Edinburgh: Parliament Hall

Page Header Location Name

Location Name
One-line thematic subtitle

Example:
39 Castle Street
Where Enlightenment Order Framed Romantic Invention

Address:

Address:
Full postal address

Postcode:

GPS Coordinates:

Scott Connection:

One-sentence summary (e.g., Residence 1802–1826; written Waverley novels here)

Date Range Relevant to Scott:

Current Status:

Private residence / Public building / Open to visitors / Exterior view only

Accessibility:

Street access / Step-free / Interior restricted / Exterior visible only

Why This Place Matters

150–200 words.
The interpretative hook.

Explain why this location is central to understanding Scott — not just that he was here.

Historical Context

Set the scene:

• What Edinburgh was like at the time
• Urban / social / legal conditions
• Relevant broader movements (Enlightenment, medical expansion, burial crisis, etc.)

Keep factual, tight, grounded.

Scott Here

Specifics:

• What he did
• What phase of life
• Who he interacted with
• What was being written or formed

Chronology matters here.

The Bigger Theme

This is the intellectual spine of the page.

One clearly defined concept only:

• Double life (law vs literature)
• Archive instinct
• Urban duality
• Burial anxiety
• Religious severity
• Enlightenment vs Romantic mediation

Never more than one core idea per page.

Literary Connections

Link to 2–4 specific works.

Explain how this site echoes in narrative themes, character types, or structural choices.

Avoid laundry lists.

What to Notice On Site

Concrete observations:

• Sightlines
• Architectural geometry
• Street width
• Soundscape
• Stone texture
• Spatial proximity (church and court, Old and New Town)

Encourage physical engagement.

Questions to Consider

Two or three sharp prompts.

These keep the tour reflective rather than purely didactic.

Further Reading

Not exhaustive.

Example:

• J.G. Lockhart, Memoirs
• Andrew Lang, Sir Walter Scott
• Edinburgh University Press Waverley Novels edition
• Relevant modern study

Visual Documentation

Photos Section

• Historic image (if available)
• Current exterior
• Detail shot (plaque, inscription, façade)
• Archival material (if appropriate)