Edinburgh
Arthur Conan Doyle studied medicine at Edinburgh University, and the observational method he gave Sherlock Holmes is usually traced back to one of his teachers there, Joseph Bell. Robert Louis Stevenson was born in the city and returned to it repeatedly in his writing, even while living abroad.
Edinburgh's publishing trade is as much a part of the story as its authors. The National Library of Scotland holds an extensive collection of Scottish printing, and its catalogue is the sensible starting point for checking an edition or a date.
A library to check
- National Library of Scotland — catalogues and digital collections, open to readers online
Books connected to Edinburgh
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes — Arthur Conan Doyle, 1892. Twelve self-contained puzzles; the best possible introduction to detective fiction.
- Treasure Island — Robert Louis Stevenson, 1883. The template for every treasure map since, told by a narrator who is allowed to be scared.
- Kidnapped — Robert Louis Stevenson, 1886. A historical adventure with real politics underneath, and one of the best friendships in fiction.
- Waverley — Walter Scott, 1814. The novel that invented historical fiction, and still the clearest account of how a rising felt to the people in it.
- Rob Roy — Walter Scott, 1817. Scott at his most entertaining, with a heroine who runs circles around the hero.
- The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner — James Hogg, 1824. A Scottish Gothic masterpiece about certainty, and the most unsettling novel in this list.
A note on accuracy
We describe literary connections and public collections, not street addresses, opening hours or ticket prices. Those change and we cannot verify them for every reader. Follow the institution's own site for current visiting information.