The Write Business

Edinburgh may be in a unique position amongst cities in producing a major international best seller in each of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Indeed, the city might claim one in the 17th century too if we go back to the Edinburgh roots of King James of Bible fame.

Taking europe by storm

In the 18th century, James Macpherson's 'Ossian' took Europe by storm. His 1762 work tells of heroism and love in the ancient mountains of Scotland. Military glory mixes with wild, rugged and untamed landscapes and can readily be seen as one of the first flowerings of the European romantic movement. In him we may find the roots of the images which continue to sell the Scottish Highlands as one of the most romantic landscapes on earth. Instead of being something to be endured, the landscape became beautiful and inspiring . . . as it remains to this day.

The poems were translated into 11 languages and influenced people as varied as Napoleon Bonaparte and his Russian foe, Field Marshall Suvorov; German, French and Russian writers such as Herder, Goethe, Chateaubriand and Pushkin; artists such as David and Ingres; and composers such as Beethoven, Schubert and Mendelssohn (who even took the trouble to visit some of the sites, and did find them beautiful and inspiring). Napoleon took his copy on his campaigns and is supposed to have said "I like Ossian for the same reason that I like to hear the whisper of the wind and the waves of the sea." Which, of course, is rather more romantic than "Not tonight Josephine"!

Ossian's mantle

Sir Walter Scott was one of those who took up Ossian's mantle. Like Macpherson before him, enthusiasm for his writings spread across early nineteenth century Europe and North America. He was (and is) read from Philadelphia to St Petersburg and is widely regarded as the father of the historical novel. Scott's works sold in huge numbers for that period and helped cement some of the now 'traditional' images of Scotland.

So widespread was his inspiration that he provided the plot for Italian operas and his hand (if not his hairstyle) can be seen in The Last of the Mohicans. And Frederick Douglass, leading spokesman for black America and campaigner for civil rights in the 19th century took his adopted name from Scott's novels and looked, with hope, to the 'free hills of old Scotland'.

A tartan capital

With the eye of a true marketing and branding guru, it was Scott who bedecked the capital in tartan for the visit of King George IV in 1822. It is to Sir Walter we look when we enjoy Highland pageants and regalia, and read of the ancient customs and traditions of the clans and tartans. His work had an economic impact as it brought the first tourists in significant numbers to see for themselves the scenes of his romances, particularly to the Trossachs. He also played a part in ensuring that Scottish banks still print their own bank notes, a colourful part of our story which still surprises many of our modern visitors.

Late in the 20th century, a new Edinburgh-based literary phenomenon mesmerised the world's readers. This time the works were translated into over 200 languages and sold more than 35 million copies. And in the way of the modern world, spin-offs have included hugely popular film versions, DVDs, T-shirts, games, toys and even mirrors and jewellery. This is, of course, the magical world of Harry Potter, the boy wizard created by J K Rowling who was living and writing in Edinburgh during Harry's first years (it is less well known that Ms Rowling's own parents first met on a train travelling to Arbroath – was this the inspiration for the Hogwarts Express?). It has been claimed that she has helped win back the world's children from the computer screen to the printed page.

The Harry potter trail

Again the romantic landscape of Scotland appears to play a part in the writer's vision. Indeed the Scottish connections in the stories are so numerous that VisitScotland, our national tourism body, has dedicated a web page to them at Harry Potter – The Scottish Dimension. Many of our younger visitors, and some not so young now follow the Harry Potter trail from his birthplace in an Edinburgh caf to Lochaber where much of the filming has taken place. As Ms Rowling plans two further books in the series, it looks likely that Edinburgh will also be able to claim a 21st century worldwide best seller too.