Sir Walter Scott's Courtroom

After doing a bit of research on Walter Scott for the Walter Scott Mural in Galashiels, I was interested to find that not only was Scott a renowned writer, he was also the Sheriff-Depute of Selkirkshire from 1799 until 1832, meaning he assisted on local criminal cases. He studied law at Edinburgh at the very tender age of just 12 (!) and worked under his father as a Writer to the Signet or a solicitor from the age of 14 and considered himself a lawyer first, then a writer.

After he was appointed in the role of Sheriff-Depute he started to make his mark, and in 1801 he complained about the state of Selkirk's courtroom which at the time was a medieval tollbooth. Plans were drawn up for a new single storey courtroom and the refurbished Selkirk County Court opened in 1804. It cost £10,252 and was in regular use until 1870 when it was replaced by a four storey Court House on Ettrick Terrace. The 1870 courthouse is still in use today and is a very fancy looking building with turrets and crenellations - the Victorians knew how to build!

As you walk through the rooms, you'll spot stories about people who influenced his career such as Robert Burns and James Hogg and other people he met in court.

In 1804 he met poacher Tom Purdie who made quite an impact on Scott for his honesty in court and rather than punish him, Scott hired him as shepherd, woodsman, librarian, gamekeeper and walking companion at Abbotsford. This act of kindness prevented Tom and his family from becoming destitute and the two men became lifelong friends.

Robert Burns (1759-1796) also played a part in Walter Scott's life, both of them being interested in poetry and writing about their beloved Scotland. Their approaches were completely different; Burns was interested in celebrating the lives of ordinary people, while Walter Scott wrote sweeping tales of Scotland which blended myth and reality. It was obvious that Burns influenced Scott, however, and were both responsible for reigniting the interest of the culture and heritage of Scotland.

While their relationship was harmonious and built on respect, the relationship Scott had with James Hogg was more like frenemies. There was still respect between the two but they fell out on a number of occasions - one of their spats was even given a name. During The Great Quarrel (1814), they had a major falling out when Scott refused to contribute to a poetry collection Hogg was organising. Hogg was so angry he wrote a letter beginning 'Damned Sir', and claimed he 'could not even endure to see [Scott] at a distance'. Who knew these poets were such divas!

Sir Walter Scott's Courtroom was officially opened on 20 September 1994 by Mrs Patricia Maxwell-Scott, O.B.E., Honorary Sheriff of Selkirk and great-great-great grand-daughter of the novelist and Sheriff of Selkirk. As well as being a museum, it continues to play an active part in the community as host venue for Selkirk Common Riding events, cultural activities, civil marriage ceremonies and re-enactments of celebrated court cases. The museum is free, but donations are welcome.