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Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens had a significant relationship with Scotland and made multiple visits to the country, which he became very fond of. He first planned to visit Scotland in 1841, and although he postponed the trip to tour America, his interest in Scotland remained strong.

During his visits, Dickens became quite popular in Scotland as a man, journalist, and writer. He was known to take daily walks across Arthur’s Seat whenever he stayed in Edinburgh, a city he described as being “like coming home” to him. His affection for Scotland was evident, and he even received the freedom of the city in Edinburgh, a mark of high respect.

In 1841, while giving a lecture in Edinburgh, Dickens visited the Canongate Kirkyard. It was here that he encountered the gravestone of Ebenezer Lennox Scroggie, which mistakenly inspired the character of Ebenezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol” after Dickens misread the inscription. This is the same churchyard James McLevy was buried in after his death in 1873.

Dickens’s public readings from his works began in 1853 for charity, but by 1858, he embarked on his first for-profit tour, which covered much of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and was a financial success. These tours not only expanded his popularity but also allowed him to connect with his Scottish audience personally.

His trips to Scotland were not just personal; they also had a significant impact on his work and the literary world. The inspiration he drew from his experiences in Scotland, including the people he met and the places he visited, contributed to the richness of his storytelling and the creation of memorable characters.

List of Books

  • The Pickwick Papers (1836)
  • Oliver Twist (1837)
  • Nicholas Nickleby (1838)
  • The Old Curiosity Shop (1840)
  • Barnaby Rudge (1841)
  • A Christmas Carol (1843)
  • Martin Chuzzlewit (1843)
  • Dombey and Son (1846)
  • David Copperfield (1849)
  • Bleak House (1852)
  • Hard Times (1854)
  • Little Dorrit (1855)
  • A Tale of Two Cities (1859)
  • Great Expectations (1860)

References