Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet, was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet, popular throughout Europe during his time. Scott has been said to be particularly associated with Toryism, though several passages in Tales of a Grandfather display a liberal, progressive and Unionist outlook on Scotland's history.

Scott was the first English-language author to have a truly international career in his lifetime, with many contemporary readers in Europe, Australia, and North America. His novels and poetry are still read, and many of his works remain classics of both English-language literature and of Scottish literature. Famous titles include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Lady of The Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian and The Bride of Lammermoor.

Aside from his literary achievements, Scott was an advocate, judge, and legal administrator by profession. He was a prominent figure in Edinburgh's Tory establishment, active in the Highland Society, and served as a long-time president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1820–1832), and as a vice president of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (1827–1829). His profound knowledge of history and literary skill helped him establish the historical novel genre as a key example of European Romanticism. He became a baronet of Abbotsford in the County of Roxburgh, Scotland, on 22 April 1820; the title became extinct upon his son's death in 1847.