Walter Scott was obsessed with the traditional tales of Border lands and the exploits of his ancestry, as he loved and lived through stories - they were vital to his sense of place and sense of self. His novels and poems reveal his view of history and the influences that made him. There was also the story he told of himself and his life story, written after his death by his son-in-law, and the reminiscences of those who knew him. All contribute to his legend. Eileen Dunlop looks at the truth behind the legend to find Scott the man as well as Scott the writer.