Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since, first published anonymously in 1814, was Scott’s first novel. Often comical and with aspects of a picaresque novel, Waverley depicts the travels of the English soldier Edward Waverley during the Jacobite uprising of 1745. Scott was a celebrated poet and writer of works such as Ivanhoe and The Lady of the Lake. He is best known for his nuanced depictions of Scottish life.

Waverley was wildly successful upon its release. Though Scott published it anonymously, reviewers quickly guessed he was the author, recognizing his style from his already-famous poetry. The novel was so popular that Scott’s later works were advertised as written by “the author of Waverley,” and his later works addressing similar historical themes became known as the “Waverley novels.”

This study guide refers to the Project Gutenberg eBook edition of the text.

Content Warning: This guide describes and analyzes the source text’s depictions of xenophobia, racism, sexism, sexual assault, ableism, abduction, and loss of pregnancy. The source text also uses racist and ethnic slurs.

Plot Summary

Some historical context is necessary for modern readers to understand Waverley. It is set during the Jacobite uprising of 1745 when British subjects loyal to the deposed House of Stuart sought to regain power and restore Charles Edward Stuart, or “Bonnie Prince Charlie,” to the throne, removing the reigning King George II of the Hanover dynasty. This uprising, often known as “’45,” was the last in a long line of attempts to restore the Stuart family that began when King James II was deposed in 1688 and replaced by the first Hanoverian king George I. The fact that the Stuart dynasty originated in Scotland helped fuel the uprising among Scottish nationalists. Though the uprising was unsuccessful and led to a decimation of Scottish culture, particularly in the Highlands, it has an important legacy in Scottish history and literature. That legacy led Sir Walter Scott to write Waverley.

The novel first introduces the Waverley family. Edward Waverley, the protagonist, is the son of the second son of an aristocratic English family. His uncle, Sir Everard Waverley, is a Jacobite sympathizer who supports the Stuarts, while his father, Richard, is a Hanoverian. This political difference caused a rift between the brothers, and Everard has denied his brother his share of the Waverley estate. Sir Everard, however, has no children to inherit, and eventually, he decides to make his nephew Edward his heir. As a result, Edward is raised jointly by his father and his uncle, passed back and forth between their households. He is an extensive reader but indulges more in fiction than practical or educational material. He receives little formal education and spends his days daydreaming and indulging in a fantastical inner life.

Edward’s Aunt Rachel is concerned that the boy has little experience with the real world. Hoping to keep him from pursuing a local woman she deems unsuitable for marriage, she decides that travel would do him good. Richard arranges a commission for his son with the Hanoverian army as a member of a platoon in Scotland. Rachel sends him off with a warning not to be taken in by “Scottish beauties.”

Edward heads to his regiment in Dundee, where he is quickly bored with his training. When summer arrives, Edward visits a friend of his uncle’s in Perthshire, Baron Bradwardine. Once there, he is introduced to Bradwardine’s daughter, the beautiful and spirited Rose. At a welcoming feast, Bradwardine toasts him with an heirloom goblet believed to have mystical powers, the Blessed Bear of Bradwardine. The old-fashioned estate appeals to Edward’s romantic sensibilities, and he finds the wild and romantic character of Scotland more appealing than his native England.

Edward’s life changes with the surprise arrival of Highlander Evan Dhu Maccombich. Edward is intrigued by this man and extends his leave from the army to visit the Highlands and see clan chief Fergus Mac-Ivor Vich Ian Vohr. On this journey, he ventures into a cave housing Scottish outlaw Donald Bean Lean, a Robin Hood-like thief who steals only from the wealthy. Then, Evan takes him to Fergus’s ancient Highland castle. He meets the beautiful Flora, Fergus’s sister, who is a romantic like Edward and sings Gaelic poetry to him. Edward quickly falls in love with her, but their match seems impossible: Edward is a Hanoverian soldier, and Flora is a Jacobite who has pledged her life to the cause of overthrowing the Hanoverian line.

Back in England, a change in power has diminished Richard’s political influence, and he has left his seat in government. Soon after, Edward is accused of desertion and treason. It turns out that the thief Donald Bean Lean convinced several of Edward’s men to join the Highlanders using a seal he stole from Edward. Now Edward is taking the blame. He is arrested but quickly rescued by the Highlanders, who lead him to safety at Holyrood Palace, where he meets Bonnie Prince Charlie. The Prince’s mercy and his treatment by the English military convince Edward to switch sides and become a Jacobite. He repeatedly confesses his love to Flora, but she says she loves nothing more than the cause, and cannot marry until the rightful king is restored to the throne.

Undeterred, Edward fights for the Jacobites in the September 1745 Battle of Prestonpans. During the fight, both armies are bogged down in the marsh at the center of the battlefield. Edward rescues a soldier who tumbles into the marsh; the man turns out to be a Hanoverian named Colonel Talbot. Though a Hanoverian, the colonel is also a friend of his uncle Everard and is in Scotland to rescue Edward.

The war progresses and the Jacobite uprising is quelled. However, Talbot, indebted to Edward, intervenes and makes sure he receives a pardon for fighting against the Hanoverians. Fergus receives no such aid and is sentenced to death for his actions. After Fergus is executed, there is no chance of Edward marrying Flora. His affections have shifted to Bradwardine’s gentle daughter, Rose, instead. Edward marries Rose, and Flora enters a convent. Though Bradwardine’s estate had been seized, Edward purchases it and immediately returns it to his new father-in-law.