The Famous Faces of Clan Scott

The Scott's family history is remarkably rich with intriguing tales of wizardry and the paranormal. Michael Scott, born in 1175, was known as the Wizard of Balwearie. He studied mathematics, philosophy, and theology at the University of Oxford, before beginning a rather unconventional career! He was supposedly headhunted by Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor, to be his personal astrologer.

Scott likely became known to the emperor due to his extensive travels through Europe, where he gained vast cultural knowledge of many countries and became fluent in numerous languages. He used these skills to work as a translator and completed a lot of highly impressive translations.

His love for travel was not limited to Europe, however; he developed a particularly strong interest in Arabic speaking countries and started to dress in traditional Arab clothes and study Arabic literature.

There are many tales about his supernatural powers; one of the most legendary being the story of how he predicted his own death. The story goes that Scott foresaw that he would be killed by a small stone falling on his head, so he started to wear a protective hat at all times. Supposedly, one day he was taking mass, so took off his hat, and was immediately struck on the head by a falling stone. Shortly after, he became ill and died, in exactly the manner that he had foreseen.

Nonetheless, even after his death, Michael remained a figure of fascination for many, including fellow clan member, iconic writer, Sir Walter Scott! Walter seemed to be drawn to the supposed wizard and wrote of him often, immortalising his magic deeds and charismatic nature. In his 1805 poem ‘the Lay of the Last Minstrel,’ he described Michael’s international power with a tone of breathless admiration:

Sir Walter also created even more mythology around the wizard by claiming that he was buried alongside his magic books near a cross in Melrose Abbey, although the real circumstances around his burial are decidedly murky, and it’s unclear if he was even laid to rest in Scotland at all.

It is heartening to see how far Clan loyalty stretches, with the great writer doing so much to commemorate and celebrate his fellow Scott!

Of course, Walter himself isn’t short on admiration – and is arguably the Clan’s most famous member. Sir Walter Scott, 1^st Baronet, was a Scottish novelist, playwright, poet, and historian. He was born in 1771, yet many of his works, most notably Ivanhoe and the Lady of the Lake, remain part of the Western literary cannon to this day.

He started life in a small house in the quaint old town of Edinburgh, however, at the young age of 2, he was struck with a severe bout of polio which left him lame. Eager to help him heal, his parents sent him to the countryside in the Scottish Borders where he was taught to read by his aunt, and picked up the speech patterns and dialect that would come to feature heavily in his work later on.

Luckily, he regained his ability to walk, so returned to Edinburgh to undergo more formal schooling, where he was influenced by the contemporary enthusiasm for Scottish literature, particularly writing that addressed national identity and belonging.

He made a tentative step into the literary world in the 1790s by translating German work into English, before gaining traction as a popular poet in the early 1800s, publishing 5 long narrative poems, and many shorter ones, between the years of 1805 and 1817. He built such an impressive reputation that in 1813 he was offered the title of poet laureate, but he declined, viewing himself as far superior to the previous laureates, who he spurned as ‘a succession of poetasters who churned out conventional and obsequious odes on royal occasions.’ His talent seemed to outweigh his tact!

Despite his achievements as a poet, his best-known work today is arguably the novel, Ivanhoe. Written in 1820, it was a brave deviation from Scott’s normal style, as it was set in England in the Middle Ages, rather than a more recent setting in Scotland. It became loved for its mix of high drama, chivalry, and romance, and is broadly seen as a timeless classic.

Scott died aged 61 in his home country of Scotland in 1832, but he has continued to influence authors across the globe including many famous names such as Balzac, Dostoevsky, Flaubert, Tolstoy, Mark Twain, Virginia Wolf, and countless more!

Another lesser-known Scott has had a grand impact on education and culture within Scotland, but in a very different way. Sir George Gilbert Scott, born on the 13^th of July 1811 was a brilliant and sought after architect who was the mind behind the University of Glasgow’s main campus building.

George was the son of a Reverand and grandson of renowned biblical commentator, Thomas Scott. He had a high-flying start to his architectural career, working as an assistant to Henry Roberts, who designed the iconic London site, Fishmonger’s Hall.

He went on to complete his first independent building in 1833, designing a vicarage for his father, before entering a highly productive phase starting in 1835, when he planned over 40 workhouses for the poor in 10 years.

However, his most iconic work came about after he was inspired to take part in the gothic revival, starting by designing the Martyr’s Memorial in Oxford in 1841, which was intended to honour 3 protestants who were executed during Queen Mary’s reign. In 1849, he was awarded the highly prestigious role of architect to Westminster Abbey, and by 1858 he had become so renowned that he was commissioned to design a cathedral on the other side of the world, in Christchurch New Zealand!

In 1864, Scott moved nearer to home again, when he was awarded the commission to design a new building for the University of Glasgow. The original building was from 1630 and was located on the city’s main street, which became run down and cramped following the industrial revolution, prompting the university to seek new grounds.

Scott pinpointed the West End as the perfect new spot, and by 1866 he had fully formed plans to present to the University. Over 100 of these plans are now held by the University of Glasgow’s Archives and Special Collections, you can arrange a visit to view them yourself if you are interested in 19^th century gothic architecture or want to connect with an old Scott ancestor!

Our final famous face for today is much more modern; Sir Ridley Scott is an English filmmaker who has made a big splash in Hollywood.

He was born in 1937 in South Shields and was influenced by the dramatic landscapes he grew up in. While he sowed the seeds for his film career in his youth, becoming fascinated with sci-fi and fantasy, he started his working life as more of an artist than a filmmaker. He studied at the Royal College of Art in London and landed a job with the BBC as a trainee set designer after graduating. However, it wasn’t long before they recognised his directorial talent, and by 1965 he was directing episodes of a variety of TV shows for the station.

He kicked off his film career in 1977, directing a period drama called The Duellists, and his brilliance was quickly acknowledged, as it was nominated for the main prize at Cannes Film Festival, and won the Best Debut Film title. From there, he went from strength to strength, working on numerous iconic films, including Gladiator, Alien, and Blade Runner.

He has been awarded many accolades, including the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement, a Golden Globe, and even a knighthood, presented by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003. It’s evident that Clan Scott can claim a flare for creativity!

Image sources:

Fishmongers Hall London- https://fishmongers.org.uk/roo...

Sketch of Glasgow University | Sir George Gilbert Scott- https://universityofglasgowlib...

Sir Ridley Scott - https://www.flickr.com/photos/...