8 books set in Edinburgh — or inspired by its history
7th Nov 2024As one of the most haunted places in Scotland, Edinburgh has been providing authors with inspiration for centuries.
From hauntings to heritage, let’s take a look at some of the literature inspired by our capital city.
Join us for an exclusive book talk on 23 November 2024. Descend into the candlelit Megget's Cellar for a discussion on the ways Edinburgh’s dark history has influenced centuries of literary works.
1. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark 
The late Dame Maggie Smith starred in the 1969 film adaptation of Muriel Spark’s classic novel, for which she won her first Academy Award.
Considered one of the best 20th-century novels, it follows schoolgirls and their teacher through 1930s Edinburgh.
It is a story of trust, betrayal, loyalty and growing up. Read it to explore 20th-century Edinburgh and even dip into its ‘haunted November twilight.’
2. The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard 
Penned by our own former Storyteller, this novel begins early morning in a 1902 tenement building, with Grimalkin the cat ambling over to curl up against the welcome heat of a fire. It is to be his last day on earth before he becomes the Ghost Cat.
The book follows Grimalkin through 120 years of Edinburgh history, touching on class relations and classic ghost stories alike.
It’s a sweeping exploration of Edinburgh's social history—and architecture lovers will pick up on the small, undeniably Scottish details slipped into its pages.
3. Murder Ballad by Lucy Ribchester 
Why not step even further into the past?
Murder Ballad is set in 1791 and follows Isobel Duguid, a star of the Edinburgh Musical Society who shares sensational murder ballads on stage. Soon, secrets begin to be revealed...
The story brings to light 18th-century Edinburgh, diving into the city’s seedy underbelly and even descending into the Blair Street Underground Vaults.
4. The Maiden by Kate Foster 
If you’ve visited the National Museum of Scotland before, you might know that in Edinburgh, the term ‘the Maiden’ does not always refer to a young woman...
It also refers to the Scottish guillotine used for executions during between the 16th-18th centuries.
This novel unpacks the story behind the ghost tale of the White Lady of Corstorphine, or Lady Christian Nimmo. The novel asks: what could have driven a woman to commit such a violent crime?
It’s a fictionalised account, but dives deep into 17th-century Edinburgh and doesn’t shy away from the less savoury historical details. The city was called Auld Reekie, after all...
5. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson, born and raised in Edinburgh, would have been no stranger to the dark dealings of the city’s past. It did, after all, help inspire one of his most famous stories.
The characters of Jekyll and Hyde take after Deacon Brodie, Edinburgh’s own two-faced criminal.
But they also represent the physical embodiment of the two sides of Edinburgh: the Old Town and the New Town, its polite society and its underworld.
6. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
It is no secret that the TV series Outlander filmed in Edinburgh. You can even visit familiar locations like Bakehouse Close and Tweeddale Court along the Royal Mile.
But it is more than just fiction: the novels follow the stories of rebels and royals alike as the Jacobite Rising takes hold in Scotland.
This was not only a time of violence in Edinburgh and Scotland. It was also a time of great intellectual accomplishment: the Scottish Enlightenment.
7. The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by Thobias Smollett 
Paragraphs and paragraphs of descriptions paint a rather detailed picture of 18th-century Edinburgh.
From the height of tenement buildings to the very specific way waste was discarded, this novel is a snapshot in time.
And when you know the later history of Edinburgh’s anatomy school, Smollett’s exaltation of the city’s professors takes on a new light, one the author himself may not have been able to predict...
8. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 
No, Frankenstein is not set in Edinburgh, but hear us out. A story of scientific discovery, of pilfered mortuaries and dissections, is not terribly dissimilar to the real 19th-century Edinburgh.
You see, Edinburgh had a particular problem with body snatchers during the first half of the 1800s, due to the anatomy school’s need for bodies to study.
Victor Frankenstein himself visits Edinburgh, and we must admit we’re almost surprised he didn’t stay in the city to study at the up-and-coming medical school.
Join us on 23 November for a special book event, Hauntings & Heritage: How literature captures the dark side of Edinburgh’s history, from the past to the paranormal.
Authors Alex Howard and Lucy Ribchester will dive into Edinburgh’s dark and dramatic past, discussing the ways in which this history has influenced centuries of literary works.
Who knows, maybe you’ll even meet new friends or discover a new Edinburgh book group to join after the event!