Set within a framing narrative, these three stories take place in the years following the Jacobite defeat and feature characters who are leaving Scotland to seek their fortunes elsewhere. In two of Walter Scott's best-known tales, The Highland Widow and The Two Drovers, two young men are torn between traditional Scottish loyalties and the opportunities offered by England. The Surgeon's Daughter follows three young Scots to India during the first years of the British Empire. All three highlight Scott's unique gift for re-creating the spirit of historical eras and painting stirring portraits of Scottish people.

Author Biography: Walter Scott (1771-1832) was born and educated in Edinburgh and is the foremost Romantic novelist in the English language. Also a poet, he is credited with establishing the form of the historical novel. Claire Lamont is a professor of English at the University of Newcastle and series editor for Walter Scott in Penguin Classics.