If you’re a lover of books and reading, chances are you’ll probably live in books more than you’ll live anywhere else.* That’s not to say you wouldn’t love to live somewhere as beautiful as The Views in Saline, where you’ll be delighted to hear that it has some literary connections.
Get ready bookworms – we’re about to tell you all about the bookish history of Saline!
Sir Walter Scott
Novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott often stayed at Nether Kenneddar, a house located a short distance south of the village. This was the residence of his friend William Erskine, Lord Kinneddar, who he dedicated the third canto of his work Marmion (1808).
In September 1819, Lord Kinneddar’s wife, Euphemia Robison, passed away. She is buried in the churchyard where there is an epitaph written by Scott!
Other famous work of Sir Walter Scott includes: Ivanhoe (1820), Rob Roy (1817), The Lady of the Lake (1810) and Waverley (1814).
Annie S. Swan
Another well-known novelist with connections to Saline is Annie S. Swan. Swan was a journalist, novelist and story writer, who wrote under her maiden name for the majority of her career but also under the pseudonyms David Lyall and Mrs Burnett Smith.
She wrote romantic fiction for young Victorian woman and is known to have over 200 novels, serials, short stories and other fiction published between 1878 and 1943.
Around 1920, Swan acquired Bandrum, a house and estate that is near the village. During her time here, the politically active Swan opened many bazaars and spoke in support of good causes. In 1927, her husband passed away here, and Swan sold Bandrum to the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, where it was established as a children’s home. It is currently a nursing home.
Stone Men of Saline
Once located in the private gardens of Kirkland House, these fabulous statues were carved in the 18th century by Robert Forrest.
The sculptures include Tam O’Shanter and Souter Johnny, two very famous characters if you’re a fan of Robert Burns! The other two sculptures are of Simon and Bauldy, who are characters from the poem The Gentle Shepherd by Allan Ramsay.
The Stone Men of Saline were bought for Fife’s museum collection and can now be found facing Dunfermline’s new library, which is also the home to the Murison Collection of Robert Burns books and objects.
Have you just fallen in love with Saline a little bit more now that you know all about its literary history? Visit our Showhome and Marketing Suite at The Views, where we have fantastic family homes that are big enough to keep all your books!
*“I lived in books more than I have lived anywhere else” – Neil Gaiman
