Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes
1878
Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes is a non-fiction travel book by Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in December 1878. This collection of essays reflects Stevenson's deep affection for his birthplace, Edinburgh, as he explores its architecture, history, and the contrasts between the Old and New Towns. Notable for its vivid descriptions and wry wit, the work captures the city's unique character and social contrasts, making it a significant contribution to travel literature. A new edition was released in 2021 with an introduction by Alexander McCall Smith.
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“Half a capital and half a country town, the whole city leads a double existence; it has long trances of the one and flashes of the other; like the king of the Black Isles, it is half alive and half a monumental marble.””
— Robert Louis Stevenson
“Into no other city does the sight of the country enter so far; if you do not meet a butterfly, you shall certainly catch a glimpse of far-away trees upon your walk; and the place is full of theatre tricks in the way of scenery. You peep under an arch, you descend stairs that look as if they would land you in a cellar, you turn to the back-window of a grimy tenement in a lane:”
— Robert Louis Stevenson
“There is a kind of gaping admiration that would fain roll Shakespeare and Bacon into one, to have a bigger thing to gape at; and a class of men who cannot edit one author without disparaging all others.””
— Robert Louis Stevenson
