Inspiration

August 6.—Wrote to-day a very good day's work. Walked to Chiefswood, and saw old Mrs. Tytler, a friend when life was young. Her husband, Lord Woodhouselee, was a kind, amiable, and accomplished man; and when we lived at Lasswade Cottage, soon after my marriage, we saw a great deal of the family, who were very kind to us as newly entered on the world. Walked home, and worked in the evening; four leaves finished.

Alexander Fraser Tytler, Lord Woodhouselee, would have been a good friend for a budding writer to have.  He knew Burns well, and was a writer himself.  Tytler was also a historian, Professor of Universal History at the University of Edinburgh.  No wonder Scott was inspired to push out four leaves, on August 6, 1826 (from Scott’s Journal).