The Fair Maid of Perth centres on the merchant classes of Perth in the fourteenth century, and their commitment to the pacific values of trade, in a bloody and brutal era in which no right to life is recognised, in which the Scottish nobles fight for control of the weak Scottish monarchy, and clans are prepared to extinguish each other to gain supremacy in the central Highlands.

The third novel in the Waverley series, and Scott's personal favorite, The Antiquary centers on a young man called Lovel who meets Jonathan Oldbuck, a loquacious old antiquary, on a trip to Scotland. There Lovel falls in love with the daughter of Sir Arthur Wardour, a local landowner. However, with no wealth or title to offer, Lovel's feelings go unrequited until an extraordinary act of courage. With its vivid drama and exuberant pace, The Antiquary confirms Scott's reputation as the great storyteller of modern Europe.