Content Description This is an album of sketches by James Skene of Rubislaw (1775-1864), comprising approximately 420 sketches. A talented amateur artist, James Skene of Rubislaw was a close friend of Sir Walter Scott who accompanied him on riding excursions to localities that Scott planned to feature in his novels and poems. There, at Scott’s suggestion, Skene made sketches of landscapes and buildings that Scott then used as an inspiration and aide-memoire for his own work. Many of the sketches in this album...

Scope and Contents The Symbolae Scoticae [= ‘Scottish contributions’] is a set of eight purpose-bound scrapbooks containing more than 2000 items relating to Scottish history, geography and culture.The bulk of this material consists of 18th and early 19th century prints illustrating Scottish topography and antiquities; but the collection also includes original historical documents, printed maps, portrait engravings, newspaper and magazine clippings, two calotypes,...