Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) is chiefly remembered as one of the great historical novelists, with his best-known works including Waverley (1814), Ivanhoe (1819), and Redgauntlet (1824). His experiments in short fiction, however, began before he published his first novel and throughout his career he returned to the short story form, writing tales which often contained elements of Scottish supernaturalism or the macabre.

As It Was Told to Me, introduced by Daniel Cook, collects three of Scott’s short stories in one volume. ‘My Aunt Margaret’s Mirror’, mixes a tale of reckless romance with supernatural theatrics; ‘The Two Drovers’ offers a slow-burn exposé of national conflict; and ‘Wandering Willie’s Tale’ weaves a yarn around the grisly death of a despotic laird and a trip to hell.