The John Buchan Trail

John Buchan (1875-1940) was born in Perth and spent his childhood holidays at his grandparents’ house in Tweeddale, in the South of Scotland.

This area had no small impact on Buchan – indeed, in 1935, after his election to the House of Lords, he took the name Lord Tweedsmuir.

He was a prolific author, writing 130 books in total and contributing to a further 150, as well as producing essays, poems, articles, reviews, and journalism. His most famous works featured the character Richard Hannay, e.g. ‘The Thirty-Nine Steps’.

Despite an international reputation and a life spent travelling Africa, Europe and North America, Buchan remained devotedly attached to Scotland. In his poem 'The South Countrie', as well as in many other works, he goes further, preferring the South of Scotland to every other part of Scotland.

Don't forget to:
Check walk the John Buchan Way from Peebles to Broughton.
Or to visit Dumfries and Galloway - stay at Knockinaam Lodge where Buchan was a guest. The stream that runs past the lodge was the inspiration for the House that Hannay fled to away from the police in 'The 39 Steps'.
Buchan explored Galloway and spent a lot of time cycling, covering 65 miles of the hills in 24 hours in 1897. Three novels (Dickson McCumm trilogy) and 1 short story are Galloway set. In Buchan's landscape "Portaway" is Newton Stewart, "Gledmouth" is Dumfries, "Castle Gay" is the Castle of Old Risk and "Fallatown" is Wigtown, as well as the district of Carrick in Galloway where the action for 'Huntertower' took place.