TIMES PAST FIVE FACTS ABOUT NigelTranter
1Tomorrow (November 23) marks the birthday of historical novelist Nigel Tranter, who was born in 1909 in Glasgow. One of Scotland’s most prolific writers, he wrote more than 130 works. He was particularly interested in castles, even in childhood, and his first book was The Fortalices and Early Mansions of Southern Scotland, published when he was 25. He was closely involved in the restoration of more than 60 castles across the country.
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Nigel was educated in Edinburgh at George Heriot’s School and trained as an accountant before turning to writing full time. As well as his mainly historical, mainly Scottish novels, he also wrote about other subjects, including the American West.
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The writer was famous for handwriting his novels during a daily walk along the scenic shoreline – a routine he developed while serving in the forces during the Second World War. (He joined the Royal Artillery and served in East Anglia.) He even developed his own waterproof pen and paper to protect his writing from rain and sea spray which regularly drenched him during these walks. 4
Nigel married May Grieve in 1933 and the couple had two children, Frances May and Philip.
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He was a huge supporter of the Scottish Covenant precursor to the fight for a Scottish Parliament. .” Nigel died in 2000 at the age of 90 after contracting the flu.At his funeral, MSP Dorothy-Grace Elder said: “It is very rare to have known a real multipurpose Scottish genius. I believe that Nigel Tranter, more than any other single person, created the parliament in which I am privileged to sit.”