The Black Dwarf

In Sir Walter Scott’s classic tale, The Black Dwarf (Sir Edward Mauley, a hermit regarded by the locals as being in league with the Devil) becomes entangled in an intricate tale of love, revenge, betrayal, and a threatened forced marriage.


Set in the immediate aftermath of the Union between England and Scotland in 1707, the tale is centered on the first rebellion to be attempted by Jacobites after the Union, the aborted landing of the exiled James Francis Edward Stuart and a large French fleet in March 1708.


While imprisoned for manslaughter, Mauley learns that his friend Vere has betrayed him by marrying his intended bride. 


Mauley retires in disgust to Mucklestane Moor, where his extraordinary strength, knowledge of medicine, and ready wealth lead the local people to regard him as a supernatural being in league with the Devil. 


Vere lives nearby with his daughter Isabella. 


As Vere's expenditures have brought his lands under Mauley's control, Vere flees the country. 


Revealing his true identity, Mauley bestows his fortune upon Isabella. 


Mauley disappears and the ultimate fate of The Black Dwarf remains a mystery.




SIR WALTER SCOTT (1771 – 1832) was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright and poet remembered for his extensive literary works and his political engagement. Many of his works remain classics of both English-language literature and of Scottish literature. Famous titles include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, Old Mortality, The Lady of the Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian and The Bride of Lammermoor.