One of the main forces in early nineteenth-century literature, Sir Walter Scott was not only among the greatest novelists of his time, but influenced generations of writers, including literary giants such as Stendhal and Tolstoy. Though chiefly remembered for his historical epics Ivanhoe, Rob Roy and Guy Mannering, Scott penned a number of short stories which have been unjustly eclipsed by the enduring fame of his longer works.

Mostly set in the Highlands of Scotland and presenting a vast array of memorable characters, the stories in this collection are tinged with an element of the supernatural or explore themes of murder and guilt, revealing the author's great talent in the shorter-fiction form. This volume also includes a long excerpt from Scott's Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft, which questions how much credit can be given to ghost stories and alleged supernatural occurrences.