A SALINE man has branded attempts to name one of the village’s new roads after famous Scots novelist Sir Walter Scott as an “insult”.

Fife Council wants to name a Saline street after the historical novelist and poet, famous for writing Ivanhoe, among other titles.

But Colin Stewart, of Upper Kinneddar, described it as “inappropriate.”

He said: “Set aside that he is the most tedious, boring, long-winded writer in Scottish history, he also despised the common people of Scotland, unless they were properly humble and knew their place! Scott’s work is a good way to send you to sleep!”

Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright and poet with many contemporary readers in Europe, Australia, and North America in the early 19th century but his political views were less desirable according to Colin, who said Scott’s connection with Saline was “tenuous”.

In an objection to the village’s community council, he said: “This would be an insult to a very large proportion of the Saline and Steelend community.”

Colin said: “He was no people’s champion! If anything Scott would have been against the working people of Saline.

“He only ever visited the area a couple of times.

“What would be more appropriate would be those who have been good servants of their community.

“John Crane – who was so recently lost to us – or a lady such as Annie S Swan, who was an incredibly popular novelist in the 20th century and lived in the village for many years.”

It is also proposed that one of the village’s new roads be named after Mr Crane.

Robert Irvine, senior lecturer in the University of Edinburgh’s English literature department, said: “Anyone who thinks of Scott as a kind of cartoon villain of Scottish culture clearly has not ready the novels!

“They might be hard going at first but they are great stories and worth the effort.

“Yes Scott was a Tory who thought democracy was a terrible idea but his greatest novel, The Heart of Midlothian, was the first novel in English with a working-class family at its centre.”

Although the council have not agreed officially on the street naming, Colin has said he will definitely be objecting to any plans for a Walter Scott Road.
William Wallace’s name has been put forward for another street but some felt this to be ironic given a large wind turbine now dominates views from the village of the Wallace Monument.