November 13 was R.L.S Day, celebrating the life and work of our great writer Robert Louis Stevenson.
Stevenson has been in my mind recently as I re-read Kidnapped – still exciting – and did research on the various film versions of his books for our cinema exhibition.
I have also been thinking about the visit I made to his former home and his grave near Apia, Western Samoa many years ago. Like many tourists I climbed to the top of Mount Vaea to look at the monument for “Tusitala”, read the famous verses, and took in the view of the Pacific. It seemed a long way from Edinburgh, Heriot Row and Swanston.
Here is more information from the National Library of Scotland on our Stevenson website.