Historical NoteMuch of the historical detail in this book is accurate, or as accurate as it can be. In 1803 there were fears that Bonaparte may invade and the coast east of Edinburgh held encampments of militia. Edinburgh was like an armed camp with thousands of men enrolled in Volunteer and Militia formations in expectation of the French landing. There were Field Days at Portobello beach, where the Royal Navy simulated a French invasion, and the local Volunteers and militia fended them off. Walter, later Sir Walter, Scott, the novelist, was only one of the prominent men involved in the Volunteer movement.
There were some invasion scares, including one in early 1804 when an over-zealous watchman believed that a fire in Northumberland was a sign that the French landed. He set light to a si
