Minstrelsy, published in 1802, was Sir Walter Scott’s first published work. Scott’s collection of songs and ballads, and his descriptions of Scotland as a place of legend and romance, brought him to the attention of the literary world. These qualities were especially appealing as part of a wider romantic vision of Scotland, one that attracted tourists wishing to escape from the modern evils of industrialisation and urbanisation. Scott’s Novels and Tales was read by Queen Victoria to Prince Albert during his fatal illness in December 1861.