Scott's slippers up for auction

It is believed the slippers may fetch about £5,000

A pair of slippers worn by Sir Walter Scott is expected to fetch several thousand pounds at auction.

The famous writer's footwear will go under the hammer at Edinburgh's Shapes auctioneers on 1 March.

The slippers were gifted to Scott in 1830 after visitors to his Abbotsford home in the Borders were dismayed at the state of the ones he was wearing.

Consultant Dr Duncan Thomson said they had been "knocked around a bit" but remained in "pretty good condition".

The slippers were crafted for Scott by two daughters of a close friend of his, Mrs Cadogan, from Leamington Spa.

They are relics of Scott - something that takes you very close to the man Dr Duncan Thomson Auctioneers' consultant

"She and her daughters had visited Abbotsford and they noticed the slippers he was wearing," said Dr Thomson.

"His slippers were in a pretty bad state and they decided he needed a new pair."

They went back home and produced the slippers which were given to Scott in 1830 - two years before his death.

"They have been knocked around a bit but they are in pretty good condition," said Dr Thomson.

"They are very nice with, I think, an Italian leather sole to which the embroidery is attached."

Dr Thomson said it was believed the style of the slippers dated back several centuries.

Sir Walter Scott would have worn the slippers around Abbotsford

"Mrs Cadogan claimed that the design went back to Genghis Khan, believe it or not," he said.

"It is a Tartar design passed down through a member of the Polish royal family to Mrs Cadogan to her daughters and on to Scott."

Although he declined to speculate on the price it is hoped they would fetch about £5,000.

"They are relics of Scott - something that takes you very close to the man," he said.

"I personally love them - I would love to have them myself if I could afford them which, obviously, I can't".

Funding is also an issue for the executive manager of Abbotsford House, Jacquie Wright, who would also like to buy the slippers.

Slipper viewing

"We would love to have them here," she said.

"We would love to put them on display but unfortunately we just don't have the funds to bid."

Prospective purchasers can view the slippers at Shapes auctioneers in Edinburgh on Thursday and Friday before the sale takes place on Saturday.

Scott was born in Edinburgh in 1771 but spent much of his life in the Scottish Borders where his historic home, Abbotsford House, is to be found.

He was the author of numerous famous works including Waverley, Rob Roy and Ivanhoe.