EARLIER this month writers came back to Abbotsford to talk about their work and hundreds of readers came to listen to them.

Almost two centuries since Walter Scott was visited by the likes of William Wordsworth, Lord Byron and Nathaniel Hawthorne, there were sell-out events with the novelist, Ann Cleeves, the historian and TV presenter Paul Murton and the writer and broadcaster James Naughtie.

Audiences of almost 700 came back to the house built on words to attend all eight of the Abbotsford Literary Sessions, made possible with the support of the Abbotsford Trust and generous sponsorship from Baillie Gifford.

To make a warm and engrossing event even more convivial, Ochiltree’s Café served pre and post-session drinks as well as delicious, locally sourced snacks.

As discussions of history, fiction, exploration, politics and cookery filled Abbotsford with good cheer, the house, its grounds and the visitor centre came alive.

Alistair Moffat from the Abbotsford Literary Sessions told us: "Books are what made Abbotsford and it was good to see modern literature and present-day authors against a wonderful historical background.

"In the early 19th century, Walter Scott’s house was at the centre of the literary world and in the early 21st, it is once more taking a pre-eminent place amongst writers and readers."

As well as Mr Moffat, other authors who took to the Abbotsford stage were Paul Murton, James Naughtie, Vanessa Collingridge, Mairi Kidd, Ann Cleeves, Peter Fiennes and Sue Lawrence.