Gilsland boasts some famous visitors such as Walter Scott, the famous poet and historical novelist,
who lived from 1771 to 1832. He first came to Gilsland when he was 25 and legend has it that he met his
wife-to-be while staying in the area.
Sir Walter Scott is said to have taken his wife-to-be for a walk along the Irthing Valley, upstream from
the Spa Well, until he came to a large boulder on the river bank. When his lady was comfortably seated, Scott
"popped the question", with the result that the rock is now known as the Popping Stone. The Popping Stone
is still visible today if you're enjoying a walk along the River Irthing.
Some of Sir Walter Scott's literary creations feature the Gilsland area.
In the novel Guy Mannering Scott's character, Harry Bertram, on his way from the Lake District to Scotland
through the wilds of Cumbria, arrived at a rough inn by a small stream thought to be Gilsand's Mumps Hall -
or Mumps Ha. The novel Ronan's Well features a Spa hotel, not unlike the Shaws Hotel where Scott and
his brother stayed as young men on a tour of the Lake District. The
characters in the novel are likely to be based on some of his other fellow guests!