Scottish quote of the day: Ian Rankin, writer

BEST KNOWN as the creator of Inspector Rebus, Scottish author Ian Rankin has written 17 Rebus novels and is the UK’s best-selling crime writer, despite never setting out to be one.

His inspirations are Robert Louis Stevenson and Muriel Spark.

“It struck me that nothing man-made defines a country – neither its artefacts nor its monuments. Golf, tartan and whisky fail to tell our story. A nation is defined by the very people who live there, whether they’re in mansions or high-rises. They animate their surroundings and lay down markers. They breathe life into the place. If Scotland and Scottishness exist, they do so in the mind.”