Letter: Maid in Scotland

Sir: Your correspondent C. J. L. MacLean (Letter, 15 December) is full of Anglophobe indignation because your caption of a photograph of a boat on Loch Lomond began 'Lady of the lake' rather than 'Maid of the loch'. He seems to remember the poetry of Scotland less well than you: the reference was of course to Sir Walter Scott's narrative poem The Lady of the Lake, set on the neighbouring Loch Katrine.

It was the sensational European success of this and similar works by Scott that created the notion of romantic Scotland which is with us to this day; and which is why the boat (serving tourists) was on the loch in the first place.

Yours aye,

RICHARD BLAND

Dunblane,

Perthshire

15 December