Movie Natters: September 19, 2006 Archive

Scottish Sojourn:Pirates

Posted at 2:33 AM on September 19, 2006 by Euan Kerr (1 Comments)

I head back to Minnesota today, trying to behave going through airport security even though it's "International Talk Like a Pirate Day." The British chapter has provided a handy how-to if you have any questions.

Actually it's appropriate to be writing about pirates from Edinburgh. The city was the childhood home of Robert Louis Stevenson who created the pirate tale to end all, "Treasure Island." Local legend claim it was either an island in a local park, or an island in the Firth of Forth inspired R.L.S. to create Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver.

The book inspired Walt Disney's first live action film, with the amazing Robert Newton strapping on the peg-leg and setting the standard to which even Mr Depp now has to meet.

Stevenson set part of another of his great adventure novels, with piratical overtones, just outside Edinburgh. The kidnapping in "Kidnapped" occurs at the Hawes Inn in South Queensferry. The place is still open and sports a great inn sign which leaves no doubt as to how some past patrons earned their keep.

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