Editing Nigel Tranter (section)

==The historian==

As noted above, Tranter had a lifelong interest in Scottish castles.  Initially intrigued by their architectural history, Tranter soon developed an interest in Scottish history generally.  As he moved into historical novels, his research became deeper until he had amassed vast knowledge of Scotland's history to a very detailed level.  His ability to retell history as a 'story' provided an accessible source for many people.  As well as his novels, this knowledge was translated into such non-fiction works as ''[[#Non-fiction books|The Story of Scotland]]''.  Becoming intimate with so much of the historical record, Tranter formed many theories of history, some of which were contrary to established thought. These were presented throughout his books. One example of this is his belief that the stone under the [[King Edward's Chair|Coronation Chair]] is not the true [[Stone of Scone|Stone of Destiny]], but a thirteenth-century fake which he refers to as the [[Westminster Stone theory|Westminster Stone]].