Sir Walter Scott tribute plan for artist Claire Barclay

The new visitor centre at Abbotsford House will open later this year

The Abbotsford Trust has commissioned Glasgow-based sculptor Claire Barclay to produce a tribute to Sir Walter Scott at his former home.

The installation will be placed at the foyer of a new visitor centre at Abbotsford House near Melrose.

The site is currently undergoing a multi-million pound regeneration scheme to turn it into a tourist attraction.

Ms Barclay said her work would draw on themes which inspired Scott, including his interest in witchcraft.

Trust chief executive Jason Dyer said: "Abbotsford is where Scott wrote many of his famous works but his own story is one that we don't believe is fully appreciated.

Claire Barclay said the work would look at themes which inspired Scott's writing

"His works were translated into over 30 languages and have inspired more operas than any other writer except Shakespeare.

"Scott's influence on culture and literature worldwide has been immense and through our new visitor centre, we hope to tell his personal story and demonstrate his importance and relevance in an engaging way."

He said they were delighted to be working with Ms Barclay to help tell the story of "one of the key cultural figures of his day".

Her work will be unveiled later this summer when the new visitor centre at Abbotsford opens to the public.

She said: "My work will draw upon some of the special interests that inspired Scott, including his fascination with witchcraft, a subject on which he collected a large number of books, and a recurring theme in his writing.

"I am very much enjoying having access to this material to produce a work for the context of Abbotsford."

The main house at Abbotsford is still undergoing refurbishment work and will reopen to the public in 2013.