Tuesday March 3rd 2026
The Lochinavar Workshop Resource Pack is available to schools free of charge
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
The Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club has unveiled a major new teaching resource designed to bring one of Scotland’s most iconic romantic ballads into classrooms across the country.
The Lochinvar Workshop Resource Pack is now freely available to primary schools, drama leaders, and cultural educators, offering a fully immersive, interdisciplinary experience based on Sir Walter Scott’s poem Young Lochinvar.
The project builds on a successful earlier initiative.
In 2014, Midlothian Council part-funded (50%) a specialist drama teacher employed by the Club to deliver a live Lochinvar workshop across twelve Midlothian primary schools. The project was first piloted at St David’s Primary School and proved highly engaging for pupils.
Now, over a decade later, that original model has been developed into a comprehensive, classroom-ready Resource Pack which teachers can deliver independently — at no cost and without the need for external support.
Designed to support Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) outcomes in Literacy, Expressive Arts, and Social Studies, the workshop invites pupils to step directly into the world of feuding Border families, medieval weddings, and daring rescues.
Over the course of a classroom-friendly session, learners:
– Assume the roles of rival clans
– Plan and stage a medieval wedding feast
– Perform traditional Renaissance dances including the Branle, Farandole and Pavane
– Explore safe stage-combat techniques
– Re-enact the dramatic arrival and escape of Lochinvar and Ellen
The updated 2025/26 Resource Pack includes:
– A complete Workshop Plan with teacher prompts and scripted scenes
– Curriculum mapping and clear “I Can” learning statements
– Differentiation guidance for mixed-ability classrooms
– Music and dance cues with recommended tracks
– A glossary of key vocabulary to support comprehension
– Printable scene cards, certificates, reflection sheets, and visual aids
– Historical background on Sir Walter Scott, the Border Reivers, and local Midlothian connections
– A one-page Teacher Quick Guide and Resource Checklist
Project lead and Club Treasurer Lee Simpson said:
“In 2014 we saw first-hand how powerfully pupils responded when they were allowed to inhabit Scott’s world through drama. This new Resource Pack ensures that any teacher can now deliver that experience independently. It invites young people not just to read the poem, but to live it — to dance it, debate it, and make it their own.”
The workshop has recently been piloted again in primary schools, with teachers praising the clarity of the materials and the strong links to Curriculum for Excellence outcomes. Pupils have drawn connections between Young Lochinvar and other works such as Romeo and Juliet, highlighting the timeless appeal of feuding families and forbidden love.
Scott’s Young Lochinvar, which appears in Canto V of Marmion (1808), remains one of the most dramatic and memorable episodes in Scottish poetry. The Club hopes this new initiative will ensure that it continues to inspire future generations.
The Lochinvar Workshop Resource Pack is available to schools free of charge.
Further information can be found at www.walterscottclub.com/workshops.
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