In which a young Edward Waverley, troubled by his own sensitive and abstruse disposition, finds scant amusement in the pastimes and society around him, yet is oft entranced by the stirring family legends recited by his uncle and aunt. Amidst the wild and historic landscape of Waverley Chase, he indulges a rich and romantic imagination, weaving in his mind the noble and melancholy tales of his ancestors that colour his solitary hours.