ABSTRACT
The Scots Observer was founded by Robert Hamilton Bruce, the printer William Blaikie and the lawyer Robert Fitzroy Bell, with its offices in Edinburgh. After the first issue on 24 November 1888, it was soon realised that a firm editorial hand was needed and Henley was asked to come north and take control. Thus started his most successful and influential period as an editor with his first edition on 19 January 1889. The gap left by Stevenson was partly filled by the young scholar and high Tory Charles Whibley and a firm and lasting friendship ensued though without the depth of that with Stevenson. Henley had Whibley writing for him but Whibley needed constantly reminding to have his copy in on time and this fault was also evident when Henley took on the general editorship of the Tudor Translations in the 1890s. Throughout his editorship Henley was fearless in his imperialism and Tory politics and he gathered round him a circle of young writers some of whom were to achieve fame, such as H. G. Wells, Kenneth Grahame, Kipling and W. B. Yeats.
