Encircled by gannets, the tiny isle of Muckle Flugga rises sheer out of the North Sea. All show his power of invention, his command of the macabre and the eerie, and the psychological depth of his characterization.From the northern tip of Unst, Shetland – the UK’s most northerly inhabited island – a dramatic view comes into sight. Although Stevenson's novels are perhaps more accomplished, his short stories are also vivid and memorable. Stevenson was buried on Samoa, an island he had come to love very much. Ives was completed by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, and The Weir of Hermiston was published unfinished. He died suddenly of apoplexy, leaving both of these works unfinished. Ives and The Weir of Hermiston, which many consider to be his masterpiece. While there he wrote The Wrecker (1892), Island Nights Entertainments (1893), and Catriona (1893), a sequel to Kidnapped.

Except for one trip to Sidney, Australia, Stevenson spent the remainder of his life on the island of Samoa with his devoted wife and stepson. From there they set out for the South Seas in 1889. In 1887 Stevenson and his wife, Fanny, went to the United States, first to the health spas of Saranac Lake, New York, and then on to the West Coast. The Master of Ballantrae, in particular, is a study of evil character, and this study is taken even further in The Strange Case of Dr. While these stories and others, such as David Balfour and The Master of Ballantrae (1889), are stories of adventure, they are at the same time fine studies of character. With stories such as Treasure Island and Kidnapped, Stevenson revived Daniel Defoe's novel of romantic adventure, adding to it psychological analysis. This was followed by his most successful adventure story, Kidnapped, which appeared in 1886. It was with the publication of Treasure Island in 1883, however, that Stevenson achieved wide recognition and fame. A variety of essays and short stories followed, most of which were published in magazines.

His Inland Voyage (1878) and Travels with a Donkey (1878) describe some of his experiences there.

For several years after completing his studies, Stevenson traveled on the Continent, gathering ideas for his writing. His true inclination, however, was for writing. He began studying engineering at Edinburgh University but soon switched to law. A sickly child, Stevenson was an invalid for part of his childhood and remained in ill health throughout his life. Novelist, poet, and essayist Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Classic starts treasure island