The Lady of the Lake

A royal huntsman, separated from his party in the Scottish Highlands, is guided by moonlight to an island refuge on Loch Katrine, and to Ellen Douglas, daughter of an outlawed lord. Around her, three men's fates entangle: the fierce Highland chieftain Roderick Dhu, who shelters her family and wants her hand; young Malcolm Graeme, whom she loves; and the mysterious huntsman himself, who cannot stay away. When the king's forces move against the clans, the fiery cross goes out to summon Clan Alpine to war.

Scott's 1810 verse romance was a sensation that sent tourists swarming to the Trossachs, and it remains gloriously performable: galloping meter, clan gatherings, a duel of honor between worthy enemies, and songs woven through the tale. Poetry like this was always meant to be recited aloud, and listening restores it to full strength.

At roughly 85,300 words, The Lady of the Lake runs about 9½ hours at 1x narration speed. That figure is an estimate based on a typical narration pace. The exact length depends on the voice and the playback speed you choose.

The Lady of the Lake is in the public domain, so the complete text is free on Project Gutenberg and LoudReader has the entire Project Gutenberg catalog built in. To listen:

1. Download LoudReader for Mac or iPhone (free, no account).
2. Search for “The Lady of the Lake” in the built-in catalog and add it to your library.
3. Press play. A natural offline voice reads the book while each word highlights on screen, and your place is saved between sessions.

LoudReader reads with natural offline voices, so the whole book works on a plane or underground. It is fully on-device and private, your library never leaves your device. Listening is unlimited on the free tier.