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Isn't the internet wonderful? Who would have believed a wee quiz about Scotland would have gained the attention of one of the most prolific biography writers of Sherlock Holmes.

Much has been written about Conan Doyle but I did get question 5 wrong because I had no idea he had Scottish connections. It would seem he had as much connection as a modern day Scotland team footballer by all accounts.

Here is the comment from Jon Lellenberg:

Regarding #5, What connects Sherlock Holmes to Scotland, the correct answer would actually be: d) None of the above. Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh, and went to its university, but he was not Scottish, and never thought he was. His father was from an Irish family resident in London so long they had come to think of themselves as English, and his mother came from Ireland. His father was in Edinburgh for a specific job; after Conan Doyle got his first medical degree, he left for England and never lived in Scotland again, which was also true of his brother and five sisters as each of them came of age.

So there we have it, or there I have it, because I'm far more informed so thank you Jon.

But there's more! Jon further contributed:

I used to live in Washington, but now live in Chicago. And it's actually two books about Conan Doyle, a long time ago one entitled THE QUEST FOR SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE about how he's been treated biographically, and two years ago co-authored ARTHR CONAN DOYLE: A LIFE IN LETTERS, an annotated edition of his family correspondence over a 54-year period (1867-1920), prepared with my friend Dan Stashower, author of the best recent Conan Doyle biography, TELLER OF TALES.

In response to other comments, Conan Doyle basec the Sherlock Holmes method on an old professor of his, Dr. Joseph Bell. He at any rate was Scottish.

May I thank you Jon for the information. Many will appreciate it.

I'll still watch the episodes on TV though and read the books because, as I say, I'd no idea he had any connection to Scotland - unless he was a Scotland footballer which I doubt!

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