The Lay of the Last Minstrel is a narrative poem by Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1805. The poem is set in the Scottish Borders during the 16th century and tells the story of a feud between the Scott and Ker clans. The feud is fueled by the murder of Sir Walter Scott of Buccleuch by the Kers, and the subsequent refusal of Lady Janet, Sir Walter's widow, to consent to the marriage of her daughter, Margaret, to Baron Henry of Cranstown, an ally of the Kers.