▁the ▁modern ▁thr iller ▁with ▁The ▁Th irty - N ine ▁Ste ps ▁( 1 9 1 5 ) ▁and ▁Green m ant le ▁( 1 9 1 6 ). ▁His ▁pro l ific ▁output ▁included ▁the ▁historical ▁novel ▁W itch wood ▁( 1 9 2 7 ), ▁set ▁in ▁sevent e enth - century ▁Scotland , ▁and ▁the ▁post hum ously ▁published ▁S ick ▁Heart ▁River ▁( 1 9 4 1 ), ▁a ▁study ▁of ▁phys i ological ▁break down ▁in ▁the ▁w ilder ness ▁of ▁Canada ▁( of ▁which ▁Buch an ▁was ▁governor - general ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁until ▁his ▁death ). ▁His ▁work ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁link ▁between ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁Scot ▁and ▁Stevens on ▁and ▁the ▁Scottish ▁Renaissance . ▁ ▁The ▁Scottish ▁literary ▁Renaissance ▁was ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁introduce ▁modern ism ▁into ▁art ▁and ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁distinct ive ▁national ▁literature . ▁In ▁its ▁early ▁stages ▁the ▁movement ▁was ▁mainly ▁focused ▁on ▁poetry , ▁but ▁increasing ly ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁the ▁novel , ▁particularly ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁when ▁its ▁major ▁figure ▁Hugh ▁Mac Di arm id ▁was ▁living ▁in ▁isol ation ▁in ▁Sh et land ▁and ▁its ▁leadership ▁moved ▁to ▁novel ist ▁Neil ▁G unn ▁( 1 8 9 1 – 1 9 7 3 ). ▁G unn ' s ▁nov els , ▁beginning ▁with ▁The ▁Grey ▁Coast ▁( 1 9 2 6 ), ▁and ▁including ▁High land ▁River ▁( 1 9 3 7 ) ▁and ▁The ▁Green ▁Is le ▁of