CARDENDEN'S most famous writer was honoured at the weekend as his Rebus creation celebrated the character's 30th birthday.

Former Beath High School pupil, Ian Rankin, wrote his first novel about Inspector Rebus in the the mid 1980s and he then had no idea of the durability of his Edinburgh based crime fighter.

And it has led to the Cardenden writer joining such illustrious Scottish writers as Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson in being celebrated in a special exhibition.

It has been staged at the Edinburgh Writers' Museum with a rare selection of items, manuscripts and images went on show at the Museum celebrating the 30th anniversary of Rebus.

The exhibition was co-curated by the Museum and Ian Rankin and was called Rebus30.

The event is geared to explore the relationship between the writer and the character and the connections with the capital and will run until January 21.

Ian said on Friday: "I do not think that the Rebus novels could be set anywhere else, they really are about Edinburgh.

"To be honest I really have not got to the bottom of what makes Edinburgh tick or what makes it a unique setting.

"It really just seems to be a place that has influenced writers and continues to nurture writers."

The Museum's Curatorial Manager, Gillian Findlay, indicated that the opportunity to scratch below the surface of Rebus stories had been an amazing one and it was a very personal display.