The Scottish physician and writer William Beatti was born in Dalton in 1793 (Scotland). He was son of the architect and builder James Beatti, his mother was Elizabeth Linnier. William Beatti studied medicine in Edinburgh and received his doctorate in 1818. Between the years 1822 and 1826 William Beatti was in service of the Earl of Clarence, the future King William IV, with whom Beattie also toured Europe and Switzerland in 1823. At the time of his studies, William Beatti wrote the work "The Swiss Relic" and in 1834 he published one of the most beautiful historical descriptions of Switzerland, simply called "Switzerland", which was illustrated by William Henry Bartlett. His work "Switzerland", which is provided in part with self-written verses, was translated and published into many other languages. In a lyrical way William Beatti renders comprehensive account of Swiss landscapes and culture. In the years 1835 and 1836 William Beatti visited Switzerland one more time. William Beatti died on 17 March, 1875 in London.