Scott was apprenticed to bookseller Daniel Frere in 1649 before then being turned over to William Wells in 1651. He attained the freedom of the Stationers’ Company in 1656. From 1661, for the duration of his career, Scott held shop at the Prince’s Arms in Little Britain. He was elected a liveryman in 1664. Scott’s publishing endeavours were done in partnership with the Wells family. However, he is best known as a bookseller, boasting clients such as Samuel Pepys, Robert Hooke and John Cosin. Scott was particularly noted for importing and personally retrieving scholarly Latin books from continental Europe for his customers. In 1681, the King saw that he was appointed to the Court of Assistants. Scott fined for all Company offices, including Master. He was the London agent of the Oxford University Press and Bodleian Library, to whom he arranged the sale of materials.