Ailish Sinclair's Blog, page 12
October 2, 2024
A Celebratory Dance in a Stone Circle
Did I take a pair of old pointe shoes and perform a celebratory dance in a stone circle? Yes. Yes, I did. (This is a post from last year that’s making me want to get out there and dance again!)
The reason for the celebration? Well, there’s more than one. Firstly, I’m well enough to dance around a bit. I am enduring one or two monstrous autoimmunity symptoms, but they don’t stop me dancing. And secondly, all three books of A Dancer’s Journey are now ready to dance out into the world!
Look at the pretty covers! And the less bashed pointe shoes…Update: the whole series is out now!Series on Amazon UK
Series on Amazon worldwide
Dance and Despair: Writing What You Know on Women Writers, Women[‘s] Books.
Dancing on the stones worsened the frayed situation somewhat.There’s a page with full blurbs and some quotes, but here’sTendu’s description:
Scotland’s all misty lochs and magical forests and perfect boyfriends, right?
When dance student Amalphia Treadwell embarks on a secret relationship with her rich, handsome teacher, she has no idea of the danger that lurks in his school in Scotland.
She’s soon dealing with her boyfriend’s beautiful and obsessive ex, the sinister research taking place at the castle school and her own ever-evolving relationship issues.
Amalphia works hard to be the best dancer she can be, but as tension builds within the old walls of the castle, she begins to wonder if she will ever escape the deep dark of the dungeon…
Dark, witty, steamy and fun, Tendu is a compelling and seductive story of love, dance and obsession.
The books do include a little dancing in a stone circle. It’s fun, and I highly recommend it. I hope you can all enjoy a celebratory dance too.
Featured circle: Aikey Brae.
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Read all about little old me here!
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September 30, 2024
Gentle Autumn Days
I love these warm and gentle autumn days. The sun is hot, the trees are turning colourful and the sky is bright blue.
Mushrooms and toadstools appear.
Paths are crunchy as the trees shed their leaves.
The rodgersia is red, red, red…
And the beach feels especially golden. More beach to come in the next newsletter…
From the misty hills of ancient Scotland…
From the misty hills of ancient Scotland emerges a tale of love, betrayal, and the fight for freedom. Join Morragh in SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD for an unforgettable journey.
“The setting is ethereal and spellbinding as our main characters walk a fine line between what has been and what is to come. A beautiful tale of ancient wonders and kindred souls.” Historical Novel Society
About Page
See the About Page here
NewsletterGo here to sign up for my occasional emails that always include some exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
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September 23, 2024
Bow Fiddle Rock and Swan Lake
Bow Fiddle RockI had hoped it might be sunny on my recent visit to Bow Fiddle Rock, a natural sea arch near Portknockie. It was. Very briefly. Between the car and the benches, the sun shone brightly for a few seconds.
Then the clouds closed over, but the place was still beautiful.
Swan LakeI was reminded of the stunning Swan Lake photos of husband and wife Gillian Murphy and Ethan Stiefel, taken by photographer Fabrizio Ferri below. Overcast, wet weather did not stop beauty there either.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Fabrizio Ferri (@fabrizioferriofficial)
Back at Bow Fiddle Rock, I slipped and slid over recently rained-on pebbles to take my photos.
I stopped to admire red clover on my way back up the cliff. And that was beautiful too.
Sisters at the Edge of the World
Set in 1st century Scotland, SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD includes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. The book features a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance…
“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society
Read the article Roman Aberdeenshire features in author’s new book from Grampian Online.
About Page
See my About Page here
NewsletterGo here to sign up for my occasional emails that always include some exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. If you would rather just hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
Writer’s Tip JarThe post Bow Fiddle Rock and Swan Lake appeared first on Ailish Sinclair.
September 18, 2024
A Book Nook in a Pink House
Yesterday, on Doors Open Day, I visited the Pink House in Banff and its very beautiful book nook.
Date of HouseMore officially known as the Merchant’s House, this lovely building’s date of origin is a little uncertain. The other houses in the row were all built in 1575, but the Pink House has this declaration on its wall:
A mistake may have been made.
But, oh: a turret!
The Interior
I passed through bedrooms with beautiful wallpaper and entered the courtyard garden.
The owner of the house told me about the historically authentic paint, made with ox blood, and she also pointed out the books in that higher window to the right.
The Book Nook
Much as I wanted to just stay there in the nook – or perhaps even live in it – there were other places to explore.
Door to the loft and turret room:
In the turret:
Loft:
Robert Burns is said to have slept in the loft while working as an excise man in Banff. It was the only place in the house that felt a little creepy.
I did miss a few rooms. Though the owner assured me I could explore everywhere, I was aware that her family were having breakfast in the kitchen, and it just felt too intrusive to go through there.
The house as seen through the gate of the medieval graveyard across the street:
Sisters at the Edge of the World
When Morragh speaks to another person for the very first time, she has no idea that he is an invader in her land…
forbidden romancechosen sistersfierce warriorsneurodivergent main character1st century ScotlandAnd don’t miss the new naughtier books!
Newsletter and UpdatesSign up to the mailing list for news about my life and writing, and some exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
My About Page
Read all about little old me here!
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September 14, 2024
The Glass Floor of Provost Skene’s House
Provost Skene’s House nestles between the new buildings and giant plant pots of Aberdeen. This post details a visit from 2023.
It’s been a long time since I’ve visited the 16th century townhouse. In fact, it’s been a very long time since I’ve been in the city centre. In recent years trips to Aberdeen have been illness or hospital related.
There have been a few changes.
Marischal CollegeThe fountains in front of Marischal College are new:
My father worked in the building when I was a child, and there were regular family trips to the Anthropological Museum there. This was later called the Marischal Museum, and it’s no longer open to the public. You can, however, browse online exhibitions.
Provost Skene’s House
Provost Skene’s House doorHistoryDating from 1545, the house has been lived in by a variety of people over the centuries. Provost Skene owned it in the 17th century, and Hanoverian troops used it during the Jacobite rebellion of 1745. The Duke of Cumberland stayed there on his way to Culloden. It’s been a museum since 1953. See a more thorough history of the house here.
MuseumThe museum used to be set up with rooms furnished in different eras: Edwardian bedrooms and Victorian sitting rooms, that sort of thing. It now houses an exhibition of noteworthy people from Aberdeen, and many of the displays are digitised. I rather miss the harpsichords and harps of the previous arrangement.
The Glass FloorThe glass floor in the cellar is still there, and I’m glad about that. The room was previously a coffee shop, and walking over the floor was a highlight for me as a child. I may not have been frightened when locked in a witch’s hoosie, but this floor scared me in an exhilarating sort of way.
I put the scary floor into the castle of my books. The quote below is from Fouetté, the third and final title of A Dancer’s Journey, and it describes how the glass used to look in Provost Skene’s House.
Eerie green light still shone up from below the glass, showcasing the museum pieces in the floor: barrels, bottles, various metal implements, a cauldron. The glass had been replaced, of course, and part of it given proper hinges, not like back then when…
I had to cut the quote short there, because: spoilers. The floor is no longer lit up.
The Painted GalleryThe highlight of the house for me now is the Painted Gallery. It has not changed, apart from the removal of the Mouseman benches.
Like the Wine Tower in Fraserburgh, this is a place that may have been used as a post-Reformation Catholic chapel.
The ceiling depicts the life of Christ. Below is the Entombment, with a kilted gentleman standing to the right.
Something else that has not changed is the smell of Provost Skene’s House. It’s quite strong and distinctive. I think it might be caused by the use of some sort of speciality wood preserver or furniture polish.
I walk across the flagstone floor of Provost Skene’s.
And then stroll between the old and the new.
I prefer the old.
The Angry ManLet’s finish with an angry man. He was originally situated on the wall of a 19th century bakery in the city. It was shut down due to its close proximity to a sewer; the baker blamed his neighbours for the closure, and pointed his angry face at them. He now glares at everyone as they walk past Provost Skene’s House.
SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
Set in 1st century Scotland, SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD includes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. The book features a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance…
“Ethereal and spellbinding…” Historical Novel Society
Read the article Roman Aberdeenshire features in author’s new book from Grampian Online.
About Page
See my About Page here
NewsletterGo here to sign up for my occasional emails that always include some exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. If you would rather just hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
Writer’s Tip JarThe post The Glass Floor of Provost Skene’s House appeared first on Ailish Sinclair.
September 12, 2024
Colours of Autumn
Colours of autumn: rowan berriesThe colours of autumn are all around now. Wind and rain too. And, sometimes, glorious golden sunshine, bright and hot and surprising.
The heather is blooming by the Witch Stone.
Shadows deepen as the season progresses, and it does that quickly here in Scotland.
I have flu. I think my immune system is flexing its muscles after coming off the latest immune-suppressing medication. But I’ll be careful. Not like this previous time when I said I was recovering from flu and ended up in hospital with a collapsed lung…
I’m not nearly that ill, so I can write (Alexander is getting there now) and I can sit in the sun. So things are quite good really 
Scotland’s all misty lochs and magical forests and perfect boyfriends, right?
When dance student Amalphia Treadwell embarks on a secret relationship with her rich, handsome teacher, she has no idea of the danger that lurks in his new school in Scotland…
Series on Amazon UK
Series on Amazon worldwide
Review of the third title in the series on twitter/X this morning: Fouetté is sooooooooo goooooood! One of my top ten favorite books of all time!
About Page
See the About Page here
NewsletterGo here to sign up for my occasional emails that always include some exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
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August 29, 2024
The Bear of Netherton Stone Circle
The title is a little misleading. There was no actual bear in Netherton Stone Circle. There sort of was. Like in The Mermaid and the Bear. You’ll see.
* Actual bears available in Fireflies and Sisters
Visiting Netherton Stone CircleThis was the first time I’d ever been in this circle. It’s right beside farm buildings, and you have to ask permission to walk through the farmyard to the stones. There’s a great farm shop, so I shopped for local tatties and asked in there.
The circle had a wall and fence round it. No gate. I hoisted myself over these barricades and into the wilderness that surrounds the stones. It was rather lovely. Muted light. Pink granite everywhere. Trees that seemed to be the same colour as the stones.
The BearI noticed that one of the photos I’d taken had that paw print icon, indicating that Siri had spotted an animal. Thinking I’d maybe missed a farm cat, I clicked on it.
It looks like there may have been a few cases of mistaken identity!
And… a Deer
I didn’t notice that these stones looked like a deer lying down until people pointed it out on Twitter.
I loved the moss.
And the shape of the recumbent and flankers:
There’s some rather nice photos of the stones among bluebells on Canmore
A Dancer’s Journey Series: no bears, but there is a stone circle!
He’s a damaged diva, used to getting his own way. She’s an autistic ballet girl who speaks her truth without tact. What could possibly go wrong?
Romantic Suspense Age-gap Romance Secret Relationship Set in Scotland and London Completed series“I could feel what the characters were feeling, feel their pain; it broke my heart and then healed it and made it sing.” Amazon review
About Page
AilishSee the About Page here
NewsletterGo here to sign up for my occasional emails that always include some exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
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August 22, 2024
The Mystery of Burghead Well
Everything about Burghead Well is mysterious. It’s not known who built it, or when, or why.
One definite fact: Burghead Well is hugeIt’s much bigger than a plain water source needs to be. The chamber, carved out of solid rock, is five metres wide. The pool is 1 metre deep and fed by an underground spring.
It could have been part of Burghead Pictish Fort (probably built in the 5th century CE), or it could have come before or after the fort. That’s how little is known.
Today, the well sits behind a locked door in the middle of the village of Burghead. I peered through the bars of that door:
It was too intriguing not to walk back up the hill to the Visitor Centre to obtain the key…
Descending the stepsSo, twenty minutes later, I descended the steps to the well. It was a bright and sunny day. And then it wasn’t. As soon as I stepped onto the original rock-hewn steps, everything felt dark and sinister. I stopped, wanting to turn and run back up to the light. And then I made myself go on, as I really wanted to see what it was like in the well chamber.
I’ve visited various underground places over the years – caves and barrows – but none of them have ever felt anything like this to me.
You can see the pause here in the TikTok I made of the experience:
@ailishsinclairThe mysterious well at Burghead. Exact date of origin unknown. It may predate or postdate the 4th to 6th century Pictish fort. Exact use unknown, but probably more than just water collection. It was really creepy down on the original steps! Blog coming soon. #pictishsites #wells #ancientwells #prehistory #scotlandtravel
♬ original sound – Ailish Sinclair
There are various theories as to the original use of the well. It could have been an early site of Christian baptism, a Pagan shrine to water deities, or a place of ritual execution. Maybe archaeologists will uncover answers one day but, for now, Burghead Well remains mysterious.
Historic Scotland page on the well
Historical Fiction
Set in 1st century Scotland, and featuring the cliffs and caves of Cullykhan Bay, SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD includes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. The book features a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance…
“Ethereal and spellbinding…” Historical Novel Society
See the press release here
Read the article Roman Aberdeenshire features in author’s new book from Grampian Online.
Taking place mainly in a fictional castle, THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR blends an often overlooked period of history, the Scottish witchcraft accusations, in particular the 1597 Aberdeen witchcraft panic, with a love story.
See the press release here
From the Press and Journal: New book by Fraserburgh author highlights horrific extent of witch trials in Scotland
FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE was inspired by the kidnapped children and young people of Aberdeen. The story follows the adventures of Elizabeth Manteith from the castle and her determined efforts to get back home. There’s love. There’s derring-dos on the high seas… And there’s chocolate!
See the publisher’s Press Release here
“Filled with excitement and suspense…” Historical Novel Society
See my About Page here
NewsletterGo here to sign up for my occasional emails that always include some exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. If you would rather just hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
Writer’s Tip JarThe post The Mystery of Burghead Well appeared first on Ailish Sinclair.
August 17, 2024
Burghead Pictish Fort and the Burning of the Clavie
Burghead Pictish Fort was built around 400 CE and destroyed by fire a few centuries later. The fort was large and must have been a centre of power and significance to the Picts. It was raided by the Vikings more than once, and in 884 CE it was captured by Sigurd the Powerful, the Earl of Orkney.
The Picts
The Picts were a group of peoples probably descended from the Caledonii tribe and other Northern tribes (as featured in Sisters at the Edge of the World). The term ‘Pict’ was used by the Romans from the 3rd century CE to describe the people of what is now Scotland.
The Pictish gentleman above stands by a stone from the original rampart of the fort in the modern-day visitor centre. Below is a depiction of how Burghead would have been in its heyday.
Burning of the Clavie
I attended the ancient fire festival of the Burning of the Clavie a few years ago. It takes place in Burghead every January 11th, on the old Scottish new year. The origins of the festival are unknown, though I suspect it may have something to do with the aforementioned Vikings!
A group of men carry a barrel of tar and staves (the clavie) around the village, followed by a great crowd. When I was there, petrol was then flung onto the clavie, creating large explosions of fire, after which it was left to burn out up at the fort. The pubs in Burghead serve free food on Clavie night.
The Remains of Burghead Pictish FortSadly, most of the fort stonework was destroyed when the village of Burghead was built in the 19th century. People do sometimes find parts of it in their gardens. The ancient well remains, and I visited it: separate post to come on that…
Burghead is the only Pictish site where Bull stones have been found. There were at least thirty, though many have gone missing over the years.
The sea views are amazing, and though all is peaceful at Burghead today, it’s easy to picture Viking boats approaching… Note the wee swallow flying by in the photo below.
More info: Burghead visitor site
Sisters at the Edge of the World
Dive into the rich history of ancient Scotland with “Sisters at the Edge of the World,” a tale of sisterhood, sacrifice, and the struggle for freedom against Roman occupation.
About Page
See my About Page here
NewsletterGo here to sign up for my occasional emails that always include some exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
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August 13, 2024
Roseisle Beach and Pine Forest
Roseisle is a beautiful place. The beach is golden and stretches for miles between Findhorn and Burghead, and every time I’ve been there, the sky has been bright blue.
It was the perfect place for me to visit recently. I had to come off my latest medication due to side effects, and I was frightened that I was experiencing the first signs of becoming unwell. This stage of chronic illness is always a balancing act between resting and getting things done while I can. So, I gallivanted gently, and so far, I am still well
There are pillboxes and concrete blocks all along the beach, defences left in place from the Second World War. People use them as shelters and picnic tables today.
Roseisle ForestThe forest, planted in the 1930s, is rather magnificent too.
In the open area, there are picnic tables, and toilets, and even a food truck; the skin-on fries were very good.
Forestry and Land Scotland site
Info on foodtrucks in the area
I did gallivant on a little further up the coast. More to come on that in future posts…
A Dancer’s Journey – a completed series
He’s a damaged diva, used to getting his own way. She’s an autistic ballet girl who speaks her truth without tact. What could possibly go wrong?
Series on Amazon UK
Series on Amazon worldwide
Scotland’s all misty lochs and magical forests and perfect boyfriends, right?
When dance student Amalphia Treadwell embarks on a secret relationship with her rich, handsome teacher, she has no idea of the danger that lurks in his new school in Scotland…
My About Page
See the About Page here
NewsletterGo here to sign up for my occasional emails that always include some exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.
Writer’s Tip JarThe post Roseisle Beach and Pine Forest appeared first on Ailish Sinclair.
