SPOOKY BUT TRUE …!
I was recently contacted by a couple who had particularly enjoyed THE HAUNTING OF KULAH because they had recently holidayed on Barra, which was the inspiration for the modern day setting.
In the novel there is a standing stone (an ancient Celtic relic) and also a religious statue of Madonna and Child; both have a special resonance for the heroine Ally Niven.
Me and my standing stone!
I had based these on a standing stone in North Uist
and a famous 25ft Catholic statue on South Uist: Our Lady of the Isles, sculpted by Huw Lorimer and located on the flank of Reval, South Uist which was dedicated in 1958.
But Brian and Lesley sent me photos of a standing stone and a statue set against a craggy cliff – Our Lady, Star of the Sea – on the flank of Heaval, overlooking Castlebay on Barra – which were much more like the haunted edifices of my imaginings!
Were they always there – or have they been conjured up out of the novel …?!
Our Lady Star of the Sea on Barra
Standing Stone on Barra – just like the one in the novel!
Filed under: NEW BOOK: The Haunting of Kulah, The Haunting of Kulah Tagged: Barra, Huw Lorimer, Our Lady Star of the Sea, Scotland, South Uist, standing stone, The Haunting of Kulah
