Scottish author Ailish Sinclair

February 4, 2026April 24, 2026

Writing Scottish Fiction

I write Scottish fiction (quick link to Amazon), often set in Aberdeenshire, the area of Scotland where I live. My historical novels combine little-known dark events with love stories. There are witches, bears and Romans to be found in them, detailed here. I have two contemporary series, the spicy, spicy Dancer’s Journey and the coming-of-age Castle Dancers.

I take a LOT of photos as is evidenced throughout the site.

Here on the blog, I write about castles, history, stone circles, dance, living with chronic illness, and writing. See my about page here.

Articles

New book by Fraserburgh author highlights horrific extent of witch trials in Scotland from the Press and Journal.
Researching Historical Fiction: Immersing Oneself in the Past on the Women Writers, Women‘s Books site.
10 Mystical and Magical Sites in Aberdeenshire originally published on the official tourism site for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, now here on the blog with added links.
Should we really have fun at Halloween when the north-east led the great execution of witches? from the Press and Journal.
Doctors and Deadlines: Writing with Chronic Illness
Dance and Despair: Writing What You Know
Walking the Witchy Ways of Aberdeen

A Dancer’s Journey (completed series)

A Dancer's Journey series by Ailish Sinclair

When dance student Amalphia Treadwell embarks on a secret relationship with her rich, handsome new teacher, she has no idea of the danger that lurks in his school in Scotland…

Series on Amazon

Series here on the site

“POV: You thought it was just another ballet book… then it emotionally body-slammed you in pointe shoes. Slow burn, enemies to lovers, fate, and a Scottish setting that delivered.” See this TikTok review here

Castle Dancers (completed series)

castle dancers series by ailish sinclair

The night before Ariel, a sixteen-year-old girl with a deformed hand, starts at the most prestigious dance school in Scotland, her mother tries to kill her…

on Amazon

Series here on the site

“Knowing how beautiful each of Ailish Sinclair’s novels are, I tucked into Ariel giddily. Boy, did she deliver! I read this book with indulgent haste. Returning to the setting of previous novels, it was comforting to read this book. The way Sinclair writes makes it feel like the main character is speaking directly to the reader, making Ariel feel like a friend.” Goodreads review

Sisters at the Edge of the World

The Romans called it the edge of the world

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.

Set in the 1st century, the story includes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. There’s a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance!

Paperback and Kindle on Amazon

More details here on the site

“Ethereal and spellbinding…” Historical Novel Society

The Mermaid and the Bear

Isobell needs to escape. She has to. Her life depends on it.

Set in a fictional castle in Aberdeenshire, Ailish’s debut novel, 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.

Paperback and kindle on Amazon.

More details here on the site

“A delight from end to end.” Undiscovered Scotland

Fireflies and Chocolate

Torn out of an isolated life in a Scottish castle, Elizabeth embarks on a determined quest to return home. Exhilarating adventures unfold on the high seas, love blossoms, and the chocolate, purchased in Benjamin Franklin’s printing shop, is delicious!

FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE was inspired by the 600 children and young people who were kidnapped from Aberdeen during the 1740s and sold into indentured servitude in the American Colonies.

Paperback and kindle on Amazon

More details here on the site

“Filled with excitement and suspense…” Historical Novel Society Editor’s Pick

Newsletter and Free Story

You will receive a free short story in e-book form when you sign up for my occasional, more-intimate-than-the-blog newsletter (the story can be read in a browser too).

The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…

Author Page and Signed Copies

If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page. Signed copies are available from my kofi shop.

July 18, 2026July 18, 2026

Isobel Gowdie: I Shall Go into a Hare

Isobel Gowdie mural in Auldearn. Artist: Helen Wright

Small update, July 2026: a year on, and my Isobel Gowdie novel is in its third draft… It’s strange and dark, and I’m loving it. And the mural has had a colourful wee glow-up (above), as seen on my last visit to Auldearn.

Original post from June 2025

I shall go into a hare,
With sorrow and syt and meickle care;
And I shall go in the Devil’s name,
Ay while I come home again.

The quote is part of the extraordinary witchcraft confessions of Isobel Gowdie from 1662. She confessed to shape-shifting, flying, and various activities involving the devil, and it’s said that she offered this information without torture.

There’s no record of torture, just as there’s no record of Isobel’s execution, but, of course, this doesn’t mean these events didn’t happen.

Mural of Isobel Gowdie

It was wonderful to meet artist Helen Wright when my research took me to Auldearn. She has created a beautiful mural depicting the life of Isobel. In the panel above, it is theorised that Isobel may have earned money telling stories to children, an occupation that was available to local women at the time. The tone and narrative of the confessions do suggest she was a gifted storyteller.

The Battle of Auldearn

Isobell Gowdie mural in Auldrean, this panel depicting the battle of Auldrean

The battle of Auldearn between the Covenanters and Royalists took place in 1645. There were still troops at Auldearn in 1647, the year when Isobel claimed she had carnal relations with the devil. This part of the confession is lurid and detailed, and, to me, it seems to be some sort of trauma response.

I took a video of the whole mural:

@ailishsinclair
It was great to meet the artist today. From Isobel’s confession (apparently obtained without the usual t0rt*re): I shall go into a hare, With sorrow and sych and meickle care; And I shall go in the D€vil’s name, Ay while I come home again. #history #art #mural #witchcraft #womensart #authorlife #research
♬ WITCH WITCH WITCHHESS – ARTHUR LEAL

Auldearn Kirk

You’d think the old kirk where Isobel set some of the meetings with the devil and others would feel creepy and dark. It was atmospheric, yes, but it seemed welcoming somehow. I wanted to stay inside it as if someone had ushered me in and offered me tea.

Interior of the kirk:

Interier of old Auldrean Kirk - Isobel Gowdie

So that’s where my writing research has led me… and there’s LOTS of reading to do.

Inside Auldearn Kirk, Highlands, Scotland

My debut novel involved such research too, and another Isobell…

Set in a fictional castle in Aberdeenshire, Ailish Sinclair’s debut novel, 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.

Published by GWL Publishing, the book is out in paperback and Kindle now.

See the Press Release here

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Newsletter and Free Story

You will receive a free short story when you sign up for my occasional, more-intimate-than-the-blog newsletter (the story can be read in a browser too).

The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…

When Ariel returns home from dance college, her mother expects her to perform the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in a pink, sequined tutu in front of many, many party guests. Ariel adjusts the costume and choreography to expose dark truths about her life, but, as it turns out, this is not the biggest performance of the night…

New Books and Special Offers

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See my About Page here

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July 16, 2026July 16, 2026

Marvellous Migvie Kirk and Pictish Stone

Migvie Kirk, near Tarland in Aberdeenshire, is misleadingly unimposing when you first see it. The present structure, now deconsecrated, dates from 1777, though there was an older medieval church there from at least the 12th century.

That was as much as I knew about the Kirk when I visited the kirkyard to see the Pictish stone, so what transpired was all rather delightful.

The Migvie Stone

This is a class II Pictish stone thought to date from the 8th century. This class of stone has a cruxifix on one side and traditional Pictish symbols on the other, unlike earlier stones which just display the older Pictish designs. Another good example is the Maiden Stone near Inverurie.

The cross is clearly visible on the Migvie Stone, but the other side is very worn and lichen covered, so I struggled to make out the images.

But all was about to be made clear…

Migvie Kirk

I’m nosy about old buildings. I push doors to see if they’re open, and this one was. It showed pitch-black darkness inside though, and having just encountered the same at the Culsh Earth House, I reached for my torch.

I stepped inside, and then there was light.

Motion sensors had activated lights and revealed a wonderful space which is now used for quiet contemplation and also as an arts venue. The interior of the door is carved with the symbols from the stone outside. The cross has loops as if it’s hanging on a necklace. Most unusual!

The landowner, along with local craftsmen and artists, renovated the derelict Kirk, after a battle with the council who had lost the original plans, and the work completed in 2001.

There’s a second Pictish stone inside:

Fragments are embedded in the walls too. I liked these Pictish feet:

The artwork and inscriptions are made up of a mixture of Christian writings, Pictish symbology and biblical passages written in both English and Ogham.

At one point, when all was still, the lights blinked off and everything went pitch black again.

Moving about soon summoned the light.

I intend a return to Migvie. I missed a cup-marked stone in the kirkyard and also an inscription of words from William Penn.

Migvie Kirk Facebook Page

Fireflies and Chocolate is set in both Aberdeenshire and Pennsylvania

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE was inspired by the 600 children and young people who were kidnapped from Aberdeen during the 1740s and sold into indentured servitude in the American Colonies. 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

“Ailish Sinclair spins this Scottish tale filled with excitement and suspense…” Review from the Historical Novel Society

Newsletter and Free Story

You will receive a free short story in e-book form when you sign up for my occasional, more-intimate-than-the-blog newsletter (the story can be read in a browser too).

The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…

Author Page and Signed Copies

If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page. Signed copies are available from my kofi shop.

About Page

See my About Page here

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July 13, 2026July 13, 2026

Culsh Earth House

The Culsh Earth House is an Iron Age souterrain near Tarland in Aberdeenshire. Built about 2000 years ago, at the time of Roman occupation in parts of Scotland, this particular earth house is beautifully intact and safe to enter.

You have to crouch or crawl to get in, though, the entrance being very low.

The ceiling gets higher as you progress, and you can finally stand up in the curved end of the passageway.

It’s dry and cool in the earth house, so the theory that these places were used for food storage may be correct. They would also be good for hiding in during times of conflict, and there’s room for a good few people in there. The smallness of the entrance would make it relatively easy to cover.

Or, of course, there could have been a spiritual or ritualistic use.

You certainly head into the light as you, crouching again, leave.

I loved the Culsh Earth House, resembling as it does, the time and some of the settings of Sisters at the Edge of the World. Short video below:

@ailishsinclair
An Iron Age souterrain, rather like some of the settings in SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD. 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. Set in the 1st century, the story includes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. There’s a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance! #prehistory #booktok
♬ Way down We Go – KALEO

Ancient Battle and Forbidden Romance

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.

Set in 1st century Scotland, the novel includes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. There’s a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Ethereal and spellbinding…” Historical Novel Society

Read the article Roman Aberdeenshire features in author’s new book from Grampian Online.

Newsletter and Free Story

For more bits of obscure Scottish history and photos of places I visit, sign up for my occasional, more-intimate-than-the-blog newsletter. You will receive a free short story in e-book form when you do (the story can be read in a browser too).

The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…

New Books and Special Offers

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See my About Page here

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June 24, 2026July 18, 2026

Aviemore Stone Circle at the Summer Solstice

Aviemore Stone Circle is unusual, though not unique, in that it is situated in the middle of a housing estate.

On the day I visited – Summer Solstice 2019 – roses were blooming at the edge of the circle, adding to the magical atmosphere of the place. The houses don’t detract from that; bushes and trees lend some privacy to the ancient stones.

Solstice Sun

The sun was newly risen and bright; patches of ground seemed almost luminescent. There’s often a special light quality at stone circles, whether they’re in an open urban setting like this, or tucked away within dark forests. Maybe the mind just tends toward mysticism among these mysterious old standing stones.

People had left mementos or offerings in the Rowan tree, perhaps treating the site like a clootie well?

ribbons tied to a tree by the stone circle

Clouds gathered overhead as I left the circle, on my way to an utterly amazing breakfast just round the corner at the Mountain Cafe (no longer there, sadly).

If you liked this post on Aviemore Stone Circle, you might also like:

There’s a stone circle in all my books:

Sisters at the Edge of the World by Ailish Sinclair

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

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

See the press release here

Read the article Roman Aberdeenshire features in author’s new book from Grampian Online.

The Mermaid and the Bear by Ailish Sinclair, and a harp

Taking place mainly in a 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

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

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

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Filled with excitement and suspense…” Historical Novel Society Editor’s Pick

And A Dancer’s Journey:

These books are so naughty that I’m a little worried nobody will be able to look me in the face again after reading them. But not that worried. They’re heading out into the world anyway.

When dance student Amalphia Treadwell embarks on a secret relationship with her charismatic new teacher, she has no idea of the danger that lurks in his school in Scotland…

See the series page here on the site for full blurbs and quotes

Series on Amazon UK

Series on Amazon worldwide

New novel from Aberdeenshire author combines passions from Grampian Online.

A Dancer's Journey Series by Ailish Sinclair - dark and romantic books

About Page

See my About Page here

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The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…

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June 23, 2026July 18, 2026

Working Girl: a WordPress Prompt Goes Dark

What jobs have you had?
A WordPress Prompt

Well, WordPress prompt, when I was fifteen, I took over my ballet teacher’s school for a few months before going to college.

Despite being far too young for such a responsibility, I loved it, and it paid for all the dancewear and equipment I needed for my studies.

In my second year of dance school, I got a job in a shop in Covent Garden. It was a very nice shop. I had more money. No more choosing between food and decent pointe shoes.

But here is where things go a bit darker than the WordPress prompt probably intended. I knew really, that working both Saturday and Sunday, after a hard week of dance training, was a bit foolhardy. My sensible friend, Suzette, who would have counselled against this, had returned to Mauritius. More about Suzette and dance training here

So, I became exhausted. There was dance injury after dance injury. I developed a chest infection that lasted five months.

The shop sacked me for being ill. This left me even more vulnerable than I had already been, at seventeen, alone in London.

There was a violent predator.

There was an incident from which I was lucky to escape with my life.

Fast forward to the present, skipping several other jobs…

And my writing is influenced by my past. This is most evident in my contemporary work. There is a dark event in TENDU, the first book of A Dancer’s Journey, that I knew how to write because of my own experience. Not that it’s exactly the same, of course. In fact, it’s quite different. Fiction has to be more dramatic than reality, and more interesting. Far more interesting…

And have an infinitely more exciting setting…

These books have dark moments, but they are actually quite fun, overall, I think. And naughty. Like life, if you’re lucky!

Update: the whole series is out now!

He's a 10... TENDU by Ailish Sinclair — See slides on TikTok

Series on Amazon UK

Series on Amazon worldwide

Page with blurbs and quotes

Dance and Despair: Writing What You Know on Women Writers, Women[‘s] Books.

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The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…

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June 22, 2026July 18, 2026

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 huge

It’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 steps

So, 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:

@ailishsinclair
The 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

Ethereal and spellbinding... says the Historical Novel Society of SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

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

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

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

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

From the Press and Journal: New book by Fraserburgh author highlights horrific extent of witch trials in Scotland

See the publisher’s Press Release here

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Filled with excitement and suspense…” Historical Novel Society

See my About Page here

Go 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.

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June 20, 2026June 20, 2026

The Battle of Auldearn and Dead Man’s Wood

The Battle of Auldearn

The Battle of Auldearn took place on the 9th of May, 1645 as part of the wider Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It was fought between a Scottish Covenanter army who were aligned with the English Parliament, and the Royalist forces of Charles the 1st. The Royalists won the battle despite being hugely outnumbered 4000 to 1500.

It was a long and bloody day, and the fighting took place over quite a large area around and actually in the village of Auldearn right between the houses.

A view of Garlic Hill, one of the battle sites, from under my umbrella:

Battle of Auldearn - view of Garlic Hill

I’ve been researching the battle as part of my wider research about Isobel Gowdie; it took place 17 years before her famous confessions. What a horrific and traumatic event it must have been for the people of Auldearn, and not one that anyone who lived through it would ever forget.

Liking to immerse myself in the history, places and times that I write about, I stayed in the friendly and relaxed 1645 Inn in Auldearn. It’s situated right on the edge of the battle field, and I had strange and disturbed dreams about the battle at night. Will this make the novel more strange and disturbed? Quite possibly.

The Boath Doocot

The 17th century Boath Doocot (dovecot) is a good place to overlook the battle field. The doocot itself would not have been there at the time of the battle, but the old motte that it stands on certainly was. It dates from the 12th century and was the site of a medieval castle called the Old Castle of Eren, the source of the name Auldearn.

Pigeons coming in to land:

Dead Man’s Wood

I wanted to find Dead Man’s wood. Sometimes just referred to as the ‘Dead Wood’, this is a tiny woodland that is said to be the burial site of the slain Covenanters from the Battle of Auldearn. Several map apps on the go, I travelled the roads round Auldearn looking for it. And there, in the middle of a ploughed field (so I did not cross) I found it.

There were poppies growing nearby. Storms have had their way with the wood, and most of the older trees have blown down. Elderflowers bloom on the site.

It’s said that people who were executed on Gallows Hill were sometimes buried in Dead Man’s Wood too, so it is possible that this might be the final resting place of Isobel Gowdie herself. There are no actual trial records for Isobel and her accomplice Janet Breadheid, and though one was granted, it had caveats, so the fate of the two women is unknown.

An iris grows beside the battlefield today… and on with draft two I go.

Read more on the Battle of Auldearn here
And the Wars of the Three Kingdoms

Isobel Gowdie Posts

The Mermaid and the Bear (a novel about a different Isobell)

Lost in ancient woodlands and caught up in whispers of witchcraft, Isobell must navigate danger to reclaim her life. Can she find her happily ever after?

Paperback and kindle on Amazon

New book by Fraserburgh author highlights horrific extent of witch trials in Scotland from the Press and Journal.

“A delight from end to end…” Undiscovered Scotland

Newsletter and Free Story

You will receive a free short story when you sign up for my occasional, more-intimate-than-the-blog newsletter (the story can be read in a browser too).

The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…

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June 5, 2026June 5, 2026

Into the Greenwood

First draft done. Through the sky window I go, towards the greenwood.

I walk through yellow petals.

There’s standing stones. A little dance may be in order.

I weave between yews, into the greenwood, and take the scary path to draft two.

Out of the greenwood to other posts on this project

Ancient Battle and Forbidden Romance

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.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Ethereal and spellbinding…” Historical Novel Society

Read the article Roman Aberdeenshire features in author’s new book from Grampian Online.

Newsletter and Free Story

The Performance: sometimes going home for Christmas is just one huge performance…

New Books and Special Offers

If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

See my About Page here

Writer’s Tip Jar

June 3, 2026July 18, 2026

Loanhead of Daviot Stone Circle

I love Loanhead of Daviot Stone Circle. Really love it. I know I’ve talked about how Aikey Brae is my favourite, and that is true. But this one comes in a close second. It’s another circle that I’ve been visiting for decades, often starting a day out with a quick walk round the stones.

A Wee Castle in the Woods

The approach is through woodland, and I like the wee castle that has appeared in recent years.

The path then leads up the hill and out to the stones.

Loanhead of Daviot Stone Circle

It’s a happy feeling circle, this one. They all have their own distinct atmosphere. Of course, maybe it’s just my own response to these places that I’m feeling. But then, isn’t everything that? A bit, at least. I once felt so happy at Daviot that I danced around in my bare feet and broke a toe on a hidden stone in the grass.

It always seems to be sunny there when I visit.

I picked up a fallen oak leaf from the adjacent ring of small stones that was used as a cremation cemetery in the distant past. The leaf is on my desk now as I write.

Daviot has been quite well excavated, with many cremation burials found (see the Historic Environment Scotland site). And there is, or was, a second circle across the valley. Only the large recumbent and flankers remain now. You can just make them out below, by the densest part of the tree line. You should be able to click the image to see a larger version.

As is my way (see the older post Things I Stole from Castles), I took these two circles and put them in SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD.

Quote from the book

We hold hands as we walk down and then up the short grassy valley that lies between the two circles. The stones we arrive at are overgrown with all manner of plant life. There are healing herbs that I recognise, wee flowers too, and spiny stems that look rather forbidding. Keep out, they say. Stay away. Leave the stones in peace.

Reviews

Reviews are coming in for Sisters.

“Ethereal and spellbinding…” Historical Novel Society

And from Terry Tyler: “It’s a fabulous story, a real page-turner and so well written. It made me think about the passage and circle of time, of the constancy of the land on which we live and the transient nature of human life. Loved it.”

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Read the article Aberdeenshire in Roman times takes centre stage in author’s latest book from AberdeenLive.

An Autistic Dancer, a Byronic Hero and an Obsessive Scientist

Read my series A Dancer’s Journey. There’s ballet. There’s lots of naughtiness. And there’s peril!

Enjoy a kiss on the London tube in the first book, TENDU. Romp up and down the castle stairs. Dance in a stone circle. Attend a Ceilidh in the great hall. Have your brain studied in the dungeon. All fun, I assure you. Well, not quite all…

Series on Amazon

From emmalolly13 on TikTok: “This series has a special place in my heart… I feel so blessed to continue reading Amalphia’s story… Her journey with love has been rough… this is such a soul-touching series.”

About Page

See my About Page

Newsletter, Updates and ARCs

Go here to sign up for occasional emails that always include exclusive photos and news of my writing and life. They’re a bit more intimate than the blog. If you would like to hear about new books and special offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

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June 2, 2026June 6, 2026

The Hanging Stone on Gallows Hill

Searching for the Hanging Stone

A couple of years ago, I decided to look for the Hanging Stone near Rosehearty, here in Aberdeenshire. It’s a witch stone, a place of historical execution and, according to local folklore, ‘dooking’ as well.

I knew the stone was in the vicinity of the Mounthooly Doocot (pigeon house), pictured above and below, so headed there first.

*Experiences mild jealousy of past self, so gung-ho in the ability to just get up and go out.*

Turning 360 degrees, searching the skyline, the stone was finally spotted, embedded in a dry-stane dyke. That’s a dry-stone wall; there’s a great art and skill to building these traditional field boundaries.

I walked from the Mounthooly car park, along narrow roads and then up the field.

The Hanging Stone on Gallows Hill, Rosehearty, Aberdeenshire

And there it was. The stone was quite tall, much taller than me, and wrapped round with barbed wire, which seemed somehow appropriate, given its dark past.

History of the Hanging Stone

The Hanging Stone is quite possibly an ancient standing stone which later came to be associated with execution. It’s very square. Carved that way, I think.

Nearby is ‘The Pit’, said to have been ‘for witches’ and to have been used for ‘dooking’. This was a practice that involved testing someone in water to see if they would sink or float, and thereby prove if they were a witch or not. I did not see The Pit, and, as I walked away, focused my attention on the great beauty of the ocean views.

The stone on the Canmore archaeological site

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