green places Archives - Page 6 of 22

April 5, 2025April 5, 2025

Pretty in Pink

The garden is all pretty in pink just now. There are polyanthus all through the grass.

And the flowering currant is, well, flowering… as the pink bench glows in the distance.

FOUETTÉ: Dancing with the Past

FOUETTÉ goes nicely with the ‘pretty in pink’ theme of this little post, but it’s also the book where Alexander, the titular character of my latest release, first shows up. He’s still very much on mind. Is he looking after that castle properly?

Amalphia Treadwell thinks she’s living her happily ever after.

She’s achieved fame, fortune and notoriety. She’s blissfully happy in her unconventional marriage and is very excited about the plan she’s just made with her best friend Justin.

When she encounters a mysterious child, a child who desperately needs her help, she knows that life will never be the same again.

Amalphia explores the deeper, darker places of her world, encountering long-forgotten danger and uncovering truths that might have been better left unknown.

Beginning six years after the end of the previous book in the series, the third and final part of Amalphia’s journey is a steamy tale of love, dance, obsession and forgiveness.

Amazon UK

Amazon worldwide

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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…

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April 3, 2025July 28, 2025

Tarlair and the Halcyon Days of Summer

Tarlair now

I recently explored Tarlair Art Deco open air swimming pool with my husband and children. Despite having fallen into serious disrepair over the years, it retains a certain beauty, and is evocative – for me anyway – of times past.

Tarlair in memory

It was the scene of many halcyon days one summer. I was fifteen, and due to head off to dance school in London that September. I recall lying on the grass in the sun, messing around in the boating pool, buying sweets from the shop and chatting with friends. The hazy, golden hue of these bright points in memory is augmented by the nature of other events from that time.

A Dark Summer

That same summer, there was a face off with an old school bully. There was an abusive incident with a particularly disgusting family member. He was much respected, and I didn’t think I would be believed, so I didn’t tell anyone what had happened. An older boy grabbed me on a bus and kissed and bit my neck. Actually that last event is not a dark memory. Non-consensual and unexpected as it was, I found it rather exciting at the time.

There were other daily disappointments, but it can be bitter to dwell too deeply. Some things are over when they’re finally over, and they are now.

Tarlair as seen from the cliffs above today

Nostalgia

But Tarlair remains bright, both as it is now, and as it appears in my nostalgic image of the past. Four girls on the brink of being women laughed together and talked of their hopes for the future. We swam in the water of the North Sea with all our clothes on, and got changed in the only one of our homes that was free from adult disapproval. We ate chocolate in an abandoned campervan. White Russians were enjoyed in a local nightclub where no one questioned our age; hangovers were revelled in the next day by the pool.

None of our lives turned out quite how we envisaged. We trailed away from those teenage maps we drew for ourselves that summer. We’ve all tasted despair but known great joy too. Maybe we couldn’t have had one without the other.

Restoration

Tarlair is being restored. I look forward to making new memories there soon.

Friends of Tarlair Facebook Page

Restoration of iconic Tarlair Pool from the Press and Journal

Below: looking out to the wider ocean through the Needle’s Eye, a rock formation beside Tarlair.

My Books, set mostly in Aberdeenshire

The latest novel, SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, features Romans, Celts, romance, a neurodivergent main character and the Battle of Mons Graupius.

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

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

More titles

Set in an Aberdeenshire castle, THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR features the Scottish witchcraft accusations, a handsome Laird, an ancient stone circle and a love story.

FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE was inspired by the 18th century kidnapped children of Aberdeen and is set in both Scotland and Colonial Pennsylvania.

Paperbacks and kindle: Amazon UK or Amazon Worldwide

“Filled with excitement and suspense…” Historical Novel Society

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

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April 3, 2025April 3, 2025

Castle Fraser in Spring

Having abandoned my fictional castle to Alexander, I felt the need to seek out a real, physical example. So, off to Castle Fraser I skipped.

First I encountered a carved castle in the woods. And a dragon!

There were small spots of colour in the walled garden:

And then, at last, a glimpse of the castle…

Through the trees…

And there it was.

Beautiful Castle Fraser. The earliest parts of the building date from 1450. See the National Trust site here

I perused the two shops in the courtyard – gift and second-hand books – then ventured back through the woods.

The wind was blasting across the field as I walked up the side to see the stone circle. I didn’t go in as that would have involved trampling the farmer’s crop, but you can just make out the stones on the horizon below. There’s a post on a previous visit to the Castle Fraser circle here.

Alexander’s Castle

Alexander: Dancing with Fire by Ailish Sinclair

When Alexander turns eighteen, he learns that he has inherited a castle, the one that houses the dance school he attends, to be exact. He’s always wanted a do-over, a chance to fix the broken parts of himself and his life. Could this be it?

Instead of allowing the school to continue on as normal, Alexander throws the students and teachers out and claims the castle as his own.

At first he’s lonely. At first he’s hesitant. Will he have any friends left after this? The events of his uncle’s televised wedding at the castle prove that, while Alexander definitely still has friends, his broken ankle is actually the least damaged part of him.

Within the ancient castle walls, a world of dark family secrets is revealed. Join Alexander as he dances on the edge of sanity and survival, navigating through the flames of his turbulent past to forge a new future.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

https://www.tiktok.com/@castle.dancers6/video/7487907191522004226

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

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March 31, 2025March 31, 2025

When You’ve Inherited a Castle…

Inherit a castle - the house at Logie Estate

No, it’s not me that’s inherited a castle. (But how great would that be?) It’s Alexander. He’s eighteen today, and the castle that appears in so many of my books is his now. What will he do with it? Well, that’s the book, that’s the story, but also… it’s the end. The end of the series, really the culmination of two series.

Alexander hasn’t just thrown his friends and family out of the castle school; he’s shown the author the door too. It feels like I’ve finally finished writing that great building.

Pictured is the great house at the Logie Estate near Forres in Moray.

It’s time for me to relinquish any responsibly I had towards the castle, and have fun running around beautiful places. I can stand still for a while and appreciate the softness of redwood bark…

And gaze at carved squirrels:

Front and back.

Browsing book shops. I can do lots of that too (also at the Logie Steading).

The castle is in safe hands. I can relax 🙂

Out Today – Alexander: Dancing With Fire

Instead of allowing the school to continue on as normal, Alexander throws the students and teachers out and claims the castle as his own.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Excerpt from Alexander: Dancing With Fire. He's inherited a castle!

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

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March 29, 2025March 29, 2025

Spring is Springing Hard this Year

Spring. Springing hard. Flowers everywhere. Colours and brightness and blooms. It feels a bit astonishing, though these plants must spring up every year. I was in hospital last time, though, so I missed all this.

A perfect patch of purple stars:

And a perfect dusk stroll:

And then, on Monday, the latest series completes… This also feels astonishing when I think about where I was last year, and a little strange. What to do now?

Castle Dancers

Meet Ariel and her classmates, Bubbles and Alexander, along with a whole cast of vibrant characters, as they experience love, life and adventure at the most prestigious dance school in Scotland.

Each book in this coming-of-age series delves into the personal struggles and heartfelt romances of a different student over the course of a school year. As the spotlight shifts its focus within the old walls of the castle, there are television shows to be made and dark truths to be faced.

Join these young dancers as they whirl through their challenges, forge unbreakable bonds, and discover the power within themselves. Are you ready to travel to Northern Scotland, step into the castle school and dance through the deep dark of the dungeon?

Castle Dancers Series on Amazon UK

Castle Dancers Series on Amazon Worldwide

@castle.dancers6
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 k**l her. Torn from a life where she never fitted in, Ariel quickly becomes the focus of a reality TV show. In the castle school, she forms deep friendships and meets Alexander, the best looking boy she’s ever seen. Together, they unravel the mysteries of the castle’s shadows and confront the demons of Ariel’s past. Can she rise above a lifetime of pain and embrace the possibilities of fame and love that beckon to her? ‘Ariel: Dancing on TV’ is a mesmerising tale of resilience and the pursuit of a brighter future against all odds. #youngadultfiction #dance #ballet #booktokseries #youngadultbooktok
♬ Don’t Worry – Lumine

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

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March 26, 2025June 23, 2025

Vikings and Mermaids at the Beach

sea at Fraserburgh beach - vikings and mermaids

Sky. Sea. Sand. Vikings and mermaids. It’s been a summer of these. Even on dull days it’s been warm, and walks on the beach, beautiful. I’m donning the tour guide hat, and we’re going to explore some beaches, cliffs and caves.

Whitehills

rainbow over the coast: vikings and mermaids

Let’s walk the coast route between Banff and Whitehills. We get rained on, but we get a rainbow.

Below is the Red Well. More on that here as it features in SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD (out now!).

Vikings!

No time to linger at the well today as we’re skipping along to Gardenstown and St John’s Kirk. There it is, up on the hill between cloud shadows.

There is an exciting tale of local ladies winning a battle with the Vikings in 1004 by weaponising their stockings with rocks and sand. Three Viking skulls were subsequently built into the walls of the then under-construction Kirk.

The coast as seen from the walls of St John's Kirk, Gamrie - Going Coastal with Ailish Sinclair North East Scotland Beaches

Today it’s a peaceful place, though the landscape is probably much the same as it was during the era of battling lassies and Viking warriors.

New Aberdour

Time for a picnic and an exploration of the various bays at New Aberdour.

Let’s lie on the ground and gaze up at the red rocks and blue sky above.

rocks and sky: North East Scotland Beaches

We watch, entranced, as sand martins dart in and out of their nests. Whoops, forget to cover the homemade pizza so it’s now covered in sand. Never mind, just time for a poke around in a rock pool before we go…

Fraserburgh

Okay. Shoes off. We’re searching for vikings and mermaids. We’re going to race along the golden shore at Fraserburgh, getting the sand right up between our toes. If we’re feeling energetic we can climb Tiger Hill, that large dune to the right, and enjoy enhanced views of the beach and town.

reflective clouds at the coast: North East Scotland Beaches

A reflective moment.

Fraserburgh beach - reflections at the coast

St Combs

Calming right down now. We turn the corner. Out comes a book and a bar of chocolate as we sit on the rocks at St Combs.

Walking boots on for this next part…

The Bullers of Buchan: Mermaids!

On we go, past Peterhead, to seek out mermaids at the Bullers of Buchan. There are folk tales of them being spotted here in the cave known as the Sea Cauldron:

the sea cauldron - vikings and mermaids!

It’s actually quite a dangerous place, with cliff edges all round, so do take care.

The coast at the Bullers of Buchan: vikings and mermaids

We’ve come to the end of our coastal odyssey. Just one more stare at that silvery sea from the Bullers, and then it’s home for a cup of hot chocolate.

The coast at the Bullers of Buchan - Ailish Sinclair, author: vikings and mermaids

My Historical Fiction

These novels combine little-known dark events with love stories and a hint of magic.

SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD: ancient battle, neurodiversity and forbidden romance.
THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR: witchcraft, a stone circle, a castle and six chapters of medieval Christmas.
FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE: kidnapping, friendship and chocolate.

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

And don’t miss the new naughtier books!

A Dancer's Journey, a 3 book series by Ailish Sinclair

Read about them here.

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Go here to sign up for my (roughly monthly) newsletter. It’s a more intimate space than the blog and always includes some exclusive photos. If you would like to hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

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March 25, 2025August 20, 2025

Music and Words on the Making of Meaning

Music and Words

The composer Rhodri Williams-Wandoch has created an amazing blend of music and words on the making of meaning. He describes the piece as an intricate and profound improvised invention on a chromatic theme. I’m the second author, a little after 2.20 minutes in, reading an excerpt from SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD entitled On War.

Listen to my dulcet tones (I think I was putting on my ‘posh’ voice) below:

The Garden

I wish I could share the sweet scent of the honeysuckle and lavender. The garden has reached its overgrown summer phase. The poor pink bench looks like it’s about to be reclaimed by nature.

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…

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Ethereal and spellbinding…” Historical Novel Society

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

Meanwhile…

I return to editing. Down the dungeon steps I go… Edit: the whole series is out now.

A Dancer's Journey, a three-book series by Ailish Sinclair

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March 24, 2025May 6, 2025

Daffodil Folklore: Do Not Disturb The Fairies!

Daffodils are popping up all over the woods here in Aberdeenshire. How pretty they would be in a vase, but no, Scottish daffodil folklore warns against this.

A little daffodil folklore

It’s bad luck to pick wild daffodils in Scotland. The reason? Fairies might be sleeping in the trumpets. Scottish fairies do tend to be quite fierce beasties with a habit of spiriting people off to Fairyland, or Elfhame, to answer for their flower-picking crimes. So, it’s probably not a good idea to wake them.

Bluebell woods are also a bit risky in this regard.

Roman Daffodils

It’s said that it was the Romans who introduced daffodils to Scotland. Soldiers would chew on the bulbs to alleviate pain after being wounded in battle.

Daffodils in Greek Myth

Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, Goddess of the harvest, was innocently picking daffodils when she was carried off to the underworld by Hades to become his wife.

daffodil folklore: daffodils all in a row

And while I did chance picking a cultivated bloom from the garden…

I think we’re safer with a nice primrose. Also known as ‘fairy cups,’ eating the flowers (as I mention doing here in this article on writing historical fiction) is said to help you see fairies, and placing them on your doorstep brings blessings.

Ariel: Dancing on TV

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.

Torn from a life where she never fitted in, Ariel quickly becomes the focus of a reality TV show. In the castle school, she forms deep friendships and meets Alexander, the best looking boy she’s ever seen. Together, they unravel the mysteries of the castle’s shadows and confront the demons of Ariel’s past.

Can she rise above a lifetime of pain and embrace the possibilities of fame and love that beckon to her?

‘Ariel: Dancing on TV’ is a mesmerising tale of resilience and the pursuit of a brighter future against all odds.

On Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Historical Fiction

My historical novels combine little-known dark events with love stories and a hint of magic.

The historical novels of Ailish Sinclair

SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD: ancient battle, neurodiversity and forbidden romance.
THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR: witchcraft, a stone circle, a castle and six chapters of medieval Christmas.
FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE: kidnapping, friendship and chocolate.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

@ailishsinclair
Sisters at the Edge of the World – historical fiction from Ailish Sinclair 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! #booktok #kindleunlimited #womensstories #ancientworld #historicalromance
♬ Sunset Lover – Petit Biscuit

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

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March 24, 2025May 6, 2025

Persephone and the Maiden Stone

Persephone statue in the woods near Inverurie

The Maiden Stone

The beautiful pink granite Maiden Stone stands near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. It is an 8th century Pictish stone. On one side it bears designs favoured by the Picts, such as the comb and mirror, the mysterious Pictish Beast (Dolphin? Elephant? Mermaid? Nobody knows…) and a centaur at the top.

On the other side there is a very worn Celtic Cross, indicating that this may have been an early Christian preaching site.

Maiden Stone Folklore

There’s a rather wonderful tale attached to the stone.

A maid from Durno was baking a batch of bannocks one morning when a handsome man appeared at her door. He bet her that he could build a road up the hill of Bennachie before she could finish baking the bannocks. If he won, she had to marry him. Unfortunately, the man was actually the devil, and he built the road with great speed. The maid ran. He chased after. Just as he caught up to her, she prayed to be turned to stone rather than have to wed him. The notch on the stone is where the devil grabbed her shoulder as she transformed.

The Statue of Persephone

A couple of hundred yards to the west of the Maiden Stone, in the woods, is a statue of Persephone. She was carved from 8.5 tonnes of millstone grit in 1961 by the artist Shaun Crampton, and her story echoes that of the Maiden Stone. In the Greek myth, Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, Goddess of the harvest, was innocently picking daffodils when she was carried off to the underworld by Hades to become his wife.

Zeus decreed that Persephone should be released as long as she had not eaten anything in the underworld. But, poor quine, she had consumed some pomegranate seeds. So she only got to return for six months of the year, the six months of growth and harvest.

The statue holds some pomegranate seeds in one hand, and a mirror like the one on the Maiden Stone in the other.

Persephone near the Maiden Stone in Aberdeenshire

On the day I visited, someone had left a pomegranate at her feet.

And, like the Maiden Stone, the back of the statue is worth viewing too.

Ariel: Dancing on TV

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.

Can she rise above a lifetime of pain and embrace the possibilities of fame and love that beckon to her?

‘Ariel: Dancing on TV’ is a mesmerising tale of resilience and the pursuit of a brighter future against all odds.

On Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Historical Fiction

My historical novels combine little-known dark events with love stories and a hint of magic.

SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD: ancient battle, neurodiversity and forbidden romance.
THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR: witchcraft, a stone circle, a castle and six chapters of medieval Christmas.
FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE: kidnapping, friendship and chocolate.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

About Page

See my About Page here

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…

New Books and Special Offers

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

Writer’s Tip Jar

March 23, 2025September 16, 2025

Daffodils in Snow, and History Lessons

A line of daffodils in snow — Daffodils in snow

Originally published April 2021.

At first I thought there was only a single line of daffodils in the snow. I stopped to take photos. Like I would do on any other day out. A day out just for fun. Not that there have been many of those lately.

I walked along the path and headed down the steps where I was met with this stunning bank of yellow.