Scottish author Ailish Sinclair

March 13, 2025March 13, 2025

Balgorkar Stone Circle and Castle Fraser

This post details a day in 2014 when we set off to find Balgorkar Stone Circle and visited two castles and another circle too.

We headed off to look for the stones. But first there was a quick stop at Fraserburgh beach where the haar (Scottish word for mist that rolls in off the sea) hung low and filtered the sunlight in a silvery way. A seagull flew by as I took the photo.

Balgorkar Stone Circle

Inland we travelled, to bright sunshine and summer colours and the stones of Castle Fraser.

To the left in the picture below (click to see larger image) are two standing stones and to the right, in the distance by the trees, is Balgorkar Stone Circle (also known as Castle Fraser Stone Circle). The stones were visible from the road, so quite easily found.

standing stones and a Balgorkar stone circle

Up the side of the field we walked.

I thought we’d have to just view the stones from there, but no, some naughty person had trampled a pathway through the crop, so we did no further damage by walking it.

The recumbent and flankers, dark against the field:

Castle Fraser

Next we visited Castle Fraser where I was meant to be doing research for writing on heraldry, historic dates and architecture. This took the form of running about taking photos:

I loved the rooftop and later wrote about it here.

Kildrummy Castle

Then, after picnicking, with only half the day gone, we decided to head to ruinous Kildrummy Castle, a few miles further on.

There in the reception was an old friend who I hadn’t seen for years. There was hugging and much talking. Other people got fed up waiting to be served… We kept saying it was amazing. My friend is currently doing a PhD in history, so some of our conversation became spontaneous research.

We finally moved on to look around:

I do appreciate the use of the adverb ‘treacherously’ there; without it we might think Osbourne the Blacksmith to have merely made a mistake or had an unfortunate accident such as tripping with a pot of molten metal or dropping a freshly forged sword.

Broomend of Crichie Stone Circle

The day ended with a visit to Broomend of Crichie stone circle, Pictish stone placed in the middle.

This blog post is ending in a rather unrelated way, with some ballet. It’s beautiful and romantic and only two minutes long. It’s Scottish Ballet performing at the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.

Still 99p – 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.

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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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March 12, 2025March 12, 2025

Witches’ Brooms in the Trees

Looking for witches' brooms in the woods

The witches’ brooms of this post are actually deformities in trees, often caused by a fungus. I rather like them, both their appearance and their name, probably because of interests like this. However, none are to be found on the gnarly, wizened hazel trees by the loch.

We have to venture deeper into the wood, and gaze up at the high branches of the birches, for that.

Witches’ Brooms

There they are!

They are often mistaken for nests.

Witches’ Knickers

No witches’ knickers today. And that’s good, as those are just plastic bags caught in trees or on fences, and not photogenic at all.

Historical Novel Society Review

SISTERS has been reviewed for the Historical Novel Society here.

“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.”

Most highlighted bit of the book:

quote from SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD by Ailish Sinclair

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

A Witchy Book

The Mermaid and the Bear by Ailish Sinclair - no witches' brooms

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

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 publisher’s press release here

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“A delight from end to end…” Undiscovered Scotland

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

Stone circle quote from The Mermaid and the Bear

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

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March 11, 2025March 11, 2025

The Ghost of Findlater Castle

Findlater Castle on the cliffs. Ailish Sinclair | Writer

For years I passed by the road signs for Findlater Castle on my way to other places, joking that ‘I must find that later’. I’m so glad I finally did. I’ve been a few times now, and it’s always stunning.

On the day pictured here, it was exceptionally warm and still which emboldened me to go a bit further down onto the ramparts than I’ve been before.

Climbing up to the Castle

Off I went, past the gorse which was warmed by the sun and smelled all coconutty…

Findlater Castle and gorse on the cliffs. Ailish Sinclair | Writer

I reached my normal stopping place, this first chunk of wall…

A chunk of Findlater Castle on the cliffs. Ailish Sinclair | Writer

And I continued on up the wee path for a peek at the shore beyond.

View of the sea from Findlater Castle in Scotland. Ailish Sinclair | Writer

With no gusts of wind to blast me off the edge, on I marched, or tentatively crept, as is more accurate.

The side of Findlater Castle on the cliffs. Ailish Sinclair | Writer

Look at those craggy walls!

The old crumbling windows of Findlater Castle. Ailish Sinclair | Writer

The Findlater Castle Ghost

I sat down on the grass and contemplated being really brave and jumping down that hole under the archway. Ah, the photos I would get, the spectacular views I would see, and the incredible atmosphere I would experience…

Then I remembered the ghost story. A small boy and his nurse were standing near an open window, maybe even one of those in view, when he jumped from her arms and disappeared down the side of the cliff, presumably to his death. She scrambled after him, also to her doom, and her spirit still haunts the castle searching for her errant charge.

I really didn’t want to join her.

So, sorry to disappoint, but after another look over the edge, I retraced my steps back up the hill.

Peering over the edge at Findlater Castle on the cliffs. Ailish Sinclair | Writer

Doocot

This meant I survived to visit the nearby Doocot (pigeon house). It dates from the 15th century as does the castle.

I love its door:

Door to the doocot. Ailish Sinclair | Writer

And all the little nesting boxes within:

Window of the doocot. Ailish Sinclair | Writer

Visiting Findlater Castle

If you visit the castle, do be careful not to fall to your doom. If it’s muddy or windy, it would be much more dangerous than it was for me on this occasion. Look, the council have even written a warning in great big red letters underneath the history:

Informational board about Findlater Castle on the cliffs. Ailish Sinclair | Writer

Necessary risks only, then 🙂

The Mermaid and the Bear

See the publisher’s press release here

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“A delight from end to end.” Undiscovered Scotland

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

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

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March 7, 2025March 7, 2025

A Path of Stripy Shadows

I’m running along the woodland paths these days. Literally. I did so yesterday to avoid a noisy four-wheel bike. The low spring sun creates stripy shadows which flicker light and dark over your face as you run. Or walk. Or dance. Yes. I have been.

It’s better than swoon, which is what I was doing among the flowers last year. So far, so good this year. So far, no swooning.

And there are flowers, so many lovely flowers. I could almost swoon at their beauty. But I won’t 🙂

crocuses beneath stripy shadows — crocuses in the garden

A Playlist for Ariel

The Wee Writing Lassie has made a playlist for Ariel: Dancing on TV. I am most intrigued by this and will have to have a listen!

See the playlist here on Spotify

See the book here on Amazon

Scottish Historical Fiction

THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR: witchcraft, a stone circle, a castle and a love story.
FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE: seafaring adventure, friendship and chocolate!
SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD: ancient battle, neurodiversity and forbidden romance.

More information here

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

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

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March 6, 2025March 13, 2025

The Land Girls Gate

The Women’s Land Army

The Land Girls Gate in Clochan is a memorial to all those that served in the Women’s Land Army during the world wars. The Army was formed in 1917, and then again in 1939 when WWII broke out. Women as young as 17 signed up for the duration of the war and took on all forms of farming and food production. The Army was eventually disbanded in 1950. There’s lots more information about the Land Girls here.

The Land Girls Gate

The memorial at Clochan in Moray is a beautiful piece of art, paying tribute to the women who served in the Land Army throughout Scotland. Stones from various farms across the country have been incorporated into the ground around the gate. The fact that the memorial is surrounded by working farmland feels perfectly fitting too.

If you visit on a Sunday morning, as I did, there’s a small car boot sale going on just down the road in Clochan, with pancakes and tea being served in the village hall. It’s rather lovely and feels a bit like stepping back into a simpler time.

The Land Girls Gate in Clochan, colourful farmland beyond — The Land Girls, farmland beyond

Writing on War

SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD is the only one of my books that includes war. From the chapter entitled Mons Graupius:

I was in a dreamlike state before; now I stand in the nightmare. I was in a soft and colourful ocean before; now everything is dry and hard and hurting and red. I had not imagined it like this. I had not thought of it at all, not in any realistic way. I’d heard a clash of swords in my mind and sensed the smell of blood. But I was like a storyteller, who lessens the dreadful parts to make them less harmful to those who listen.

Sisters at the Edge of the World by 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!

Amazon UK

Amazon USA

And on Amazon Worldwide

“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

Article: Roman Aberdeenshire features in author’s new book from Grampian Online.

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

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Ailish's feet on the land girls gate post

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March 5, 2025March 5, 2025

Chosen Sisters, Friendship and Dance

Chosen Sisters

Two weeks after my sixteenth birthday, I travelled from Scotland to London to start dance college. I’d worked very hard to get there. It was daunting. It was difficult. But it was made easier by friendship. In particular, my friendship with Suzette, my chosen sister in the pink above. I’m in the stripes there, looking a bit hyper. We were on a day trip to Windsor Castle, and I may have been experiencing some early castle-love!

The two of us met at the youth hostel where we lived and quickly became friends. This woman was my emotional support that first year of college. I recall her standing between me and an aggressive man who kept asking me out, and giving him a thorough telling off for his belligerent behaviour. He left me alone after that. And Suzette was unusual for a non-dancer, in that she fully recognised the gruelling nature of the course I was on. My days started at 8 AM with morning ballet and went on till 6 PM. They were filled with high-impact dance classes of various types. There was one hour a week of ‘history of ballet’ and another hour of ‘anatomy’, but those were the only sitting-down style lessons.

Louie Spence

This video shows the sort of leaping about I was doing all day (it should start in at about 25 minutes, the audition). Louie (of TV’s Pineapple Dance, Dancing on Ice, and Benidorm) was in the year above me. I knew him a little bit, because the school was relatively small and everyone knew everyone a little bit. I can’t claim to have been actual friends with him, but I can attest to the personality you see on television being the real thing. That’s Louie. No fake TV persona for him.

So Suzette encouraged me to eat, and to rest, and to generally look after myself. Despite the fact that I advocate self-care to others, I have never found it easy to do for myself.

Suzette and I are still friends to this day. We even speak on the phone (well, Facebook Messenger call) sometimes, and I am not a person who is fond of the phone. I don’t use it much. It rings and summons me and then delivers news about deranged blood, and while that is actually just really responsible healthcare, and I’m so lucky in that, it doesn’t feel good at the time.

So, we two friends talk about the past, and Suzette recently commented that we were like sisters back then. It’s true. We were there for each other when things got hard. And we still are. We talk about our lives. I send her videos of snow in Scotland. She sends me pictures of her having lunch on the beach in a bikini. Suzette is from Mauritius. And, in honour of her, I have made a favourite character from the Dancer’s Journey series Mauritian, or half-Mauritian, as suits the story. He’s the main character’s best friend, Justin, and certainly provides her with plentiful emotional support (she really needs it, given all that I put her through). Though, he is not like Suzette in any other way. His character is not based on her at all.

A (now old) writing update

As the latest flare-up of illness recedes, work on the series picks up. The first book, TENDU, is actually complete now. Book two, CABRIOLE, is about to start its third edit, and FOUETTÉ is into its second. It’s all very intense. I get up excited to work on it all each day, loving finessing the darker plot threads that run through all three books. There’s a lot of crying going on. And laughter too. The whole series will be out later this year, with no long waits between titles.

I’m really going to miss working on these when they’re finished. I so enjoy being in that world. The energy of it is immersive and possibly somewhat addictive. It’s just as well there’s another three-book series set there too. It’s waiting quietly in the wings for now…

Newer update: A Dancer’s Journey is out now

After a long and winding publishing journey, the series is finally out.

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.

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…

Series on Amazon UK

Series on Amazon worldwide

Page with blurbs and quotes

Earth and stone and air and water…

SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, a novel about chosen sisters, of course, continues to sell well and attract thoughtful and expressive reviews. Elizabeth Felt, a lecturer in English at the University of Wisconsin, had this to say about it recently: “The tone of this book is amazing. At the beginning, the narrator is mute, and the book feels so quiet, so in touch with the earth and stone and air and water… Amazing writing. Excellent story. Highly recommend.”

See the whole review here.

Sisters at the Edge of the World by Ailish Sinclair. "Ethereal and spellbinding..." says The Historical Novel Society

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

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March 4, 2025March 4, 2025

Tarlair Revisited: Art Deco Pool and Pavilion

I’ve written about the Art Deco pool and pavilion at Tarlair before in this memory-laden post. The pool originally opened in 1931 and then closed in 1995. It’s now in the process of being restored, and it’s all rather beautiful. The pavilion is finished and about to open as a cafe, and funding has been secured to fix the pool up too.

I do like to go up onto the roofs of buildings (see Aberdeen Art Gallery here) and you can now do that at Tarlair.

View of the pool from the roof of the pavilion:

View from the roof of the pavilion at Tarlair Art Deco pool

It’s so full just now that it looks like one pool, but it is actually three. There’s a little kids’ area by those rocks, a boating pond and a swimming pool.

Down the steps:

Along the passageway…

Peering in the front door:

Tarlair Art Deco pool - front door of cafe

It’s strange; the look of the interior really reminds me of the old gymnasium in Macduff Primary School. The wooden floor, the windows… I must venture back once it’s open.

clouds reflected on Tarlair Art Deco Pool

Looking out over the pool, and back at the pavilion:

Art Deco Pavillion at Tarliar, Macduff — Tarlair Art Deco Pool and Pavilion

You can read more about the pool on the Friends of Tarlair website here

Ariel and Bubbles are happy

They have ‘most gifted’ and ‘top new release’ banners on Amazon just now and Ariel got a wee review on Instagram. Alexander is waiting impatiently in the wings with his explosive series finale. It’s out March 31st.

review
Ariel
Bubbles
Alexander

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

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

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February 28, 2025February 27, 2025

When Characters Break the Fourth Wall

I love it when characters push past that invisible fourth wall and acknowledge the reader or audience in some way. It happens in two of my books, entirely caused by the bubbly, friendly nature of the heroines.

I didn’t plan it. I didn’t decide to have these girls develop an awareness of the observer. Second-person point of view just appeared naturally during writing.

The technique is used in both Hamlet and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, so I think I’m in good company.

The fourth wall is only breached occasionally in the stories mentioned below, but I enjoy it every single time. I hope it makes the reader feel more intimately connected to the characters too.

Bubbles: Dancing Through History (out today)

Henry and I make hot chocolate together in the communal area before going to bed. Separately. Obviously separately, you know that; I don’t know why I felt the need to say it.

Fireflies and Chocolate (see it here)

Now, I ken fit you’d like to say to me: “Elizabeth Manteith, you’re a spoilt wee lassie! Fit most folk wouldna give to live in a castle!” Aye, well. You dinna ken. You dinna ken at all.

Do you have any favourite fourth-wall-breaking moments?

Let me know in the comments 🙂

Castle Dancers Book 2 is out now

Bubbles: Dancing Through History

It’s going to be the most boring year of her life. That’s what Bubbles has decided. This, her second year at the castle school, will involve no naked dancing, or television appearances. No fires in stone circles. No meltdowns. And no hospital stays. You know, not like last year.

As she walks up the tree-lined drive towards the castle, she is immediately surrounded by TV reporters. Next she encounters the enigmatic and charming new boy, American student Aiden, and finds herself in an instalove situation. Being cast as the lead in a historical documentary is altogether too exciting and fun, as are the night-time visits to caves and underground chambers.

As Bubbles navigates her difficult home life, the complexities of her mental health and various intense experiences at the castle, she struggles to maintain equilibrium.

Will she be able to find balance amidst the chaos, or will her carefully laid ‘boring’ plan unravel completely?

Dive into this captivating coming-of-age tale filled with drama, romance, and self-discovery.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

The first title – Ariel: Dancing on TV – is still 99p/99c on kindle, and, like Bubbles, it’s also available in paperback and on Kindle Unlimited.

The fourth wall comes down again:

Castle Dancers Series - Bubbles Dancing Through History - breaking the fourth wall

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

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February 27, 2025February 27, 2025

Gight Castle and the Hagberry Pot

Gight Castle may be one of the lesser known castles of Aberdeenshire, but it has a rich, if somewhat bleak, history with many of its owners dying prematurely. Built in the 15th century by the Gordon family, it’s the ancestral home of Lord Byron. A ghostly piper is said to haunt the ruins. The nearby Hagberry Pot in the River Ythan is said to be bottomless and full of treasure!

Walking Around Gight Castle

The quines took a walk. We started in Methlick and strolled through the Braes of Gight woods, across fields and along roads. This was the long way to do it: there is a car park relatively near to the castle. First view:

The castle was surrounded by barbed wire and there were ‘enter at your own risk’ signs.

In we went:

Great windows:

We were careful not to wake Sleeping Beauty. Or the ghostly piper.

I was most impressed by this brave little tree:

Hagberry Pot

Then, taking the circular route, we headed off down to the river and tried to work out which bit was the Hagberry Pot. Nowhere looked very bottomless or a good hiding place for jewels, but this seemed the most likely site by the bridge:

The 7th Laird of Gight threw his jewels in there when the castle was sacked by the Covenanters. The poor diver who was sent down to retrieve them floated back up to the top in four pieces. There is a more involved version of this story here, featuring the devil. We did not go in.

The walk back along the river was pleasant, if a bit boggy, with glimpses of the Castle up on the hill.

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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

See the press release here

Read the article New Novel Highlights Roman History in North East from Grampian Online.

THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR

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

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 proper derring-dos on the high seas… and there’s chocolate!

See the publisher’s Press Release here

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Review from the Historical Novel Society

Writer’s Tip Jar

February 21, 2025February 21, 2025

Writing Fiercely Bonded Chosen Sisters

Aesthetic for the new book from Ailish Sinclair: Sisters at the Edge of the World. Writing. — Aesthetic for the book

This is an older post, written in early 2022: Work on the new book is forging ahead nicely. I’m writing, writing, writing. The aim is for it to be released this summer, but that may be subject to change.

Update

The book released on the 21st of September 2022.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

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

Sisters at the Edge of the World by Ailish Sinclair. Writing.

Thank You for the Writing Advice

Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts on publishing options. My publisher, too, gave me lots of wonderful advice and information, and while they would have been willing to look at the manuscript, despite its shortness and strangeness, I am choosing to self-publish this novel.

Thanks also to everyone who has donated through Kofi. With traditional publishing, there is no cost to the author (remember that, don’t be taken in by vanity presses posing as traditional pubs; there’s a lot of them about), but this time I’ll be paying for everything myself, so thank you so much!

Being ill, having chronic conditions and facing my own mortality have made me want to experience things while I can. And if those things can be accomplished sitting at my desk, all the easier. So, it’ll be an adventure! That’s how I’m thinking of it anyway…

Aspects of the book

The main characters are fiercely bonded chosen sisters. Can their bond survive betrayal and perhaps even death? (Already attempting to write the blurb here).
The story is set in the 1st century CE and features the battle of Mons Graupius between the Roman invaders and the Caledonian tribes.
There’s romance, but it’s rather complicated romance this time.
The stone circle is still there in all its glory.
The castle is not, obviously, but there is a great round house where it will be one day. And a wee hoosie in the woods.

sunshine and frost in the woods. A writing day. — Sunshine and frost in the woods

Edit in: and now it has a cover!

SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD cover - writing

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The traditionally published books

FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE was inspired by the 18th century kidnapped children of Aberdeen.

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

Paperbacks and kindle: Amazon UK or Amazon Worldwide

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

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