Prancing Up the Pirate Steps

pirate steps
pirate steps

I prance up the pirate steps, and I dance down the other side.

smugglers steps

Pirate Steps

Folklore tells us that pirates and smugglers were not permitted to pass through the gates of a kirkyard, but they were allowed to attend church, hence the special stairway.

These particular steps are located in the surrounding wall of St. Mary’s Chapel in Rattray, Aberdeenshire. The chapel is one of the oldest structures still standing in the area, and it’s rather beautiful.

St. Mary's Chapel, Rattray, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

I ran up and down similar steps at Kildaton on Islay but, sadly, I do not have any photos of them.

Rattray steps and gate:

Pirate steps at Rattray

TikTok Fun

In other news, my current medication is keeping me up at night. It’s rather like living in several different time zones at once. I’ve been amusing myself by playing on TikTok and YouTube.

Naughty Contemporary Fiction

A Dancer's Journey Series by Ailish Sinclair

Scotland’s all misty lochs and magical forests and perfect boyfriends, right?

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…

My dance background and love of history and spicy stories are what inspired this dark mix of contemporary romance and ballet set in a castle. Readers of my historical fiction will recognise the castle and stone circle that feature in these books.

A Dancer’s Journey is available in paperback, Kindle and on Kindle Unlimited.

There are no cliffhanger endings in this series; each book completes a story, but then there is more. So much more. Read all the blurbs here

Historical Fiction

Historical Fiction by Ailish Sinclair

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

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

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Amazon Worldwide

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A celebratory dance in a stone circle. Ballet foot en pointe.

Read all about little old me here!

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Walking the Dunes

walking the dunes
Here we go: walking the dunes.

Walking the dunes. Here we go.

walking the dunes

Despite the grasses, standing among the hilly dunes feels a little like being in a lunar landscape. It’s so different from the sandy beach below.

walking the dunes: looking to the sea

Looking through to the sea, and then heading on up to Tiger Hill, the largest sand dune at Fraserburgh.

Tiger Hill

Fireflies and Chocolate

Fireflies and Chocolate by Ailish Sinclair

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.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

Signed copies from me

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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… 

The Performance, a short story by Ailish Sinclair. Get it free for newsletter sign-up.

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Unfurling Ferns, Marsh Marigolds and a Dragon

unfurling ferns

Spring moves on. The woods are full of unfurling ferns. I love the look of them at this stage. They’re like poised fairy-tale creatures waiting to strike.

The pond is full of tadpoles and marsh marigolds. No poising. No striking.

marsh marigolds and unfurling ferns

And here’s the dragon from Castle Fraser again. Just because.

dragon - unfurling ferns

Signed Paperbacks in the Shop

Historical Fiction from Ailish Sinclair. Witches, kidnapping, Romans and romance.

I don’t often mention these – mainly due to the fact that I have to take them down when I’m ill as it’s too difficult – but all my books are there in paperback. There’s discounts when you buy a whole series or all three historicals. Unfortunately, it is very expensive to post books outside of the UK, but there are signed bookmarks too.

See the shop here

And, of course, they’re all on 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… 

The Performance, a short story by Ailish Sinclair. Get it free for newsletter sign-up.

New Books and Special Offers

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See my About Page here

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Iron Age to the Jurassic

cave at Cullykhan: iron age fort nearby
Cave at Cullykhan

Iron Age

For this small time-travelling post, we start at beautiful Cullykhan Bay, once the site of an Iron Age Fort. The fort features in SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, as does a slightly adjusted version of the cave in the photo above (also, see video below).

The Iron Age is generally thought to have ended in 43 CE in Britain when the Romans arrived. That happened a little later up here in Northern Scotland.

The cave known as the Deil’s Lum or Hell’s Chimney

Sound on to hear the seagulls as I walk up into the cave.

@ailishsinclair

Climbing to the Deil’s Lum at Cullykhan Bay. This cave features in my upcoming book SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD. #booktok #ukbooktok #caves #scotland #aberdeenshire

♬ original sound – Ailish Sinclair

The Jurassic

Now we’re looking for squirrels in Aden Park.

We find dinosaurs.

Iron Age to the Jurassic: dinosaur
Behind a yew tree.
Iron Age to the Jurassic: dinosaur in a window
In the Mansion House window.
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park

And back to the Iron Age:

Sisters at the Edge of the World by Ailish Sinclair. Set in the Iron Age.

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

Signed paperbacks from me

“Ethereal and spellbinding…” Historical Novel Society

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… 

The Performance, a short story by Ailish Sinclair. Get it free for newsletter sign-up.

New Books and Special Offers

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

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See my About Page here

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The Red Well by Whitehills in Aberdeenshire

the red well and the sea
the red well near Whitehills in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

The Red Well

The Red Well by Whitehills is protected by an unusual building. On the autumn equinox, at sunrise, a beam of light shines through the doorway of this beehive-shaped shelter and illuminates the well within. This happens on the spring equinox too. The well, and the building, are said to date from Roman times.

the red well by whitehills

A Witch’s Hoosie

the red well by Whitehills

When I was a small child, I lived with my grandparents in Whitehills for a while. One day, playing with my cousins, I was locked in that building to see if the witch would get me. The place was referred to as the ‘witch’s hoosie’ back then, by children at least. There were scary stories of an old lady witch ghost. I was quite interested to see if she would show up. She didn’t, and I was eventually freed, my lack of fear having disappointed my companions somewhat.

The door is kept locked now.

Since then, I’ve always viewed the well as rather a magical place, and keenly look out for the quick glimpse of it in the landscape that you get when driving along the main Banff to Portsoy road.

thistles by the well
Thistles by the well

It’s in a particularly beautiful spot, the Red Well. The town of Banff can just be seen in the distance below.

the red well by the sea

A Book Set in Roman Times

I included the Red Well in SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD.

Sisters at the Edge of the World by Ailish Sinclair

It was seven years in the making, this book. Both the novel and I went through a lot as the story developed: severe editing, hospitalisations, deleting, pain, rewriting, crying and being monstrous.

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

Paperback and Kindle:

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

It’s on Kindle Unlimited too so can be read for free (there’s a 30 day free trial).

sisters at the edge of the world

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Ailish Sinclair in a tree...

Read all about little old me here

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A Tentative Tiptoe Round Duffus Castle

Duffus Castle - Ailish Sinclair, author

Duffus Castle looms, majestic and huge against the skyline as you approach. It’s imposing and impressive… dramatic too…

Duffus Castle silhouetted against the sun

Duffus Castle at Easter

On the day I visited – Easter Sunday – it was busy, really busy, and the air contained a mysterious hint of sulphur. This medieval fortress of the Moray family, one of Scotland’s most beautiful motte and bailey castles, had become a giant playground for the seasonal pastime of ‘egg rolling’.

The castle ramparts

They’re Not Daisies

You see those white bits in the grass in the photo above that look like daisies? Not daisies. Everywhere, the ground was strewn with smashed boiled eggs, as people, both old and young, hurled them with great gusto from the top of the ramparts.

I recall rolling eggs sedately down a gentle slope on Easter Sunday when I was a child. Then, once your egg was cracked, you peeled and ate it, despite the fact that the colour from your decorating efforts had soaked through the porous shell and onto the egg white.

No one was eating their eggs at Duffus Castle. The goal was definitely to throw them as far as possible. A bit like shot put. Or the Scottish sport of tossing the caber. And you know what? It wasn’t entirely unfitting. There was something medieval and combative about it. Risk was in the air and on the ground; you could be hit by, or step on, an eggy missile at any moment.

View of Duffus Castle from the moat

Down on the Moat Path

It was quieter on the moat-side walk, though one or two eggs had somehow found their way down there too. The path offered some of the prettiest views of the castle and the remains of its walls.

wall at Duffus Castle - Ailish Sinclair, author

I tiptoed round shells, yolks and egg whites, inside the old keep too.

The interior of the old keep - Ailish Sinclair, author

The Privy Chamber

As I look at the photo of the fallen privy chamber below, I am actually still thinking about the eggs. Who cleans them all up? There were large mounds of them, warming in the sun, at the foot of the ramparts. I imagine the circling seagulls swoop down and help themselves once the crowds have gone. But some poor person, presumably a member of Historic Scotland‘s staff, must be stuck with the task of clearing it all away properly? I hope they get given a large Easter egg to make up for it. Or perhaps a chocolate bunny would be less galling…

fallen privy chamber

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SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

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

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

THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR

The Mermaid and the Bear by Ailish Sinclair

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. There’s 6 chapters of medieval Christmas too.

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 by Ailish Sinclair

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

Pretty in Pink

pink polyanthus - pretty in pink

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

pretty in pink - polyanthus

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

flowering currant - pretty in pink

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

FOUETTÉ: Dancing with the Past

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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… 

The Performance, a short story by Ailish Sinclair. Get it free for newsletter sign-up.

New Books and Special Offers

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

About Page

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See my About Page here

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Castle Fraser in Spring

Castle Fraser in Spring
Daffodils blowing in the wind

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.

castle Fraser?

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

dragon at Castle Fraser

There were small spots of colour in the walled garden:

tree trained against a wall

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

Castle Fraser walled garden

Through the trees…

Castle Fraser through the trees

And there it was.

Castle Fraser

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

Castle Fraser courtyard

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

daffodils and holly

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.

Castle Fraser Stone Circle

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

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… 

The Performance, a short story by Ailish Sinclair. Get it free for newsletter sign-up.

New Books and Special Offers

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

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See my About Page here

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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.

inherited a castle - Logie Steading

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…

redwood tree

And gaze at carved squirrels:

carved squirrels - inherited a castle

Front and back.

carved squirrels - inherited a castle

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

book shop at the Logie Steading

The castle is in safe hands. I can relax 🙂

Out Today – Alexander: Dancing With Fire

Alexander: Dancing With Fire

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

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

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… 

The Performance, a short story by Ailish Sinclair. Get it free for newsletter sign-up.

New Books and Special Offers

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

About Page

feet

See my About Page here

Writer’s Tip Jar

Spring is Springing Hard this Year

spring in Scotland

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:

spring - purple stars

And a perfect dusk stroll:

dusk stroll in spring

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

Castle Dancers Series by Ailish Sinclair

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

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… 

The Performance, a short story by Ailish Sinclair. Get it free for newsletter sign-up.

New Books and Special Offers

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

About Page

feet

See my About Page here

Writer’s Tip Jar