blue mind Archives - Ailish Sinclair

February 7, 2024April 12, 2024

Blue Mind and Bare Feet on Pink Rocks

Blue MInd at New Aberdour Beach in Aberdeenshire

The term ‘blue mind’ describes the mild meditative state that we enter when in or close to natural bodies of water. It was coined by marine biologist Dr. Wallace J. Nichols. He wrote a book on the subject and did a Ted Talk too:

So ‘blue mind’ in mind, and encouraged by my wee trip to Rosehearty Harbour, I ventured out again. Travelling slightly further this time, I arrived at New Aberdour beach where everything was blue, blue, blue…

Blue Mind to Pink Rocks

Feet bare, I sat on the pink rocks and stared out to sea.

I saw stones and pools and pink, lots of pink everywhere.

I used the transition from blue to pink in this post to symbolise levels of pain.

But in this context, the blue of ‘blue mind’ was not pain. It was perfect.

So I stared out over the rock pools.

And breathed in the blue of the sea.

And, hopefully, now, healing comes…

A coastal quote from SISTERS

I am just looking at the soft shapes of land, and the hard shapes of rock, as they drop away into the sea. No in-between places up on top here. No beach, no marsh. Here the space between life and death is painted clear. You could be walking on grass one moment and dead on the rocks the next. This is a place of instant transition from one state to another.

There’s more ‘blue mind’ photos in the older post Going Coastal.

Set in 1st century Northern Scotland, SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD is a story of chosen sisters, fierce warriors, divided loyalties and, ultimately, love. It features a neurodivergent main character, the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes, 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.

About Page

Read about little old me here

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

Writer’s Tip Jar

July 3, 2023July 3, 2023

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

See my About Page here

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 rather just hear about new books and offers, you can follow my Amazon author page.

Writer’s Tip Jar

June 15, 2023October 16, 2023

Crovie: a Historic Village in Aberdeenshire

Clearances

Crovie is an 18th century fishing village in the North-East of Scotland. People first came to live there after having been cleared away from their inland homes to make way for sheep farming.

Today many of the houses are holiday lets, and it’s a scenic place to walk. And take photos.

Oh, yes.

A Crovie Walk

This post details a walk taken in 2015.

See those vans below? Beside the amazing sea? That’s as far up the street as vehicles can go in Crovie:

View from the shore:

The wee postbox:

The coastline is beautiful and dramatic. Light conditions change constantly.

Myself and a friend set off on what was meant to be a 1.5 mile walk.

We got lost.

There was torrential rain.

The approach of the rain:

We walked on and on.

We followed the arrows.

And we found ourselves in a pea field.

The pea field led to a gorge. We retraced our many, many steps, eight miles of steps in the end… but then there was soup and pie and cake and all was very, very well.

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…

Series on Amazon UK

Series on Amazon worldwide

My dance background and love of history and spicy stories are what inspired this heady 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.

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

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, romance, friendship and chocolate.

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

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

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

About Page

See the About Page

Writer’s Tip Jar

August 1, 2022March 18, 2023

Cairnbulg and Inverallochy: Come Awa In!

I took a wee trip to Cairnbulg. And also Inverallochy, as the two fishing villages are joined together. I drove myself, a major milestone in the healing process (see posts about illness here and here).

Cairnbulg Library

The library had some lovely signs up, written in the Doric, the Scots language as spoken in the northeast of Scotland. They were fairly simple, but I will translate under the pictures.

My favourite was the one that separated the adult books from the junior section.

There’s a vaguely Pictish feel to the statue outside the library.

Statue outside Cairnbulg Library. — Statue outside Cairnbulg Library

The Beach

After perusing the books and signs, I drove down to the beach.

Cairnbulg: washing lines — Communal washing line

I had forgotten how beautiful the rugged and rocky nature of the coast at the bottom of the village was.

I just had to walk down onto the beach. Another ‘blue mind‘ moment!

Memorial

The memorial below commemorates all those who have been lost at sea from the community.

Haste Ye Back!

And lastly, probably needing no translation, but I will anyway, Haste Ye Back! To the blog as well as the library…

For more Doric sayings see the post Dancing Round Aberdeen in the Rain

My books, also available at the library!

Set in 1st century Scotland, my latest novel, 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!

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