Alex Mackenzie was born in 1754 in the Scottish lowlands on the border between Scotland and England. Alex, his father, and his two older brothers were members of the last band of Reivers (outlaws) that operated along the border. A few years before the start of the American Revolutionary War, Alex ran afoul of the British authorities. His only alternative was to leave Scotland for America.Alex Mackenzie was a Scottish lad born in 1754 in the Scottish lowlands on the border between Scotland and England. Alex, his father, and his two older brothers were members of the last band of Reivers (outlaws) that operated along the border. A few years before the start of the American Revolutionary War, Alex ran afoul of the British authorities; they were on his trail and wanted him dead. His only alternative was to leave Scotland for Ireland and then from there to sail to America. The colonies in America were supposed to be a place where people could get a new start in life and explore new opportunities. America was supposed to be a place where people could put down stakes and put old feuds behind them, or was it?“Och, that tears it; it’s all gang agley” said Alex’s father. “Ye are going to hae to set aff from Scotland for a wee bit, Alex, laddie.”“Where should I go?”“Ireland,” said John. “Ye can find wark at the Plantation of Ulster and get back on yer feet there. Ye might hae t’ stay in Ireland quite a spell until this all blows oer.”“How am I going to get there?”“Weel,” Hugh chimed in, “the distance from Scotland to Ireland is less than fourteen miles at the closest point, we can probably swim o’er there, just like swimming across a loch,” said Hugh with a grin and a gleam in his eye.“We,” said Alex. “Who invited you along?”“Ye don’t think Robber and I would let ye go o’er the Sheuch alane, do ye, laddie?” replied Hugh. Views: 781
Spanning the five decades since they were built up out of the cabbage fields, This Road is Red is a novel about the thousands of residents who have lived there. Each of their lives are linked to another by a character, an incident or
a place with lives overlapping and connecting in a mixture of drama and domesticity. There is a fire, a suicide, a birth, a
marriage, a death and a near-death. A couple of ghosts, several fights, a handful of jellies and an overdose.
The book is a record of how the events of the last five decades have impacted on a community. Views: 63
What lurks behind the magic mirrors? How are they connected to the missing Sultan's Crown and what secrets does the mysterious Black Tower hold? From an Edinburgh literally cloaked in tartan, through the forbidding Highland hills, Neil and Clara set out on a perilous journey of winged horses and snow witches — and a reluctant broomstick. Anne Forbes was born in Edinburgh and divides her time between Scotland and Kuwait. The Wings of Ruksh is her second novel. Views: 63
A death. A new house. A new school. And hoardes of witches with evil intentions ... When Clara inherits a magical silver talisman from her aunt, she and her brother Neil are drawn into a more perilous and nail-biting adventure than ever before. As they adapt to life in a new school, can they protect the talisman from the Earth, Wind and Snow Witches who are desperate to find it and misuse its power? The fifth thrilling book in the Dragonfire series. Views: 50
What could possibly send NASA scientists scurrying to a sleepy glen in the Scottish Highlands? Firestar, the heart of all magic, is under attack by a hidden enemy, and both the human and magical worlds are shaken to the core. As hobgoblins strive to outwit the world's top scientists, the Lords of the North try to protect Firestar. Can Neil, Clara and Lewis help to uncover the real menace and save their magical friends? The fourth fantastic adventure in the Dragonfire series. Views: 41
A darkly comic debut novel about advertising, truth, single malt, Scottish hospitality--or lack thereof--and George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. Ray Welter, who was until recently a high-flying advertising executive in Chicago, has left the world of newspeak behind. He decamps to the isolated Scottish Isle of Jura in order to spend a few months in the cottage where George Orwell wrote most of his seminal novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four. Ray is miserable, and quite prepared to make his troubles go away with the help of copious quantities of excellent scotch. But a few of the local islanders take a decidedly shallow view of a foreigner coming to visit in order to sort himself out, and Ray quickly finds himself having to deal with not only his own issues but also a community whose eccentricities are at times amusing and at others downright dangerous. Also, the locals believe--or claim to believe--that there's a werewolf about, and against his... Views: 39
On the eve of his return to Scotland, Lewis Grant is dared to spend the night at the haunted desert oasis of Al Antara. But things don't go according to plan and on Lewis' subsequent arrival in Edinburgh, strange things start to happen. Set against the spooky backdrop of Mary King's Close, Neil and Clara MacLean find themselves embroiled with the enigmatic Lewis, frightened ghosts, reckless bank robbers and a very cranky djinn. Enjoy a third outing for the MacArthurs and their dragon, as monsters and mayhem return in a breathtaking tale of magic and nightmare. Views: 39
A powerful magician. A magic sword. And a valley full of dragons ... Evil magician Lord Jezail has unearthed the terrible sword, Dragonslayer, from the depths of Edinburgh Castle, where it has lain buried for centuries. But the sword has its own agenda — to seek out and slay dragons. Ensnared by its magic, Lord Jezail sets out to kill Arthur, the wonderful red dragon who lives under Arthur's Seat, and attack the fabled Valley of the Dragons. As the World of Magic finds itself on the brink of war, human children Neil and Clara join forces with witches, wolf people and magicians to stop Lord Jezail, the Dragon Seeker. Can friends and enemies unite to save their world from destruction? Views: 28
Clara and Neil have always known the MacArthurs, the little people who live under Arthur's Seat, in Holyrood Park, but they are not quite prepared for what else is living under the hill. Feuding faery lords, missing whisky, magic carpets, firestones and ancient spells ... where will it end? And how did it all start? Set against the backdrop of the Edinburgh Fringe and Military Tattoo this is a fast-paced comic adventure, full of magic, mayhem and mystery ... and a dragon. Views: 27
'A fine book which is highly recommended' - DalriadaAll over the world traditional tales were told at the fireside until their place came to be taken by books, newspapers, radio and television. A.J. Bruford and D.A. MacDonald present an entertaining collection of the oral tales that have been passed down by generations of Scottish story-tellers, and have been recorded and collected by researchers from the School of Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh over the past fifty years.Taken from a variety of sources, from the Hebridean Gaelic tradition to recordings of Lowland cairds (travelling people), some are well-known tales which have equivalents in other cultures and languages, whilst others are unique to Scotland. Each of the selected tales, in Scottish Traditional Tales>/i>, gives an insight into how Scottish culture, tradition, teachings and folk-lore were passed on through the medium of story-telling, and with almost a hundred tales is the most... Views: 25
Archie has lived on a small island off the Scottish coast his entire life. After decades without a job and without a break from his selfish wife, Archie packs his bag and leaves to find the hole where the North Wind originates, as the old stories claim. He meets many strange and wonderful characters along the way, including the beautiful deaf Jewel, Yukon Joe and Sergio the expert potato-peeler. Seeking to find his way in the world, and driven by the ancient stories he grew up with on the island, Archie faces many dangers in his quest for knowledge. Views: 7
I loved her from the moment I saw her, and that love has never wavered. It has encased every choice I have ever made, and I have never done anything in my life which didn't involve her image somewhere... I'm so sorry for it allThis is the latest English-language novel from award-winning Gaelic poet, novelist, journalist, broadcaster and actor, Angus Peter Campbell, and the first to be published simultaneously in Gaelic and English.Vividly evoked Scottish tale of chance encounters and of family memories, regret, love and loss.Combines myth, music and linguistics to recount the memory of a hazy summer's day on the Isle of Mull. Views: 7
