ailishsinclair

[ailishsinclair]

Walking the Dunes

Walking the dunes. Here we go. 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. Looking through to the sea, and then heading on up to Tiger Hill, the largest sand dune at Fraserburgh. Fireflies and Chocolate Torn out of an isolated life in a Scottish castle, Elizabeth embarks on a determined quest…

[ailishsinclair]

Unfurling Ferns, Marsh Marigolds and a Dragon

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. And here’s the dragon from Castle Fraser again. Just because. Signed Paperbacks in the Shop I don’t often mention these – mainly due to the fact that I have to take…

[ailishsinclair]

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…

[ailishsinclair]

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. 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…

[ailishsinclair]

When You've Inherited a Castle...

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…

[ailishsinclair]

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…

[ailishsinclair]

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 to…

[ailishsinclair]

Huge Tree, Tiny Flower

Huge Tree I visited one of my favourite trees at the weekend, the twisty beech at Aden Country Park. And there, nestled at its great foot, was a tiny flower, a primrose. Tiny Flower The tree looked particularly glorious last autumn, and here it was, in spring, wearing a tiny flower on its toe. On Past the River Ugie On I went, past other big trees, and the old cattle creep (built for cows to…

[ailishsinclair]

A Path of Stripy Shadows

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…

[ailishsinclair]

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…

[ailishsinclair]

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…

[ailishsinclair]

The Snowdrops and the Mole

Snowdrops and the mole. Sounds like the title of a book I might write. But no, it’s just the state of the garden. The snowdrops are fully out, and the moles have been busy. Their little earthy hills are everywhere in the grass. And coming soon in the garden – I missed them last year due to illness and hospital – there will be crocuses! And coming soon book-wise? Bubbles: Dancing Through…

[ailishsinclair]

Sunshine in the Birch Woods

There’s been sunshine in the birch woods. Well, obviously there’s been sunshine everywhere, but it’s still so low that it doesn’t hit the garden much. It’s in the wild woods that it warms your face and makes long shadows between the trees. Blue Skies in the Birch Woods There’s even been clear skies. I love the gold and blue colours of winter. Green is muted for now, just waiting for the…

[ailishsinclair]

The Snowdrops have Landed!

The snowdrops are here. They’re not fully out yet, but they’re beautiful and brave and full of the promise of spring. There seems to be a lot more of them in the garden this year. Little clumps all over the place. Some of the snowdrops have been slightly nibbled by deer, but they’re still lovely. There’s more of these sweet little flowers to be found in the Candlemas post here Introducing…

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When Writing Gets Intensely Personal

Me at 14, before professional training Writing. It’s always personal really. Parts of the author are there, regardless of subject. But sometimes, when we draw deeply on our own life, intensely personal territory is reached. That has happened with the Castle Dancers series, especially in the first two books. Some of the characters’ experiences are mine. Exactly mine. It’s not enough to call it…

[ailishsinclair]

Still Wintry

It’s still wintry. Well, of course it is. January and February are generally the coldest months up here in Aberdeenshire. The days are short, so walks are often taken under a darkening sky, as in the crunchy scene above. I’m still editing, proofing, editing, It feels like I’m wearing out my eyes… But spring will come! Soon I’ll be posting another annual picture of snowdrops. We’re not quite…

[ailishsinclair]

Walking in the Snowy Woods

That’s not the snowy woods, it’s the garden. but, wow, it’s SO cold! Why is it always a shock? I live in Scotland; I should know… The air is painful to breathe, and I can feel the freezing nature of the ground through my two pairs of socks and big boots. More garden: But then, later in the day, in the actual snowy woods, the sun comes out. It brings no warmth, but it’s beautiful… And I trudge…