ailishsinclair

[ailishsinclair]

A Misty Monday Morning

Marching through the woods. Past the bell heather. Down the hill and through the trees. New Reviews for Castle Dancers I did nothing to get reviews for this series, no ARCS at all. I was prioritising my health this time, as I found the whole ARC thing quite stressful. Organic reviews from lovely readers are trickling in now, though. On X: On Amazon.com/Goodreads: About the Series: Meet…

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Isobel Gowdie: I Shall Go into a Hare

I shall go into a hare,With sorrow and sych and meickle care;And I shall go in the Devil’s name,Ay while I come home again. The quote is part of the extraordinary witchcraft confessions of Isobel Gowdie from 1662. She confessed to shape-shifting, flying, and various activities involving the devil, and it’s said that she offered this information without torture. There’s no record of torture,…

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Lavender's Blue, Dilly Dilly...

Lavender’s blue… Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly, lavender’s green,When I am king, dilly dilly, you shall be queen:Who told you so, dilly dilly, who told you so?‘Twas mine own heart, dilly dilly, that told me so. Current writing research has taken me to the 17th century, and this folk song that has its origins in that time, is in my mind. The older versions are a little earthier… Lavender blue…

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An Elusive Stone Circle and a FREE book!

The elusive stone circle is Loudon Wood. The trees have been felled, but strangely this hasn’t made the site any easier to find. See a previous tree-filled post here You cannot see the stones from the track, so the circle still has to be hunted down. The path is just after a fenced-in bit of scrub land, if you need to know! It remains beautiful and peaceful there. And, as ever, given its…

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The Orange Ball Tree: Buddleia Globosa

The orange ball tree (no giggling at the back) has a very brief flowering season. The globes brown up in days, but they’re quite stunning and the bees love them. The purple buddleia is still out too, making the whole garden smell like honey. FOUETTÉ: Dancing with the Past (book 3 of A Dancer’s Journey) Amalphia Treadwell thinks she’s living her happily ever after. She’s achieved fame, fortune…

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Buddleia and the Bridge

That’s the buddleia with the wee pond bridge in the background. June is fast becoming a time of purple flowers. Geraniums are growing wild in all sorts of places in the garden. This one’s down by the pond: And the wolf’s bane, also known as aconite and monk’s hood, much favoured in tales of magic, is tall and strong. No wolves here 🙂 What happens when the teacher you can’t stand becomes the…

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A Pine Marten and a Pine Forest

Above is a modern standing stone in Culbin Forest. Although pine martens are listed among the wildlife living in this large forest, it’s not where I saw the creature. The Pine Marten The pine marten was spotted several days before I visited the forest, in my own garden. It has been before, and I named it ‘Chris Pine’, a fact my husband had forgotten when I texted him this: They’re quite large…

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Beautiful Trees Seen on a Walk

I’ve spotted so many beautiful trees lately while out walking. Their newly opened leaves draw the eye, all bright and intense and lit up by the sun. Above is a copper beech, and below, copper and green together. Then there was this lovely horse chestnut: I don’t think I’ve ever inspected a horse chestnut flower up close before, but they’re quite stunning. And, back home, the tree peony is in…

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Cherry Blossom and Wellness - the Flowers of May

cherry blossom Cherry Blossom and Geranium I started this little rampage of flower posts with a blossom: apple. I’m ending with cherry. And a geranium. A pink and pretty celebration of summer and wellness. Wellness I used a blue to pink metaphor previously when writing about health. That seems like a really long time ago now. Lots has happened. Time has passed. It’s great being out in the…

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Fire and Elephants - the Flowers of May

fireglow Fire and Elephants by the Pond The first of the fire and elephants is euphorbia fireglow. This stunning red plant remains fiery every year regardless of weeds and weather conditions. I usually misremember its name as euphoria, but that feels quite appropriate. The elephant’s ears bergenia is at the other side of the pond. Lush and lovely, this plant is also a hardy perennial, named…

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Darwin's Barberry - the Flowers of May

Fiery Darwin’s Barberry It’s sprawling. It’s madly overgrown. But I love it. Darwin’s Barberry is a prickly orange shrub in the berberis family. Originating in South America, it was first described by Charles Darwin in 1835 during the voyage of the Beagle. It looks like it’s on fire during late spring and early summer. Walking underneath, through to the rockery: Sisters at the Edge of the…

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Purple Gromwell - the Flowers of May

After the rain in the rockery: purple gromwell Despite being called purple gromwell, this flower is clearly bright blue. It’s a wonderfully medieval name, though, gromwell, isn’t it? I recall mention of the plant in the Cadfael series – books and TV show (affiliate links) – where its presence helps in a murder investigation. Perhaps if I grow enough gromwell in my garden, I can also solve…

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Ivy-leaved Toadflax - the Flowers of May

This ivy-leaved toadflax is growing in a drain at Broadsea just now. It’s a tough little plant, preferring to make its home in rocky, stony places. It was introduced to Britain as a garden flower hundreds of years ago, and was first recorded in the wild in 1640. This lovely toadflax was spread all along the back garden wall of one house I lived in, and I was sad to leave it behind when I moved.…

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Beautiful Bluebells - the Flowers of May

They’re everywhere through the woods, and all over the garden too. Beautiful bluebells. Blue, pink, and sometimes even white. Their heady aroma fills the air as they herald the arrival of summer. My Latest Series 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…

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Hawthorn - the Flowers of May

Hawthorn, according to folklore, is the most likely tree to be inhabited by fairies or the Wee Folk… It flowers in May, mainly in hedgerows and wild places. The scent of hawthorn is wild too, earthy and spicy, calling to mind rites of spring and naughty pixies. It feels like that to me anyway 🙂 An Earthy and Spicy Series video TENDU: Dancing in the Castle – book 1 of A Dancer’s…

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Apple Blossom - the Flowers of May

Apple blossom has such a sweet and delicate scent. It was my Grandmother’s favourite flower, and it always makes me feel happy when it blooms.This particular tree produces small yellow fruits that are waxy and intensely fragrant. Today’s apple blossom is the first in a series of tiny flower-based blog posts. I’ll do them daily for a while. Historical Fiction Video I write unconventional…

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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…