Fierce Romance: Scottish Highlands

Showing posts with label Scottish Highlands. Show all posts

An Awesome Review for My Brave Highlander

I loved the new review I received for My Brave Highlander audio book from BookTalk with Eileen!

Review: This author has a way with words, whether they be the inner dialog of the characters or actual dialog, she is simply one of the best. From Lady Isobel’s escape into a snow storm with a broken finger and little provisions, to happening upon Dirk MacKay and Rebbie when Lady Isobel and her maid were half-frozen, to meeting Dirk’s clan, brothers and step-mother when all thought him dead, to treachery immediate at hand, what a fantastic adventure! With hand clutching my throat the listen captured my Scottish heart.

But how to escape the treachery of Nolan? Would her betrothed, Laird Toran McCloud, not see she could no longer marry him and live under the same roof as his licentious brother? Would Cyrus, Isobel’s brother, insist she return to her betrothed?Lady Isobel was daring, brave, gusty and still a virgin after her widowhood. Her choice was Dirk MacKay whom she found was all goodness.

Dirk wanted to return to his sick father, after 12 long years away having received a missive from the only man who knew him alive, his uncle. Would his Da still be alive when he returned? Would his Da understand why he had to fake his death when dead he surely would have been if he stayed?

Dirk’s step mother, had two faces, one for her sons and the other for her stepson. She had always hated him and was outraged he was not dead. How would she get what she wanted now?

This story is one I easily could listen to again. Dave Gillies has wonderful storytellingability with the versatility of his voice, portraying very clearly the emotional mindset of the characters.

Who are characters memorable to me other than Dirk and Isobel? Rebbie, Dirks best friend who wouldn’t let him take the journey north alone; Haldane, youngest brother to Dirk, twisted by his step-mother’s desires; gifted Aiden, brother to Dirk, who remembered his brother, only wanted to do what is right and honorable; Myra, Dirks step-mother with a blackened heart, who could act so ruthlessly for her sons and what she thought was best for them.

Author Sinclair has woven a wonderfully adventurous story with honorable and upright highlanders who are the perfect heroes. She never disappoints me as I work through The Highland Adventures.

Thank you, Eileen!!

Here is a sample of the audiobook:

Blurb: Battle-hardened warrior Dirk MacLerie isn’t who everyone thinks he is. He’s Dirk MacKay, heir apparent to the MacKay chiefdom and Dunnakeil Castle on the far north coast of Scotland. When he returns home after a long absence, will his clan know him, and will the duplicitous enemy that tried to murder him 12 years ago kill him in truth this time?

Lady Isobel MacKenzie is a beautiful, young widow betrothed to yet another highland chief by her brother’s order. But when her future brother-in-law accosts her and threatens to kill her, she is forced to flee into a highland snowstorm. When she runs into a rugged, imposing man she thought dead, she wonders whether he will turn her over to her enemy or take her to safety.

Dirk remembers the enchanting, dark-eyed Isobel from when he was a lad, but now she is bound to another man by legal contract, an important detail she would prefer to forget. She wishes to choose her own husband and has her sights set on Dirk. But he would never steal another man’s bride, would he? The tantalizing lady fires up his passions, testing his willpower and honor at every turn, even as some of his own treacherous clansmen plot his downfall.

My Brave Highlander is available at Audible, Amazon and iTunes.
Thanks!
Vonda

Vonda Sinclair

The USA Today bestselling author of award-winning Scottish historical romance. Her favorite pastime is exploring Scotland, and taking photos along the way. She also enjoys creating hot, Highland heroes and spirited lasses to drive them mad. She lives in the mountains of North Carolina where she is crafting another Scottish story. Please visit her website at www.vondasinclair.com

Cover Reveal for My Wild Highlander Audiobook

Here is the new audiobook cover for My Wild Highlander. What do you think? I wanted it to be another version of the original cover. The audiobook should be released in a week or two. It's finished and I really enjoyed listening to it. I hope you will too! It will be available at Audible, Amazon and iTunes.

Lady Angelique Drummagan, a half-Scottish, half-French countess, has suffered much pain and betrayal in her past. She wants nothing to do with the sensual Scottish warrior that the king has ordered her to marry because the rogue could never be a faithful husband, but she has little choice in the matter. Dangerous, greedy enemies threaten her from all sides and she’s in dire need of his protection.

Sir Lachlan MacGrath, known as Seducer of the Highlands, possesses a charming wickedness and canny wit which has earned him much popularity. After the king decrees that he wed the fiery hellion, Lachlan discovers there is one woman who can resist him—Angelique. Can he break through her icy façade and melt her heart, or will the dark secrets lurking in her past not only cost them their future together, but their very lives?

Thanks!
Happy New Year!
Vonda

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Iona Nunnery

I did posts about Iona Abbey Part 1 and Part 2 in previous weeks. Today I'm covering the nearby nunnery.

The church.

The Augustinian nunnery on Iona was founded around the year 1200 by Ranald, Lord of the Isles. Even though it is a ruin, it is still one of the best preserved nunneries in Britain.

North Chapel exterior with its Irish style, triangular-headed window.

Click to enlarge.

It is believed that Iona's first nuns came from Ireland where Augustinian houses were customary.

The arcade in the nave of the church (above) was probably blocked up during renovations in the 1400s. It is believed that the nunnery was enlarged at this time. The west range of the cloister is completely gone and a road now runs through this area.

Refectory

The south range is the best preserved. It contained a large refectory (above) where the nuns ate meals.

North Chapel, the only intact part of the church.

Interior of chapel.

The rib-vaulted ceiling in the small chapel at the north-east of the nunnery church.

Old door in the chapel. Notice the various types of masonry around it.

The nunnery was laid out around a square cloister with the church along the north side and the other domestic buildings along the other sides.

What remains of the Cloister.

The church was constructed in the 1200s. It has hardly been changed from its original design. The north chapel has an Irish-style triangular-headed window and a rib-vaulted ceiling. This is the only intact part of the church. The chancel also had a rib-vaulted ceiling, a rare feature in West Highland medieval architecture.

St. Ronan's Church

Click to enlarge.

Peering through the window at the treasures locked within St. Ronan's Church.

Window of St. Ronan's Church.

Thanks for taking the tour of the Iona Nunnery with me!
Vonda

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Coming soon!

I'm glad to have the cover of the French edition of My Wild Highlander (second in the series). The title has become Le Guerrier Indomptable (directly translated as The Indomitable Warrior.) It will be released in January in France and French-speaking parts of Europe. The first book in the series released last Friday. I love the cover and I'm glad they included Eilean Donan Castle on it. :)

The Kissing the Highlander anthology will contain five novellas set in different historical time periods, from medieval times through the 1600s. Standing stone circles feature in each novella. I'm happy to be a part of this anthology with these great authors and friends. My story is titled My Captive Highlander. It will be released in February.

Vonda Sinclair

Iona Abbey Part 2

Above you can see St. Columba's Shrine just behind the St. John's cross replica.

This is a continuation of a post I did two weeks ago. You can see part one by clicking here.

St. Columba traveled from Ireland and founded an important monastery on Iona in 563 AD.

St. Columba was born in 521 or 522 as Crimthann, a child of the powerful Ui Neill family in northern Ireland where they were overlords. They were dominant in what is now County Donegal. Columba or Colum Cille ('Dove of the Church') was fostered by a priest and seemed destined for the church. In the 540s he studied at Leinster and under Uinniau (Finnian) at Moville or Clonard. No one really knows why Columba left Ireland in 563 though there are many legends, theories and stories. Some say he was unjustly excommunicated. Others say some of his writings were contraversal. While another story says he took sides in a battle between two branches of the Ui Neill. Anyway, he went to Iona and founded the monastery, one of many. He also founded them at Hinba, Mag Luinge on Tiree and Durrow in Ireland.

Columba did not come primarily to convert a pagan population because the Argyll area was already Christianized by that time. He acted as a priest who preached to the people and saw to their spiritual needs. He traveled around the different Scottish isles and visited the Picts on the mainland.

Columba's biographer, Adomnan wrote that Columba occupied his time by copying manuscripts, praying or meditating and leading his monks in worship and work.

St. Columba's Shrine.

St. Columba's Shrine

Although only bits of the original building survive, it's likely that this small chapel was the main focus of pilgrimage for centuries. Most of the building standing today is from the 1962 restoration. The lowest levels of stonework are original and date from the 800s or 900s. The building was an oratory or chapel built to an Irish design. Tradition says that St. Columba is buried here, but no evidence has been found to support this.

Click to enlarge.

Interior of St. Columba's Shrine.

Well in front of the shrine.

Cradle of the North Wind.

View alongside the abbey.

The Cloister

A cloister is a central court around which monastic communities in western Europe organized their domestic quarters. The covered walkways linked the church with the domestic buildings but they also served as a place for quiet contemplation and as a processional route.

Many of the fragments from the original cloister remain but most of the work seen here is modern and was created in 1958 - 59. Some of them contain leaf and bird designs.

Two of the above column pairs look as if they might be original. They look older than the rest.

The cloister was originally laid out in the 1200s but underwent changes in the 1400s. The restoration in the 1950s followed the original 1200s plan. Most of the buildings around the cloister date to the reconstruction. The sculpture in the center of the cloister is called 'Descent of the Spirit' and is by Jacques Lipchitz.

The Cloister

This beautiful place was mostly reconstructed and brought back from ruin, but the arcaded walkways around the central garden appear as they did during the days of the Benedictine abbey, except back then they would've been decorated with bright colors. Several West Highland graveslabs are on display here around the cloister.

Grave Slabs in the arcaded walkways of the Cloister.

The abbey contains over a hundred whole and fragmented grave slabs. This style of carving developed in the West Highlands in the 1300s. These were made to commemorate 'the best men of all the Isles', leading members of the West Highland families including the MacDonalds, MacKinnons, MacLeans and MacLeods. They are decorated with foliage, swords, hunting scenes, galleys (birlinn). Most of these slabs were removed from the nearby burial ground Reilig Odhrain in the mid 1900s and placed here for their safety and conservation. In the mid 1800s, the Duke of Argyll had them all rearranged and moved into rows within iron railings so it was impossible to tell where they had originally been placed anyway.

Detail of a West Highland grave slab showing a galley or birlinn and other beautiful designs.

Detail of grave slab showing a two-handed Highland sword and other designs.

I hope you've enjoyed these glimpses of Iona Abbey.
Thanks!
Vonda

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The French language edition of My Fierce Highlander (Le Guerrier Sauvage) will be released on Dec. 5! I'm excited to hear if French readers enjoy my books. I love the cover! What do you think?

For those who read French, this is the description on the French Amazon site including an awesome endorsement from Jackie Ivie.

Magistral ! Les pages de ce livre se tournent toutes seules. Vonda Sinclair a une plume remarquable et un sacré talent de conteuse. » Jackie Ivie, auteure de « La Dame et le chevalier ». (Translates as: Masterly! The pages of this book are turning themselves. Vonda Sinclair has a remarkable pen and a sacred talented storyteller.)

(Thank you, Jackie Ivie!!)

Écosse, XVIIe siècle. Gwyneth est anglaise. Bannie du royaume par son père, elle est condamnée à mener une existence austère dans les Highlands. Elle tente de mettre son fils à l abri de la guerre qui déchire deux clans : celui auquel elle est liée, les MacIrwins et leurs ennemis, les MacGrath. Après une bataille sanglante, elle sauve la vie à un guerrier blessé du clan ennemi et ne tarde pas à tomber sous son charme. Si les siens découvrent la trahison, elle s expose à une vengeance sans précédent.

The English language Kindle version is only .99 cents!!

Gwyneth Carswell, an English lady banished by her father to the harsh Scottish Highlands, wants nothing more than to take her young son away from the violence of two fighting clans--her own distant kin, the MacIrwins, and their enemies, the MacGraths. She risks everything to rescue the fierce MacGrath warrior from the battlefield where he’s left for dead by her clan. She only knows she is inexplicably drawn to him and he wants peace as she does. When her clan learns of her betrayal, they seek vengeance. Dare she trust the enemy more than her own family?

Laird Alasdair MacGrath is driven to end two-hundred years of feuding with the MacIrwins. But by taking in and protecting Lady Gwyneth and her son, he provokes more attacks from his mortal enemy. As the danger and conflict surrounding them escalate, Alasdair and Gwyneth discover an explosive passion neither of them expected. With the arrival of a powerful man from her past, a horrible decision confronts her--give up her son or the man she loves.

Available at Amazon and all other online booksellers.

Vonda Sinclair

Aileach, the Galley

While visiting Dunollie near Oban, Scotland, we happened upon this fascinating galley between the house and castle. Since I've included galleys in many of my stories I wanted to learn all I could about it. One of the men who'd sailed it was there and I asked several questions.

The Lord of the Isles Galley, Aileach, Designed by Colin Mudie. Built in 1991 by James McDonald & Sons
Length 40 ft
Beam 10 ft
Draught 2 ft
Weight 3.5 Tonnes

The galleys, called bìrlinn in Scottish Gaelic, were clinker built, in which the edges of hull planks overlap. Galleys were moved through the water by oars and sails. Hundreds of years ago, this was the main mode of transportation in and around the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

There is a dispute between historians about the origins of the West Highland birlinn. Some say they are descended from the Viking longships, while others have found archeological evidence that the Celtic birlinn existed from BC times and was developed long before Viking invasions of Scotland. In fact, some say the Viking longships originally had no sail but they later added one based on the Celtic birlinn design.

The first recorded battle in the North Atlantic occurred in the English Channel in 56 BC between Julius Caesar's Roman force and the Veneti of Celtic Brittany. It was recorded that the Veneti birlinn had high prows and sterns to handle huge waves and flatter keels to navigate into shallow waters where Roman galleys couldn't go. They were made of oak and had leather sails. Celtic birlinn were designed and built specifically for sailing on the Atlantic. They were also very tough and resistant to ramming during battle. Ramming was a standard Roman practice for sinking other vessels during war, but the Celtic galleys were so strong many of the Roman vessels sank instead after the ramming attempts.

Somerled (Somhairlidh) forefather of the MacDonalds, MacDougalls and other clans is said to have invented the central fixed rudder for the West Highland birlinn. This was considered a major innovation.

Two or three men manned each oar of a small galley and they could transport three or four dozen warriors quickly to battle. A larger galley could transport a hundred or more men.

Gaelic seafarers sang rowing songs as they rowed. The "mouth music" or puirt-a-beul created a strong beat and a rhythm for the men rowing in unison. The people also sang this type of music when doing other rhythmic group tasks such as using hand mill stones to grind grain and while waulking wool. Listen to one of the songs here.

Here is an article written during the time we visited Dunollie in July 2013 and saw the Aileach.

Thanks for checking out my post.
Vonda
www.vondasinclair.com

My Notorious Highlander: Chief Torrin MacLeod vows to possess and wed the spirited lady who stole his heart the previous winter. But Lady Jessie MacKay wants naught to do with the dangerous warrior, no matter how devilishly handsome and charming he is. When Torrin arrives unexpectedly at Jessie's home, along with Gregor MacBain, a man Jessie was formerly handfasted to, she is thrown off-kilter. She never wanted to see either man again, but now they are vying for her hand. Torrin promises to protect her from the devious MacBain, but how can she trust Torrin when she has witnessed how lethal he is?

The more time Torrin spends with the strong and independent Jessie, the more determined he is to win her heart. Once she allows him a kiss, he feels her passion flame as hot as his own. After she knows Torrin better, Jessie finds herself falling for the fearsome Highlander. But the odds are stacked against them. The sinister MacBain is bent on kidnapping Jessie, making her his bride and killing Torrin, while Jessie's conniving younger brother, Haldane, is determined to use Jessie to take over the castle in his older brother's absence. Jessie fears she can never be with the man she loves, while Torrin will do everything in his power to ensure they are together forever. In his heart, she is the only lady for him.

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Calda House on Loch Assynt

Last time, I did a post about Ardvreck Castle on Loch Assynt in Sutherland, Scotland. Now I want to show you photos of Calda house, next door.

On our first visit to Ardvreck Castle, we didn't get to see much of Calda House because of the rain. But this time we walked all around Calda and even inside it.

Ardvreck Castle

Calda House

Kenneth MacKenzie II of Assynt had Calda House built in 1726 for his wife, Frances. She didn't enjoy living in Ardvreck Castle. No doubt the castle, which was hundreds of years old by that point, was cold and drafty and without many comforts.

When the house was built, it was the most modern in the north-west Highlands. As you can see from the photos, it has an M-gabled roof and what's known as a double-pile plan. Many of the MacKenzie lairds' homes in Wester Ross were later built with similar architecture. Each of the three floors contained six rooms. On the ground floor these were the hall, parlour, dining room, kitchen, pantry/scullery, and servants hall. The upper floors contained bedrooms.

Unfortunately, the MacKenzies had a massive amount of debt because they'd supported the Royalist cause. They actually could not afford the extravagant house when it was built. After ten years, the family was in financial ruin. Two men wanted to buy the house and Assynt from Kenneth. One was the Earl of Sutherland and the other was the MacKenzie Earl of Seaforth. Sutherland won and purchased the property. But the MacKenzies of Assynt and the Sutherlands had been enemies for many years. MacKenzie supporters looted and burned the house on May 12^th 1737. They vowed no Sutherland would ever live there. They reportedly did some other damage in the surrounding area on their spree of violence before slipping undetected from the area. And this is said to be the last instance of vengeful clannish feuding in Sutherland.

interior

How sad, and what a waste, that such a nice house was only lived in for approximately ten years.

Sometime around the 1780s, many of the home's remaining stones were broken apart and taken by boat to build the first parochial schoolhouse at Kirkton (Inchnadamph). Below are artist drawings of what the house must have been like. These signs were on the property.