Roman Aberdeenshire features in author's new book
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A new novel is set during the Roman times in Aberdeenshire and features locations including Bennachie and Cullykhan Bay.
Having explored 16th century Aberdeen witch trials in The Mermaid and the Bear and 18th century child kidnappings in Fireflies and Chocolate, local author Ailish Sinclair has now travelled far back in time to the Iron Age and the Roman invasion of Scotland.
From the provocative opening scene to the later dramatic and devastating events of the story, Sisters at the Edge of the World is a novel that promises to surprise.
Local residents will recognise Bennachie and the stone circles of Aberdeenshire along with the cliffs and caves of Cullykhan Bay.
The main characters are fiercely bonded chosen sisters, one of them neurodiverse.
The story is set in 1st century CE northern Scotland and features the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes.
It follows Morragh who speaks to another person for the very first time and she has no idea that he is an invader in her land.
What she does next constitutes a huge betrayal of her people, threatening her closest relationships and even her way of life itself.
As the conflict between the Caledonian tribes and the Roman Sons of Mars intensifies, it is on Morragh to use her high status in the community to lessen the coming death toll and prevent outright war.
It is a tale of chosen sisters, fierce warriors, divided loyalties and, ultimately, love.
Ailish Sinclair said: "I am so pleased to finally be able to bring this novel to the reading public. There were times when I thought this would never happen, having been diagnosed with two auto-immune disorders during the writing of the book.
"But, at last, after long spells of illness and several hospitalisations, years of research and copious tears, Morragh’s unique and intense story can fly out into the world."
With the completion of this novel Sinclair's next project is a series of three dark contemporary romance novels in the editing stage. They are expected to be released in 2023.
Sinclair trained as a dancer and taught dance for many years, before working in schools to help children with special needs.
A short stint as a housekeeper in a castle fired her already keen interest in untold stories of the past and she sat down to research and write.
She now lives beside a loch with her husband and two children where she writes and dances.
