Behind the Scenes of Beyond The Heather

This book began as I stood on the shores of Mallaig, looking across to the Isle of Skye. Driving through the Highlands was making my creative senses sparkle and having this time, on a relatively quiet day, meant that I was able to start drafting the characters.

You cannot get far into the Highlands without hearing about the Jacobites. I knew nothing much about them until this trip. But standing on that shoreline, I was fairly certain that I wanted to use Prince Charles Stuart's attempt to claim the throne as the backdrop for my story. Looking across at the Isle of Skye, humming The Skye Boat Song, and hearing the whistle of the Jacobite Express were all pointing me in this direction.

Standing on the shores of Mallaig

A visit to the monument at Glenfinnan was a start to my research and after two history books had been purchased (because writing a book means reading several to get immersed in a time and place) I was ready to dive into the world of the 1745 Jacobite rising.

The Glenfinnan Monument

A further visit to Culloden was as stark and as inspiring as the shores of Mallaig. Standing on the ground where that tragic battle took place was at once harrowing and emotional.

Map of the Culloden Battlefield

Having soaked in the places, I then spent a several weeks soaking up the history by reading the books I'd bought, reading other novels by other authors written in that same time frame, and trawling the internet to check other facts. The latter also revealed an website where you can start an online chat with Prince Charles Stuart himself (thanks to AI).

There was one last string to my bow that I wanted to try before launching into writing. That was the language. Scots Gaelic was something I knew nothing about before this trip but became aware of it whilst travelling around the Highlands. It seemed only fair that as I was crafting Highland characters that they should have a chance to speak in their native tongue. So I began to learn it! Languages have never been easy for me in the past but with the catalyst and motivation of learning this for a creative project, I found it very easy to start. I am still learning it now nearly a year later and intend to keep learning, even though the book is ready to be released.

Then began the writing process. I had played with different ideas for a while, sketching ideas in my writing notebook, scribbling plot arcs and chatting things through with my husband. He has learnt the skill of listening and nodding in the right places! But this time he also gave a suggestion of the three key characters, of which I am very thankful.

Sometimes a book takes a while to come to mind, But this one nearly wrote itself. With a mixture of determination, more available time and by keeping myself immersed in the history and spirit of those Scottish places, I was able to write the book in a matter of months. Then began the lengthy editing process.

These more tedious, and sometimes frustrating parts of writing can be harder to get through. I have learnt that keeping the spirit of the book alive in my mind is the way to keep motivated. Living so far away from Scotland meant that a quick visit wasn't possible to get the creative juices flowing, so I had to think outside the box. So I learnt some Scottish folk songs on the piano, read other books set in Scotland, and even celebrated Burns Night with traditional food!

Haggis, neeps and tatties

Cranachan

Writing a book becomes a way of life until it is born. I hope you enjoy reading Beyond the Heather but above all I hope that by reading it, you start your own adventure to the Highlands that I fell in love with.