Category Archives: stone circle

#TellaFairyTaleDay

Today is…

#TellAFairyTaleDay!

Never heard of it before? Well, you can read more about it here. The stories can cover everything from Grimm to urban legends.

Scottish legends, myths, and mystery are found in A Shadow in the Past, so what better time to celebrate it?

Even the cover exudes fairytale mystery. Once upon a time…

#TellAFairyTaleDay
cover by Aidana WillowRaven

Nineteen-year-old Sarah Shand finds herself thrust back into the past. There she struggles to keep her real identity from a society that finds her comments and ideas strange and her speech and actions forward, unlike Victorian women. When Sarah verbally confronts confining social practices, including arranged marriages, powerful enemies commit her to a lunatic asylum. After falling in love with the handsome Laird of Weetshill, Robert Robertson, she must decide whether to find her way back to her own time or to remain in the past with him.

Available from the publisher 4RV Publishing or amazon

And then there’s the sequel … Shadows From Her Past

A cruel twist of fate returns Sarah Shand to her life in the year 2010 where she discovers she is a patient in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and has been for months. Struggling to come to terms with the situation, she insists she belongs in the year 1886 at Weetshill mansion with her husband the Laird, Robert Robertson, and adopted daughter, Jenny. Her family and consultant physician try to convince her she was dreaming or hallucinating but Sarah refuses to believe them.

Robert, who has experienced strange things at the stone circle at Gordonsfield Farm, somehow breaks through the time-space continuum and visits Sarah in his future. He pleads with her to return to the past but his cryptic messages only confuse her.

Medical student, David Robb, himself a descendant of the Robertsons of Weetshill, befriends Sarah. Fascinated with her stories of the past, after her release from the hospital, he takes Sarah to meet his parents, the current owners of the mansion and surrounding land.

This year, the winter solstice and lunar eclipse occur on the same day. Will a trip to the stone circle during this combination of events create the magic Sarah needs to return to 1886 and her family there? Or will she remain in the present and make a life with David?

Available to buy from amazon.

Do you have a favourite fairy tale? I’d love to know what is is. Tell me in the comments.

Once Upon a Time… It’s Tell a Fairy Tale Day

Once upon a time

there was a day specifically dedicated to telling fairy tales. Today is that day…

Tell A Fairy Tale Day!

Never heard of it before? Well, you can read more about it here. The stories can cover everything from Grimm to urban legends.

Scottish legends, myths, and mystery are found in A Shadow in the Past, so what better time to celebrate it?

time

Even the cover exudes fairytale mystery. Once upon a time…

Nineteen-year-old Sarah Shand finds herself thrust back into the past. There she struggles to keep her real identity from a society that finds her comments and ideas strange and her speech and actions forward, unlike Victorian women. When Sarah verbally confronts confining social practices, including arranged marriages, powerful enemies commit her to a lunatic asylum. After falling in love with the handsome Laird of Weetshill, Robert Robertson, she must decide whether to find her way back to her own time or to remain in the past with him.

 

If you have a favourite fairy tale, leave a comment telling which one it is.

 

 

 

 

#Scotland 2015 Day 9 – Kennethmont to Broughty Ferry

#Scotland 2015 – Sept 19, 2015

Over breakfast we decided to visit a few more Pictish Stones and Stone Circles on our way south to Broughty Ferry, stopping first at The Maiden Stone.

After we said our goodbyes and got on the road, I remembered when we were over in 2013 David asking if we had driven all the way up to Wardhouse Mansion. We hadn’t but when I drove by the road this morning, I made the turn. It was posted as 15 mph. You would have to be nuts to even think of going that fast! Two gravel tire tracks and grass growing up in the middle – not to mention ruts and potholes. Still the drive was worth every jostled body part.

Broughty Ferry
The ruins of Wardhouse mansion (Weetshill in my novel)
Broughty Ferry
The middle section of Wardhouse
Broughty Ferry
Looking towards “Gordonsfield” from “Weetshill”. The patch of grass in the centre of the photo (to the right of the trees) is where the stone circle is located

We wandered around the mansion and I took pictures from every angle but from inside its walls. The chapel is nestled into the back of the mansion (extreme left in the top photo).

Broughty Ferry
The chapel at Wardhouse

I am so SO glad I drove up here. I’ve been in love with this place since I first set eyes on it in 1993. After spending about an hour at Wardhouse – getting our feet wet in the process from the heavy overnight dew – we got back on the road to what was going to be our initial stop, the Maiden Stone.

Folklore says that the notch in the stone is from where the devil grabbed the maiden’s arm. You can read the full story here.

Broughty Ferry
The Maiden Stone

The other side of the stone has carvings on it as well. Unfortunately, the sun was in the wrong place so they didn’t show up well.

Broughty Ferry
The Maiden Stone

From here, we went to another place we’d been before – the Easter Aquorthies Stone Circle. When we arrived there was a woman a young boy (presumably her son) there and she was letting him climb on the stones and were oblivious to the fact that others were about. I hoped they would soon clear off so I could get some good photos but, alas, they were still there when we left. Grrr…

Broughty Ferry
Easter Aquorthies Stone Circle

Our next stop was the Cullerlie Stone Circle near Garlogie. Another couple came at almost the same time and the dog from the farm next door but they held back and let us have our time around the stones to take photos and watch the sheep in the field behind the circle.

Broughty Ferry
The Cullerlie Stone Circle

After we left here, we tried to find the Clune Hill Stone Circle to no avail so decided with the time we might as well make tracks for the Hotel Broughty Ferry where we would spend three nights.

We stopped at the Aberlemno stones which we had seen before but this time we also drove down the single track road to the church to see the cross slab in the churchyard.

Broughty Ferry
One of the Aberlemno Sculptured Stones
Broughty Ferry
Another of the Aberlemno Sculptured stones
Broughty Ferry
The church at Aberlemno
Broughty Ferry
The Cross Slab in the churchyard
Broughty Ferry
An interesting headstone in the churchyard

One more diversion before we reached our final destination. We were driving straight by the sign posting for Restenneth Priory near Forfar so I had to go there.

Broughty Ferry
Restenneth Priory
Broughty Ferry
Hotel Broughty Ferry

Wow! We were speechless when we walked into our room. It was huge! And the fixtures in the bathroom were gold plated! Talk about luxury!

Our room at Hotel Broughty Ferry
Our room at Hotel Broughty Ferry
Our room at Hotel Broughty Ferry
Our room at Hotel Broughty Ferry
Our room at Hotel Broughty Ferry
Our room at Hotel Broughty Ferry

I’d ordered the champagne in our room on arrival and although it wasn’t there when we walked in, it was there straight away. We enjoyed our bottle of Moet and Chandon then walked over to the railway station to get an idea how long it would take us to get there since we would be taking the 10:34 from Broughty Ferry to Dundee the next morning. It was about a 10 minute walk at the most so now we could set out to explore.

From the railway station we walked to the Firth of Tay to Broughty Castle. It was too late to visit the museum located there but we had time before we moved on to our next destination so could work it in.

Borughty Castle
Broughty Castle

After a short pitstop at the hotel to use the toilet, we walked up Claypotts Road to take our time and see the castle there without cars running us over.

Claypots Castle
Claypotts Castle

I knew the hotel was in between these two castles and within walking distance but I’m really glad we took advantage of a nice evening to visit both.

We had supper in the hotel’s bar (the restaurant upstairs was full) and sat at a table next to a couple from Montrose. When we mentioned that we were meeting up with my crime-writer friend,  Chris Longmuir, the next day for a tour of Dundee focusing on locations she used in her books, they knew her – well, at least knew of her.

 

 

 

#Scotland 2015 Day 8 – Penny Farthings, Pictish Stones, and Stone Circles

#Scotland 2015 – Sept 18, 2015

We’d stopped at the derelict St Mary’s Kirk on previous visits to this area of Scotland but found ourselves back there again on our way to the Grampian Transport Museum.

Pictish Stones
St Mary’s Kirk near Rhynie

We stopped in at the museum in 2013 but it was late in the day (as in almost closing time) so we decided that the next time we would go early in the day so we could see all of the vehicles on display.

Pictish Stones
Billy Connolly’s trike that he rode on his World Tours
Pictish Stones
Trojan 200 Bubble Car
Pictish Stones
Austin Mini Cooper (1962)

This looks like a spaceship but it’s an HGV (heavy goods vehicle) simulator.

Pictish Stones
HGV Simulator

The Penny Farthing bicycle was one of the “hands on”… or should I say “bums on” displays. How people ever got on these is beyond me. It was hard enough despite it being securely fastened to the steps.

Pictish Stones
Don ‘riding’ a Penny Farthing
Pictish Stones
Me ‘riding’ a Penny Farthing

I had to include this next picture because I remember my mum telling me about the Durant her father had and how the kids would pile into the rumble seat to go to Athens or Brockville with him. The museum plans on restoring this vehicle once they raise sufficient funds.

Pictish Stones
Durant Tourer (1924)

Before we left the museum, I picked up a leaflet for the Pictish Stone trail and the Stone Circle trail. Post codes and Ordnance Survey coordinates both were included in the information for each stop. Once we determined which ones we wanted to see, we began our Pictish Stones/Stone Circles tour. The first stop was at the Migvie Church to see the Migvie Stone.

Pictish Stones
Migvie Stone
Pictish Stones
The other side of the Migvie Stone
Pictish Stones
The Migvie Church

After this, we planned on going to the Kinord Cross because it was nearby but it wasn’t signposted well (not even from the car park that the sat nav took us to) so we decided to go on to the Midmar Kirk and see the recumbent stone circle in the churchyard.

Pictish Stones
Midmar Kirk
Pictish Stones
The Midmar recumbent stone circle
Pictish Stones
Me ‘semi’ recumbent on the recumbent stone

It took longer to find the churchyard in Kintore than the stone in it. The leaflet indicated a couple of places to park, but we found a nice place down behind the graveyard and walked up the narrow street. The Pictish stone was almost next to the gate.

Pictish Stones
Stone in the Kintore Churchyard
Pictish Stones
Stone in the Kintore Churchyard

Since Inverurie was on our way back to Kennethmont, we stopped at the Churchyard there to find the stones. It took us some time (it’s a big place) but we found them.

Pictish Stones
Stone in the Inverurie Churchyard
Pictish Stones
Stone in the Inverurie Churchyard
Pictish Stones
Stone in the Inverurie Churchyard
Pictish Stones
The Bass in the Inverurie Churchyard

By now it was time to get back ‘home’. It was our last night at the farm in Kennethmont. We had planned from the first night we were there that we would have our second bottle of champagne and get a Chinese Takeaway for our meal.

The weather had finally been dry long enough that David was able to get out on the combine and make a start on cutting the grain so it would be a late supper.

Their youngest daughter surprised us by driving up from Aberdeen and their oldest came up with her husband to see us before we left. It was great to see everyone together again (the first time I stayed here, the girls were just wee things).

We had a wonderful night and toasted to good friends and family.

More Faces in the Stones…

The longer I look at this photo on my computer, the more faces I see.
stones

One of my writer friends, Beverly Stowe McClure, said she saw a face in the second stone in from the right. That wasn’t the face I originally saw, but I can see it now and clearly.

more

A co-worker said it was a Moai yelling, “Help me I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” Looking at the recumbent stone, I can see that, too. I think it looks more like a lion’s face.

moreIt’s interesting to see all the faces in the the stones… and now that you’ve seen all of the ones in this stone circle, you’ll never un-see them again.

Here’s the face I originally saw and referred to in my “Faces in the Stones – REVEALED” post on Aug 21, 2015.

stones

Creepy? Maybe. Fascinating? You bet. The interaction of moss, lichens, the shapes of the stones and the light all combine to make for some interesting combinations.

The next time you’re out and about anywhere, take a look at the rock formations. You might be surprised by what you see.

 

I See Faces and other things…

FACES and…

As kids, we likely all lay on our backs in the grass looking at the clouds finding faces, animals and other objects at one time or another.

What about with standing stones? Well, yup, I see faces there, too.

facesDo you see a face in this stone at Stonehenge?

facesHow about now after I draw the outline of the mouth, eyes, nose and chin? I should have picked a different color other than black because the contrast on the rock tends to overpower the painted line.

Since my attempt with black to outline didn’t achieve the result I wanted, I went back in and outlined it in white. Does this make it easier to see?

faces

Maybe this is the face of the troll who lived under the bridge in the Norweigian fairy tale, The Three Billy Goats Gruff?

facesOr what about this stone along the avenue near Avebury?

facesLooks a handsome fellow despite his large nose. But look at him from another angle… what do you see?

facesFrom this angle, it looks like a horse’s head. Perhaps the knight piece on a chessboard.

facesAnd this one reminds me of a shark with the shape of the head and the placement of the mouth. Look who’s grinning at us from the right side of the picture!

Did you see any of these faces?

 

The Face in the Stones – REVEALED

It’s only recently, I saw the face in the stones in this photograph. I guarantee that once you see it, you won’t be able to “un-see” it every time you see the picture. It’s even visible in the older version of the photograph that’s the header photo for my blog.

stones
The photo from the earlier post
stones
Now with the face outlined

This stone circle, located in rural Aberdeenshire, Scotland, features in my debut novel – A Shadow in the Past – and its not yet published sequel – Shadows From Her Past.

This type of stone circle, known as a recumbent stone circle, is unique to Aberdeenshire. You can find out more about them here.

I’ve visited a number of stone circles in Scotland but I’ve never seen a face in them before.

Interesting? Creepy? What do you think?

The Face in the Stones

It’s only recently, I saw the face in the stones in this photograph.
face
This picture has been the wallpaper on my computer since the end of 2014 when its predecessor decided it was time to have a major malfunction.

The stone circle, located in rural Aberdeenshire, Scotland, features in my debut novel – A Shadow in the Past – and its not yet published sequel – Shadows From Her Past.

This type of stone circle, known as a recumbent stone circle, is unique to Aberdeenshire. You can find out more about them here.

Located on the top of a hill on a working farm (we gained permission from the owners to enter), in a field with cows and one bull, we had to  watch where we placed our feet. Initially afraid of us, it didn’t take long before the cows became inquisitive (sounds so much more polite than nosy) enough to set fear aside and come see what we were doing.

This particular cow looks like she’s resting her chin on the recumbent stone. Hers isn’t the face in the stones.

face

 

Do you see the face in the stones?

#AtoZChallenge – S is for SHADOWS FROM HER PAST

Shadows from Her Past

I’m currently sitting at just over 62,000 words in my first draft and my target length is 85,000. This book hasn’t progressed as quickly as I had hoped but I’ve not totally thrown in the towel yet, either.

I don’t have a cover to show you but as the book hasn’t progressed to that stage, I can’t.

a shadow in the past cover 500x773Here is the cover image for my first book. I see my name and the title Shadows from Her Past exactly how they are here. Keep the ‘author brand’ continuity if you will.

I also see the past and present being represented much as they are here but, shall we say, in a more modest setting. Present looking into the past and the two characters who are most important to the heroine appearing with her in the mirror’s reflection.

What do you think of my vision?

Blurb for Shadows from Her Past:

Sarah finds herself back in her time without her husband, Robert, and adopted daughter, Jenny. When she sees visions of them appear, Sarah doesn’t know if it’s her imagination or if they’re really there trying to break through the constraints of time and space.

David Robb, a student doctor at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary who has been assigned to her case, bears a familial resemblance to Robert. Sarah develops feelings for him but also feels like she is betraying her husband, despite them being centuries apart.

Will Sarah make a new life with David in the present, or will she find her way back to her husband and daughter in the past?

~~~~~~~~

Keep coming back for news regarding Shadows from her Past. In the meantime, you can purchase book one in the series – A Shadow in the Past in paperback from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Chapters, and local bricks ‘n mortar bookstores.

If you’d prefer to buy it as an ebook, all you have to do is click on the logo of your choice to download it. The link for all the amazon domains is the same, you just have to change the .co.uk to your own.

Day 10 – Market Rasen to East Kennett

Day 10 – Market Rasen to East Kennett (near Avebury) – August 20, 2013

See I told you it would be a long day, although it wasn’t as long as we expected it to be.

In the back of my mind, I thought we would do Stonehenge AND the Avebury stones the following day but we arrived early enough that we had time for at least the former and this was before we even found the B&B where we’d be spending the night!

Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Me at Stonehenge
Me at Stonehenge

The next two photos are of The Heel Stone. Don’t you think it looks like a face? A creepy face, but a face nonetheless.

The Heel Stone
The Heel Stone
The Heel Stone
The Heel Stone
Stonehenge with the Slaughter Stone lying in the foreground
Stonehenge with the Slaughter Stone lying in the foreground

After we left Stonehenge, we came up on a tailback for something. There was a road off to the right and I took it not having any idea where we would end up. Obviously, the others either thought I knew where I was going or they did because they followed me.

This detour from our planned route paid huge dividends because we came across this…

The White Horse at Milk Hill
The Alton Barnes White Horse on Milk Hill

Next on our quest for the day was to find the Old Forge B&B. The first time we drove by, we missed it but once we turned around and came from the other direction, it stood out – especially the green B&B sign in the grass verge across the road from the house.

Like when we stayed at Fernbank House at Dufftown, we had a private bathroom. Not quite so close to our room but our own.

The Old Forge B&B
The Old Forge B&B
Our room at Old Forge
Our room at Old Forge B&B
Our room at Old Forge
Our room at Old Forge B&B
Our room at Old Forge
Our room at Old Forge B&B

We walked to The Bell only to find it didn’t open until 6:00. This was about 4:30 so we walked back to the B&B by way of the back roads (much safer). One of the fields along the road was home to rabbits. We counted less than ten but think there were more.

Horses near The Bell
Horses near The Bell

After a short rest and WC stop, we wandered back towards the pub. This time we took advantage of a footpath that took a good chunk off the walk if you stuck to the road.

Walking path near East Kennett
Footpath near East Kennett

The pub still wasn’t open when we got back but it was close enough to 6:00 and we were parched enough that we waited. Whilst we ‘loitered’ about the car park, a family arrived so we waited together, although when the doors finally opened, they went to the restaurant while we were content to sit in the bar.

The menu we had seen at the B&B was the lunch menu so we couldn’t get any of the dishes listed on it. So, we had fish and chips and mushy peas. I had mushy peas. They were served in a small sealer jar. I ate mine and hubby’s as they didn’t do a thing for him.

After all the walking we’d done during the day but especially before and after supper, we were tired so had an early night.

Let’s play SEEKING SARAH SHAND!

Seeking Sarah Shand
Seeking Sarah Shand
Seeking Sarah Shand
Seeking Sarah Shand

If you think you know where the pictures were taken, leave a comment with your answers or email me at melanie@melanierobertson-king.com You could win a 2014 A Shadow in the Past calendar!

Tomorrow is going to be another long day as we’re back north to Harrogate with a stop in Tewkesbury to meet another online author friend, Linn B Halton. Woo hoo!