Dunnottar: Truly Romantic

-
  
On a sunny day many years ago, in a crowded Barnes and Noble in Hilton Head, South Carolina, I met a woman who was destined to become one my best friends.  Fueled by caffeinated beverages, Cindy and I chatted for hours, squealing each time we discovered shared interests (writing, travel, ghosts, 80s music, and photography) and coincidences (we had eerily similar childhoods and had the same big, blond beach hair in our 20s). 

One of the things I remember most about our first meeting was Cindy's unbridled enthusiasm for Scotland.  As I shared stories about my travels in la belle France, Cindy shared stories about her journeys to Scotland. One place in particular that truly captured her imagination (and eventually mine) was Dunnottar Castle.  The ancient, clifftop castle located on the eastern coast of Scotland was, in fact, the setting of her first novel, Spirited Away.

As the years passed, Cindy and I became the closest of friends.  We also became travel partners who enthusiastically took memorable and outrageous trips. 

This past summer, Cindy took me to her favorite place in the world: Dunnottar Castle.

After years of listening to her describe the craggy cliffs and crumbling stones, I was anxious to experience the essence of her hallowed place.

Though, I must confess, after spending two weeks hiking through Scotland's golden gorse-covered hills and around her beautiful but decrepit monuments, I was a little numb.  It would take a lot to wow me.

My senses were overwhelmed, my extremities were freezing (50 degrees in July, seriously?), and it was raining (again)!

After rounding a narrow bend, Dunnottar loomed ahead of us, precariously perched on a cliff, surrounded by the sea.  It took my breath away.
I was wowed!

We parked in a little lot and made the lonely trek to castle.  I was cold and wet but invigorated by my first view of my best friend's dream castle. 

As we trudged along in contented silence, I wondered if the fortification would live up to my expectations.  After all, Cindy was an extremely talented writer who had woven a thrilling tale of romance set in Dunnottar.

We were almost to the entrance when we heard the haunting wail of a bagpipe.  And then, right before our eyes, a beautiful bride in a fluttery white gown, her red hair spilling down her back, materialized as if out of...Thin Air.
<><> <><> <><>
Highland Bride by Leah Marie Brown


<><> <><> <><>
Highland Wedding by Leah Marie Brown










Comments

Madame Guillotine said…
How odd. I grew up near Dunnottar and used to go there all the time as a little girl to run around the ruins. I haven't thought about it for years!
October 10, 2011 at 1:44 PM
Cindy Miles, YA Author said…
Gosh we had fun, didn't we??!!! That bride was stunning and a fine place for nups I think! So very glad we git to share scotland, my friend! We have such a fabulous history don't we! And ps...I say let's bring the big hair BACK!!! XOXO
October 11, 2011 at 4:16 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cheri Herouard ~ La Vie Parisienne

-
Image
While looking for artwork to decoupage onto candle jars, I serendipitiously found vintage covers of the French magazine, La Vie Parisienne .  Founded in 1863,  La Vie Parisienne was originally designed to appeal to the upper-classes, offering literary pieces, society gossip and articles about the arts.  It also featured the work of immensely talented artists like Georges Barbier , Gerda Wegener , Chéri Hérouard , Georges Léonnec , Maurice Milliere .  The artwork was considered risqué, even erotic (think early porn for the intellectual). I adore the work Chéri Hérouard did for La Vie Parisienne and wanted to share some of it with you.  I hope you find it as titillating as I do!
Read more

Have Plot, Will Travel

-
Image
(This article was first published in Writers Digest, August 2005) So you have become obsessed with the idea of writing a novel about a daring spy in Revolutionary Paris? Or maybe you have decided to plot the perfect murder by writing a cozy set in a crumbling old manor home located somewhere in the Scottish borders? No? Perhaps you are working on a time-travel romance wherein your modern-day heroine takes a hike, falls through a fairy hillock, and finds herself in medieval Ireland? You have given birth to the characters and toiled over the plot, all that is missing now are setting details. The small particulars that make your story really come alive. Whatever the plot, wherever the setting, you will need those details to add authenticity to your story. How would your daring spy have moved about Paris undetected? What food would one find in the refrigerator of a crumbling Scottish manor home? Do the Irish still believe in the mystical powers of the fairy hillocks? Do fairy hillocks
Read more

Creepy Château de Chaumont & Catherine's Shady Squad

-
Image
The first time I visited Chateau de Chaumont was in the winter of 2003 - a brief visit that lingered in my imagination for years after.  Since the castle was closed to tourists, I wandered the grounds alone in hopes I might encounter the spirits of inhabitants past.   This might seem an unusual pastime unless you pause to consider the castle's rather unusual history.  Chaumont was once the home of Catherine de Medici, queen to Henri II of France.  Catherine practiced what some called "the darker arts" at Chaumont, inviting astronomers, numerologists, and a host of shady characters.   The astrologer  Nostradamus was one of the member's of Catherine's shady squad.  He  visited her at Chaumont on several occasions.  Legend has it Catherine attended ritualistic animal sacrifices in the castle's front hall (this told to me by a groundskeeper I encountered) .   On that first visit, when the wind eerily whispered through the ancient pine trees,
Read more