Spotlight on Virginia Crow, author of Caledon

 

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"Go out and tell all those you meet, Caledon has risen. Caledon will be protected and defended. And to you who would cause her harm, be prepared. A new fight has come."

After the destruction of the Jacobite forces at Culloden, Scotland is divided, vulnerable and leaderless, with survivors from both sides seeking to make sense of the battles they have fought against their fellow Scots.

James Og flees Drumossie, seeking the protection of his uncle's house in Sutherland. It is here that James learns that the Northern Highlands hold a secret power only he can wield: Caledon. When Ensign John Mackay begins hunting Og's family, James realises he must harness this power to defeat the enemies of Scotland.

But, as the ageless Caledon awakes, so too does an ancient evil. When it allies with Mackay, the small Clan of Caledon faces enemies at every turn, discovering that even those closest to them may seek to destroy them.

 

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Five Fun Facts about Caledon

Number One – The title for Caledon was chosen from a line of the song The Highlander’s Lament. The final verse goes:

Farewell, farewell, dear Caledon
Land of the Gael no longer
Strangers have trod thy glory on
In guile and treachery stronger
The brave and just sink in the dust
On ruin's brink they quiver
Heaven's pitying eye is closed on thee
Adieu, adieu for ever

It was written by the Scottish author James Hogg (1770-1835), whose own experience of the Highlands demonstrated how prolonged the prejudice against the Jacobites was. My favourite version of the song was sung by The Corries, but Barbara Dickson and Archie Fisher also famously recorded it.

 BIG BURN WATERFALL

Number Two – The Source is real! The inspiration for Caledon comes from a real place called The Big Burn, which is in the small Scottish town of Golspie. It’s a frequently overlooked spot, people much preferring the opulence of Dunrobin Castle or the climb up to the mannie on the hill (who I refuse to give capital letters to!), but there is real magic in that gorge!

Number Three – Pine martens actually can swim! It’s strange the things you end up researching! One of the animals within Caledon is a pine marten, and I needed it to swim out at one point in the story (no spoilers here, so I’m not telling you when!). I was relieved to find that the little critters are actually competent swimmers. If they hadn’t been, I would have had to change that whole section of the story. We get a pine marten in our garden, and I can’t help but wonder if it is the Eile checking up on me!

Number Four – Caledon was my way of putting northern Scotland on the literary and Jacobite map. Most people forget that the Jacobite movement did not only occur on the route Bonnie Prince Charlie took. In fact, there were a number of skirmishes in the north, including one in the Kyle of Tongue (which cost the Jacobites their treasury) and one at Littleferry, which is a crucial backdrop for Caledon.

THE KYLE OF TONGUE TODAY

Number Five – The first book was originally much shorter. Caledon was only meant to be six of the eight parts, but my Beta readers objected so much to the ending that I had to bring in the beginning of the second book to appease them! I liked the mystery of the original ending, but they were displeased with it. It didn’t matter too much, as Caledon is a six-book series, so it was quite straightforward to rejig the bridge between books one and two. But never let it be said that I can’t take advice!

 

Virginia Crow

Virginia grew up in Orkney, using the breath-taking scenery to fuel her imagination and the writing fire within her. Her favourite genres to write are fantasy and historical fiction, sometimes mixing the two together. She enjoys swashbuckling stories such as The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and is still waiting for a screen adaption that lives up to the book!

When she's not writing, Virginia is usually to be found teaching music. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of music, especially as a tool of inspiration. She also helps out with the John o' Groats Book Festival, which is celebrating its 4th year.

She now lives in the far-flung corner of Scotland. A doting spaniel-owner to Orlando and Jess, Virginia soaks up in inspiration from the landscape as she ventures out with her canine companions.

She loves cheese, music, and films, but hates mushrooms.

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