Ayreshire History and Culture

As the Beyond Series of novels constantly go back to a Scottish Highland Castle in the story I have travelled extenively around there for inspirational ideas for one of the Romanov Witches Castles. Here's the best bits.
Robert Burns House – This was a very humble little home that Robert Burns was born in. But I felt very intellectual that day and bought his complete works then read Tam O’ Shanter and Life is Like a Red Red Rose and felt very moved, this was the house he was born and grew up in, as a farmers son and he continued to farm throughout his short life and despite dying young, he did manage to pack an awful lot in, including mistresses, wives and children!

 We had the pleasure of being here on Burns Day (Robert Burns Birthday) They have big celebrations for Scotland's best loved author and poet.

Brig O Doon is in Alloway and this is the beautiful view from the Bridge. The town itself is just stunning to walk around - even the little ctone church is just chocolate box cute!

Isle of Arran and Cwmbrae – Cwmbrae is beautiful and has only one proper little seaside town. The cottages are picturesque and all look over \the beach and bay, directly overlooking another power station on the main Renfrewshire shore. Such a shame because I really could have considered buying a property there and go there for peace and solace to do my writing. Isle of Arran is lovely and we went to a castle and also bought some Arran cheese, chutney and oatcakes in this cute little oldie worlde shopping centre, however some areas of Arran are barren. Bet its bleak in winter.

Loch Doon – What amazing scenery. The waters were completely still to reflect the hills and trees. The peace and quiet was deafening and there was a ruined Castle Doon which made my day. This is somewhere you could come and not speak to a sole for days. Bliss.

Wigtown – Now for anyone who loves literature of any description this is the most amazing town and I’ve never heard of an English version of such a place. The town hosts the Scottish Book Festival every year and despite it being a small town on the very edge of Ayrshire, I do believe there are more book shops per square meter than anywhere else in the world. One shop actually looks like Olly Vanders or some thing from Harry Potter, Marvellous.

Viking Centre – This was interesting, but nothing I hadn’t already seen at the Yorvik centre in York. I’d say for content and realistic village recreation it was definitely on a par with Yorvik and one extra thing they did was the Norse Gods, which was interesting as I studied the various pagan beliefs including heathenry when decided what type of witches my coven would be in Didikai Witch - the first book in the supernatural serieis.

Renfrewshire – Largs - I liked the dated style of the seaside resort. It’s a small personal town with a groovy 1930’s Art Deco Ice cream parlour and tea rooms. I like retro and places stuck in a time warp. Maybe that’s a sign I’m getting old.

All good stories should be set somewhere a bit spooky for me. So it was important to get the right feel for the Scottish Coven's Castle set in a small village of Danestone Glen, in a remote area of the Highlands. I've visited many castles, all over the UK, but these are the ones I remember going to in Scotland.

Broddick Castle is situated outside the port of Brodick on the Isle of Arran, an island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. It was previously a seat of the Dukes of Hamilton, but is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is more like a Victorian country estate rather than the type of fortification I was looking for) -Culzean Castle -is near Maybole, Carrick, on the Ayrshire coast of Scotland. It is the former home of the Marquess of Ailsa, the chief of Clan Kennedy, but is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is too large for the insular magical family I was trying to create- Inverary (A lived in castle to this day and owned by an offshoot member of the Royal family, it watches over the small town below, nestled around forest scenery and a shimmering Loch shore) - Kelburn Castle, (which oddly has been painted with local artists murals all over the outside walls, colourful, but sort of lost it's charm as an oldy worldy ancient fortess capable of protecting a coven of very shy and secretive witches for half a millenia!)



I chose for the books though Lochranza Castle - which is situated in the centre of Lochranza village on the north coast of the Island of Arran. The earliest parts of the castle were built in the mid 1200s for the MacSweens. In 1262, it was granted by Alexander III to Walter Stewart (Earl of Menteith).

It is believed Robert the Bruce landed at this spot on his return from Ireland in 1306 as he began his successful campaign to become king of Scotland. The castle was later owned by his grandson when he became King Robert II of Scotland in 1371. The following years saw it used as a royal hunting lodge. During the 1490s, Lochranza Castle was used as a base from which James IV could attack the MacDonalds (Lords of the Isles). James VI took control of the castle in 1614 and the English Parliamentarian leader Cromwell took control in the1650s. The last owners, the Hamiltons, acquired the castle in 1705. 

Loch Doon Castle - was my back up castle and the barron scenery around the Loch is based on Danestone Glen in the books. The castle was built in the 1200s for Robert the Earl of Carrick. Robert the Bruce’s father gained control of this castle and Turnberry Castle in 1271 after marrying the widow Marjorie (Countess of Carrick). The castle was originally situated on a small island in the middle of Loch Doon. The ruins were rebuilt at the side of the loch in the 1930s to allow the loch to be used as a water reservoir.