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Last year, during the pandemic, I was reading a wonderful travel memoir on Scotland called Where's Me Plaid? A Scottish Roots Odyssey by Scott Crawford (it's lovely and wonderful and hysterical; I HIGHLY recommend it.......so much that here's the link to it on Amazon:)



...when fabulous author Mr. Crawford mentioned one Dougie MacLean. Because I love all things Scotland, I decided to ask my Alexa to play some of his music. And a new era began.


To say I like Mr. MacLean's music would be the understatement to end all understatements. If my soul had a soundtrack, THIS IS IT. I wake up to it. I fall asleep to it. I paint to it, in rotation with Rising Appalachia and the Indigo Girls. But even that is still, like, 85% Dougie.


I bake bread to Dougie. I do the dishes to Dougie. When I leave the house his CDs are the only ones in my car. My poor husband knows all the words to his songs because it's constantly on in the house. And....I've written two novels to nothing but Dougie. So far.


If you look at the end of the books, I thank him there. Songs of his have inspired characters, moods and locations. If you like Wyldwood and Circle of Three, you must GET THINESELF SOME DOUGIE.


Luckily, not only is DM uber-talented, but he is kind as well. Throughout the pandemic he had broadcast the most wonderful free concerts/storytelling sessions from his studio in an old schoolhouse (both he and his father attended the school) in Scotland. The studio is called Butterstone, which I love with all my heart. There's more than 100 of these concerts now. Here's a link to one from last December on Youtube:



I just know you'll fall in love with these concerts like I have. They are so....charming, inspiring, and....full of love.


Check them out and let me know if you love them too!








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In the Spiral Pathways series, there are numerous times when a character uses the Battle Cry of their clan. Clans used these cries to rattle their fighting foes and to help distinguish different sides during a battle. Traditional Battle Cries often invoke a location where Clan members would meet before marching into battle together, or will refer to an important site in the Clan's history, such as the location of the Clan's seat. In Wyldwood, both Alex and Saorsa use their clan's cries. Here are the cries, the translations, and the mottos of some of the Clans of the Spiral Pathways:


Clan Scott


Motto: "Amo" (I love)

Location: Scottish Borders

War Cry: The Scotts of Buccleuch actually have two: 'a Bellendaine! ("To Bellendaine!") Also, "The Scotts are out!" Alex uses both in the first book. Bellendaine refers to the head of the Borthwick Water in Roxburghshire, the gathering place of the clan.


Clan Stuart


Motto: "Virescit vulnere virtus" (Courage grows strong at a wound)

Location: Highlands and Lowlands

War Cry: "Creag an Sgairbh!" (“Cormorants Rock”) to commemorate first clan castle, Castle Stalker, built around 1540 by Duncan Stewart of Appin. It sits at the mouth of Loch Laich by Loch Linnhe on a rocky islet known as the Rock of the Cormorants.


Clan Bruce


Motto: "Fuimus" (We have been)

Location: Lowlands

War Cry: "Garg’n Uair Dhuisgear" (“Fierce when rosed”) Perhaps an old form of roused? -ed.


Clan MacDonald / MacDonell


Motto: "Per Mare Per Terras" (By Sea and Land), referring to the Clan's location on the Isle of Skye

Location: Highlands

War Cry: " Creagan an fhithich" (“The Rock of the Raven”) , the place of Clan’s Tower, or "Fraoch eilean" ("the Heathery Isle"), depending on Clan Branch.


Clan MacLeod


Motto: The MacLeods have an old motto: "Murus aheneus esto" (Be then a wall of brass) and a newer one: "Hold Fast"

Location: Highlands

War Cry: It appears "Hold Fast!" may also be used as the MacLeod war cry.


On of my favorite mottos belongs to Clan Kerr: "Sero sed serio" ("Late but in earnest"). As in: "Hey, guys, sorry we're late for the battle, but we're super excited for it!"


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Who, exactly, was Bonnie Prince Charlie?


In brief, the Stuarts were the first kings of the United Kingdom. King James VI of Scotland became also King James I of England, which combined the two thrones for the first time.

The Stuart dynasty reigned in Scotland and England from 1603 to 1714, but they attempted to lay claim to the crown for another century afterward. The name also appears spelled Stewart, as it is believed the line began when Robert the Bruce's daughter Marjorie married Robert's friend, who acted as the Steward of Scotland. Robert the Bruce was crowned King of Scotland in 1306 and spent his life trying to free Scotland from England's grasp.


Here's a wonderful article that talks about Charles and the exiled Stuarts:


Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Maria Stuart was born in Rome in 1720, around 30 years after his grandfather, James VII and II, who was also the last Roman Catholic monarch of Ireland, Scotland, and England, had been deposed from the throne.

Charles set about planning an invasion of England to regain the Crown for the family. Charles had no military experience, but is described in contemporary accounts as being wildly charismatic and shockingly good-looking, and so was able to raise support from diverse groups across the United Kingdom, including managing to land the support of experienced generals who had fought against the English before. Catholicism had been outlawed in the UK, and so many Catholics joined the cause, hoping for religious freedom with a Stuart on the throne. Charles had supporters in England as well. He raised money in both Scotland and France to finance the endeavor and somehow, against tremendous odds, managed to build an army and march towards London. He and his supporters even took Castle Carlisle for a time, the English stronghold that is discussed in Circle of Three and its sequel.




Above is a picture of James II and his family. Even if you don't know much Scottish history, you've probably heard of Mary, Queen of Scots. She was a Stuart as well.


Bonnie Prince Charlie had one brother, so his older sister Maria is an entirely fictional character in the Spiral Pathways series. But everything else about the Bonnie Prince mentioned in Wyldwood is real. Bonnie Prince Charlie's flight towards the Isle of Skye after his crushing defeat at Culloden Moor had been enshrined in the famous Skye Boat Song, a slightly altered version of which has recently made much more famous by the series Outlander.




Here's a link to a great, quick guide to the royal dynasties of Scotland:



And if you like art history, here is a link to the first of a series of 4 videos on the hunt for Bonnie Prince Charlie's missing portrait. You'll learn a ton about him and his supporters along the way:









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