Blog @ Braveheart

For the first time in nearly two years, the kitchen table is clear of books. The ‘writers box’ full of assorted press-cuttings has been consigned to the archive in the loft and the marking pens have been put away. All that remains is to edit and re-draft the next tome. And that is a milestone indeed.

The folk at Inverurie library-central were not that surprised when I returned a shed-load of books and cleared my borrowing account and I am hoping that was a good sign. Mind you, given that it was 23 degrees in the Shire today and an early closing 2pm finish for the library operatives I am also not that surprised that my lorry-load addition to their stock – I am permitted to borrow a privileged number of local history books – went largely unnoticed.

And that brings me neatly to the topic of the evening.

The next book is yet another Aberdeenshire volume. As yet untitled, it encompasses the Shire from the year zero-dot to the present. Beaker people and pesky Romans feature alongside local heroes such as Wallace, Bruce, Webb and Helena Torry. Trump, Macbeth and Hitler also take a bow alongside some tales about Portsoy, Indiana Jones and the Kelpies.

It’s not due out until April next year, but I have high hopes.

In the meantime, my more recent tome is selling well. You can grab a copy of the second edition on Amazon.

Duncan Harley is the author of The A-Z of Curious Aberdeenshire - Published by The History Press at £12.99 and available from Amazon and Inverurie Whisky Shop.
Location: Aberdeen, UK

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