Days Out, History, and Catch-Ups, by Neil McGowan

 

It’s been a busy few days. Last week we visited a couple of castles, Linlithgow Palace first, most famous for its connection to Mary, Queen of Scots. My wife has had a fascination with Mary for as long as I’ve known her and the castle has been closed for the past few years for renovation work, so it was good to finally get there and soak up the atmosphere. As an aside, we also popped into the church that sits alongside, both for the stunning architecture and stained glass windows, and, for myself, to have a close look at the pipe organ they have – I’ve heard it in recordings of Bach and Widor, so it was good to see it in the flesh.

Thursday was another train ride, over the Forth Rail Bride, to Aberdour, and have a look around the castle and gardens. This one will be familiar to anyone who’s watched Outlander, as it features as the Benedictine Monastery in the first series. One of the parts that really got me was the room with the painted ceiling. Yes, it’s faint, and hard to make out in places, but the fact it was created in the 16^th century and still endures never fails to amaze me. I can understand castles still standing – stone is pretty hard stuff, after all – but the detail and intricacy that still blooms through when you study the roof is nothing short of amazing, when you consider the fragility of the materials used.

The gardens were also fascinating, particularly the square walled garden. We took a stroll around it and Pauline remarked on how this was the height of entertainment for ladies of a certain rank bank in the day. She did admit it was rather peaceful and relaxing, too.

None of this is directly related to my writing – I don’t write historical fiction, and can only think of one story where I’ve used a castle as a setting for part of the story. But for me, it’s more about atmosphere. I like to amble around and appreciate the ambiance, and try and figure out what makes it work. I often find it’s in the smaller details rather than the grand halls – I’m more intrigued by the life of a servant that would sleep in a narrow corridor, and how that would shape their outlook. I figure I can then use these insights to inform my own characters, and make them unique and believable. It doesn’t always work, but when it does, the words just seem to flow onto the page.

Which leads me to my Saturday. I met up with a fellow writer I met a few years ago – we were both guests on a radio show, being interviewed and promoting our books. We spent most of the day talking writing and life in general, and things that had formed the style of writer we are. We write in very different genres, but that made it all the more interesting, seeing where there were parallels in how we approached story construction. Big shout out to Cheryl Kerr, who should be back in Texas now – Cheryl, it was a lovely day, and where did the time go?