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Local history writer's third book takes readers on a tour of north-east's weird and wonderful past


By Lorna Thompson

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A LOCAL author has penned a third book celebrating the culture and mythology of north-east people and places.

Writer and historian Duncan Harley’s new book, Long Shadows – Tales of Scotland’s North East, has been supported by The Doric Board and takes the reader on a grand tour of the curious and the bizarre, the strange and the unusual from Scotland's past.

His previous titles include The A-Z of Curious Aberdeenshire and The Little History of Aberdeenshire.

Long Shadows expands on a series of articles Duncan wrote over the years for Leopard Magazine.

In the new book readers can learn about local heroes such as Ellon’s Boatie Tam, blind Johnnie Moir the Bard of Banchory and Charlie Marioni the Cullen Hermit, alongside tales from Fochabers, Cove, Aberdeen, Maggieknockater, Tomintoul, Braemar and the lost township of Lenabo.

Duncan said: "In early 2014 I was commissioned by Leopard Magazine to research and write a series of articles featuring the towns, the people and the history of the north-east of Scotland. The magazine was at the time owned by the University of Aberdeen and the brief was wide.

"The 'Our Town' series was the result and, over the succeeding two years, some 20 full-length feature articles made the magazine’s pages, alongside several other historical pieces which took shape along the way.

"The featured communities varied widely in nature, and included fisher towns, whisky towns and also places such as Braemar, Portsoy and Tomintoul, which although small in size, are big in stature.

"This, my third book about the north-east of Scotland, comprises the bones of these original articles brought up to date and completely rewritten and with many important additions."

Long Shadows – Tales of Scotland’s North East expands on a series of articles Duncan Harley wrote for Leopard Magazine.
Long Shadows – Tales of Scotland’s North East expands on a series of articles Duncan Harley wrote for Leopard Magazine.

He added: "When choosing the original topics for the series I was acutely aware that many more towns and indeed villages deserved to be featured, but that various constraints made that impossible at that time.

"I have, I hope, made at least partial amends for these omissions and have included a chosen few within this volume.

"Fochabers, Cove, Maggieknockater and Lenabo are just some of those and, since Aberdeen was not part of the original brief, I have included a chapter featuring some of the lesser-known tales about the Granite City."

Duncan added: "Please enjoy these wee snippets of Scottish history and smile gently at the past."

Long Shadows – Tales of Scotland’s North East is available from Amazon, priced £15.99. Signed copies are also available from Inverurie Whisky Shop.


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