Publisher's Synopsis
Emily's childhood adventure into the wilds has become legend. Now, as an elder storyteller, Ms. Emily Munro, recalls her encounters with faeries, dragons, and Eemocks. An intriguing tale of adventure and discovery that is set near Loch Ness, Scotland-a region that breeds mystery and the impossible. Enter an Enchanted World--Dun Cromarty . . . the land beyond the rock wall, a curious realm discovered by Emily, Ian, and Douglas (the trio). The three follow Grendel-the family wolfhound. They soon find a stone cross and a village engulfed by an amber glow . . . the place where the adventure begins. Oriented by words that travel with the wind, Emily is the first to encounter the unseen or faeries. Grandfather, a story-teller, encourages the young lady to follow the desires of her heart, and at Dun Cromarty, she meets Tymer the Rhymer, Hoyle the Royal, and Queen of the Green. The unseen then enlist the trio to battle the dragons. During their adventures with the faeries and along with Grandfather's guidance, Emily soon discovers the secrets of her ancestry. She then meets the ghost of Dochart House, an apparition from Grandfather's past. In the blink of an eye, her life is changed forever. NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR. The Legend of Dun Cromarty (Based on the previously published Sanctuary of Secrets: Loch Ness) was first inspired in 1998 while I was lodged at a manor house near Loch Ness, Scotland. That same year, I toured the Orkney Islands. Both locations are referenced throughout the books. Follow-up research was later conducted during explorations into the forests of the Great Glen in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008. NOTE ON THE ILLUSTRATIONS. The illustrations found throughout this book were reproduced from original full-color oil paintings and black and white graphite drawings. The original images, created by Karol Mack, were completed from drawings, photographs, and plein air (on-location) paintings. The artist first visited Loch Ness in 2004, and gathered additional source materials in 2005, 2006, and 2008. In 2006, she was lodged in the nearby Brodie Castle. The paintings found herein were completed from 1998 to 2011; most of the works contain "artistic license," but they are based upon the scenery and structures found around the Scottish locations of Glencoe, Inverness, Loch Ness, and the Orkney Islands.