Ardnish: A Novel

By Angus MacDonald

Praise for the Ardnish Series

'What I really enjoyed about this book was its beauty, an enthralling read that is both brutal and poetic' – Daily Record

‘A fast-paced narrative with deeply likeable characters ... far more than yet another wartime love story ... impossible to put down’ – Scottish Field, Book of the Month

‘Not only a gripping and at times horrifying adventure . . . it is also an important piece of social history. But perhaps above all, it is a tale of the importance of true love and determination’ – Scots Magazine

Ardnish, the Highlands of Scotland, 1944. On his deathbed, Donald John Gillies sends for a priest to hear his last confession. During his 85 years he has witnessed much – world wars, the loss of family through death and emigration, and the daily struggles which face the small remote community.

Waiting anxiously for the priest, his mind travels back to the dusty plains of South Africa in 1901, where he fought as a Lovat Scout during the Boer War, and where he met the woman who was the love of his life. Forced to abandon her and her young daughter in a British concentration camp, DJ returns to Scotland and his old life after his camp is ambushed by Boers and many of his fellow soldiers are massacred.

As he lies dying, an unexpected visitor arrives at Ardnish. making it more imperative then ever for DJ to come to terms with the past and to make peace with himself – and his family – while there is still time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Birlinn
• Release date: Jul 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781788852944

Angus MacDonald

Angus MacDonald has lived all his life in the west highlands, serving in the local regiment The Queens Own Highlanders before becoming an entrepreneur with businesses in publishing, education and renewable energy. Now largely retired from corporate life he has written the Ardnish trilogy, is the proud owner of The Highland Bookshop and has built The Highland Cinema in the Fort William town square.