Acknowledgements and Dedication

Ardnish Was Home started as a short story and grew and grew. Holidays, starting at the millennium and for the next sixteen years, saw me rise ridiculously early and write for a few hours until we headed out to play. In between I would be collecting and collating the stories.

As my siblings and I were being reared in the West Highlands, our father was the non-stop fount of these anecdotes, and we participated in the old ways of clipping the sheep, the gathering, stalking deer and building hay stacks. My grandfather would regale us with stories of his father, Colonel Willie, who plays a key role. It was my father too, who on reading the first few thousand words, encouraged me to persevere and complete the book.

So, thanks to my father, Rory MacDonald, to whom I dedicate Ardnish Was Home, for providing both the tales and the inspiration to write it.

AM