An Interview with Munro #HWFbloghop

If you haven't been following the Historical Writers' Forum "Interview my Character" Blog Hop, you have been missing out, but never fear! You can catch up on all the fun insight into your favorite characters by visiting the blogs listed here, or by following this Facebook page.

Today, I am excited to have my turn hosting the blog hop, and I am honored to be paired with the marvelous Margaret Skea. Not only has Margaret written a fabulous novel about Katharina Luther (!), but she has also written a series on the feud between the Scottish Cunninghame and Montgomerie clans.

Munro is the main character in the series, beginning with the novel Turn of the Tide. I enjoyed both reading this novel and having the chance to interview the thoughtful and devoted Munro. I know you will want to read Turn of the Tide too, and you can find an excerpt here or purchase the novel on Amazon. Caution: you WILL be hooked on Skea's writing. Alright, you've been warned. On with the interview! Welcome, Munro!

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How do you believe the feud began between the Cunninghames and the Montgomeries?

The feud? Some folk say one thing and some another, but to be truthful the origins go back so far that no one can truly be sure. My opinion, though maybe not the wisest to voice, is that much of the blame lies with the monarchy. Not our current king of course, but his great-grandfather, James IV, who gave control of the bailiiewick of Cunninghame to a Montgomerie. Memories last long in our county, as do old grievances, and that was an affront that couldn’t be easily forgotten. Money’s at the centre of it, of course, as it usually is, for control of the bailliewick means the right to collect customs. Worth a tidy sum, I can tell you.

Did your father also follow Cunninghame leaders in violence against the Montgomeries?

Of course, and my grandfather before him. What choice do we have? Our tower is built on Cunninghame land, and to refuse to do Glencairn’s bidding would be to risk our home and our livelihood, forbye our safety. Lives have been forfeit for less.

Why did you feel compelled to follow Glencairn, even despite Kate’s anger?

I did it for her and for the children, to keep them safe, though she couldn’t be brought to see it that way. And though Kate is a fine woman in many ways, she makes judgements based on moral grounds, while I was more practical. At the beginning at least.

Why do you think William hates you and your brother so much?

William thinks a lot of himself and his status as the heir to the earldom of Glencairn, and it has always irked him that my father died when I was young enough to enjoy my lairdship and a home of my own, while his father shows no likelihood of dying any time soon. Master of Glencairn sounds impressive, but in reality he is his father’s pawn and his lack of power is a constant aggravation to him. Maybe that’s why he tries to throw his weight around. As for Archie, he had the misfortune to be my brother and that was enough to irritate William. Of course there was the issue of Sybilla, but I’d best not speak of that.

Do you think Archie was naïve?

He was young and ambitious and thought the Renfrew ‘pond’ rather restricting. The lure of living in an earl’s household proved too tempting for him and by the time he had the true measure of William, it was a mite late to change his mind. More’s the pity, for I truly believe he would have grown up into a decent man had circumstances been different.

Edinburgh Castle as seen today (author's photo)

How did you prepare for the travel and ceremony of Queen Anne’s Coronation?

That was all mother’s doing. I’m not a great one for ceremony, nor for kow-towing to royalty, but mother thought it would do Kate good to be away, especially in the light of our recent tragedy, and I was ready to do anything to make up for what had happened, for it was my fault. It was fortunate mother had money and to spare, for the expense of the thing was considerable. I should perhaps have anticipated how much it would cost to rent a house in Edinburgh at such a time, but it was my first time in the capital, and I don’t much care if I never return. I didn’t buy new clothes, for I thought there was plenty of life in my old ones, despite Kate’s protests to the contrary, but mother saw that Kate had a new gown and I was proud of how she looked in it.

Could James have done something more to bring peace between warring factions?

You must understand that James became king as an infant, as his mother and grandfather had before him. The nobles were used to having their own way and had done so for far too long. As soon as James could he set out to subdue them, handing out cautions and fines, making them sign letters of affirmation and demanding the public foreswearing of enmity. Raising up minor lairds, such as Hugh Montgomerie was a clever strategy and a way of ensuring loyalty that he could depend on. I don’t think he could have done much more.

Were you surprised to find that you enjoyed the company of those who were supposed to be your enemies?

That was a surprise, yes, for I’d been brought up to believe the only good Montgomerie was a dead one. When I met Patrick and then Hugh and Elizabeth, it was a revelation, and I don’t mind admitting an uncomfortable one, for I well knew the dangers of friendship in the enemy camp. The irony was that Kate, who believes ill of nobody unless she has evidence of it, was more reluctant than me to make their acquaintance.

Have these events affected your loyalty to your country? Your faith?

I may not always have been greatly interested in royalty, but I have always been loyal to my country - I don’t know why you would suggest otherwise. However, I must admit, that now that I’ve had some dealings with him, I think more highly of King James than perhaps I once did. I understand the pressures on him a little better and recognise the fine line he is treading to try and leave a country at peace when he comes into his own and takes the English crown.

As for faith, though I cannot claim to have found a strong faith for myself yet, I have seen the evidence of it in others, my mother included, and I would like to experience their certainty. I will say this, I have thought more on God in these last years, and that’s likely a good thing.

What can you tell us of the aftermath?

Violence begets violence, a cycle that James is determined to break, and he has the right of it. We will all sleep safer in our beds if he can succeed in outlawing the old enmities and the world will be a better place. The aftermath of Annock has taught me that, and I may never be able to completely forgive myself for my part in the massacre that sparked it. Kate would say that God forgives anyone who repents of their evil deeds. I hope she’s right.

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Thank you, Munro! This special insight into Turn of the Tide makes me eager to carry on with the next book, A House Divided. If you are interested in learning more about Margaret Skea and her novels, you can find her website here.

Don't miss the rest of the blog hop! You can find the interview with one of my characters, Countess Margaret Pole, here.

Historic Places: Jedburgh Abbey

If there's one thing that I loved about traveling in the UK . . . alright, there was millions of things I loved about traveling in the UK, but one thing that really stood out is the beauty and history found everywhere. Jedburgh Abbey is a great example of this. On our bus tour of England and Scotland, stopping here was a rest stop. I'm not kidding. This is the kind of place we saw when we stopped to hit the restroom, grab a coffee, and stock up on delicious British chocolate.

Jedburgh Abbey is a beautiful remnant of another age and one of those sights that makes me really angry at Henry VIII. Dissolution of the Monasteries?! What a horrible idea! So much history lost, records destroyed, buildings torn down....oh my, don't get me started.

A religious site predating the Norman invasion, Jedburgh Abbey has changed hands between Scotland and England so many times, I originally gave it to the wrong one in this article. Another one of our stops was the giant rock with 'England' inscribed on one side and 'Scotland' on the other. I'm lame and do not have a picture of it because this was one of our only cold, rainy days and I didn't venture off the bus. Anyway . . .

Unrelated to the Abbey, but also picked up during bus stops.

King David I of Scotland established the site as a priory in 1138 and an abbey in 1154. The Augustinian monks in service here were quite consistently coping with battles raging around them throughout the middle ages due to their border location. Not only would they have cared for those displaced or injured, but the Abbey itself was plundered by troops.

Jedburgh Abbey has stood for centuries, and it is a breathtaking sight. One cannot help but wonder what it looked like in all its former glory because the ruins are more impressive than most modern structures. As with many abbeys and cathedrals, it was built over the course of decades, and evidence of evolving architectural styles can be seen in the Roman columns and arches and intricate Gothic carvings.

Edward I used Jedburgh as lodgings during at least one of his many trips north to subdue the Scots. He was kind enough to have lead stripped from the roof for use in siege engines during another venture in return for the monks's hospitality.

Through the years, Jedburgh was used as a base for armies of Scotland, England, and even France, leaving destruction in their wake each time. And each time rebuilding was more limited due to the large amount of funds required and the precarious position of the Abbey. All this before Henry VIII changed the future of monastic life in England forever.

What remains of Jedburgh Abbey is a beautiful monument to the past. We don't have 'comfort stops' like this in the US.

Historic Places: Edinburgh

It has been a while since I wrote an installment in my Historic Places blog series, so I decided to revisit it today. Maybe I was avoiding talking about my next stop because there is so much to say that I know it cannot be adequately covered in one simple blog. Edinburgh has a greater variety of places to explore than anywhere else we visited on our recent UK trip along with a deep past to satisfy any history enthusiast.

Castle Rock in Edinburgh had already been the location of a fortress for hundreds of years before the building of Edinburgh Castle in the 12th century. It is easy to see why. When you walk along the ancient walls of the castle, you can see for miles in every direction. The panoramic views of the city are breathtaking. From this height, it is possible to discern the lines drawn between the medieval 'Old Town' and Georgian 'New Town'.

Old Town includes the castle, which protects within it's walls the Chapel of St Margaret, the oldest building in Edinburgh. This tiny stone chapel only holds about 20 people, but it is amazing to step inside and feel the weight of the many who have stood there before you. A stone archway separates the altar from the few wooden pews set upon a stone floor. It looks much as it must have in David I's time. When the castle was captured in 1314, the chapel was the only building left standing.

The remainder of the castle is a unique blend of elements that survive from the early 12th century to some that are startlingly new. The modern Scottish National War Memorial at the center of the castle joins the ghosts of the past to those who much more recently served in Scotland's troops. Much of the castle was restored during the Victorian era and that style is evident in many of the rooms with high ceilings and fireplaces that I could stand inside of.

The great hall was one of my favorite parts of the castle because it was built during the era that I write about. I could imagine Elizabeth of York or Margaret Pole striding through similar rooms in glorious Tudor gowns. It was inspiring to spend time in accommodations that they would have found familiar.

Modern amenities such as afternoon tea and whisky tastings are now offered at the castle, and we were happy to take advantage of them before heading out to walk the 'Royal Mile' that separates Edinburgh Castle from Holyrood Palace.


Walking the streets of Edinburgh, it is easy to see how JK Rowling was inspired to write Harry Potter. Gothic spires stretching out between (relatively) modern buildings does give one a sense that some sort of magic is taking place here. The cobblestone streets and fantastic blend of architecture give Edinburgh a style all its own.

As the residence of the British monarch in Scotland, Holyrood Palace has been the setting of the drama of royalty since it was built in the 17th century. While the palace is in good repair and in current use, the attached abbey grounds are in ruin, giving the impression of the past slowly falling away. The abbey was founded by the same King David I who built St Margaret's Chapel. Holyrood was sacked in 1544, and the reformation ensured that the abbey was left to disintegrate while the palace was rebuilt.

Leaving the meandering streets of Old Town, one finds themselves upon the familiar grid of streets that make up Edinburgh's New Town. This was amusing to we American's who would normally consider the 18th century neighborhood rather old. In a style similar to that found in Bath, this portion of Edinburgh was carefully planned and designed for the neighborhood to become one cohesive unit, with one home almost indistinct from another.

During our visit, a Christmas market was being held in Edinburgh, complete with ice skating, Ferris wheel, mulled wine booths, and many vendors work to explore. We enjoyed spending time here, and, of course, I discovered a book shop! We also found an antique map shop where we bought a gift for our geography-loving son. And I tried haggis....and liked it!

We spent hours simply wandering through Edinburgh, and it seems that there is something to see on every block. A quiet Victorian era graveyard was an inspiring discovery. Feeling like we were the only people in the world, we strolled past unique open style family crypts and worn and tumbled monuments.


The nature of our trip meant that we saw many places but did not get to spend nearly as much time as we would like to in any of them. That is certainly true of Edinburgh, a city I hope to visit again someday.