Sharyn McCrumb: Highland Laddie Gone

The third book in the Elizabeth MacPherson series, 1986

When I am not writing mysteries I am a regional scholar, and as such I am particularly concerned with cultural patterns, dialect, etc. Therefore, when I decided to have three Scots as main characters in this book, I consulted the real thing. Dr. Gavin Faulkner, who turned out to be Scotland’s answer to Henry Higgins, guided me through hours of research, provided invaluable material on dialects, and even went along to a few Highland games to test my cultural theories. I couldn’t have done it without him.

I am also grateful to Dr. Alan Haddow (Colonel Pickering to Gavin’s Higgins) for being more help to a writer than one could reasonably expect of an engineer, and to Marcia Romano and Stephen Goldie for their help with Glaswegian. The Scots-Americans at the various Highland festivals have without exception been friendly and helpful to me in researching my book-even the Campbells. Most of the aberrations depicted herein are purely imaginary, but the cultural observations are as accurate as I was able to make them.

WESTERN VIRGINIA’S

OWN SCOTTISH FESTIVAL

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Scottish Field Events

Highland Parade of Clans

Dancing & Piping Competitions

Clan Hospitality Tents

Ceilidh (Scottish Pub & Dancing)

Border Collie Herding Events

Scottish Items for Sale

Glencoe Festival Craft Fair

Camping Facilities and Some

Motel Accommodations

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

FOR INFORMATION:

Dr. G. Andrew Carson

Glencoe Mountain Games Chairman

7091 Bonnie Bell Drive

Meadow Creek, Virginia

Or: Your Local Scottish Heritage Society

THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDER

NEWSLETTER

A Wee Word From Heather McSkye

Lots of exciting Do’s to share with you this month! Gregory Spence (the dashing dermatologist who looks divine in a kilt) is whisking off to the auld country for a well-earned vacation. We’ll miss you at the games, Greg!

Jeff and Bitsy Lockerby (of White Oak Farms) are the proud parents of a wee bairn, Bonnie Jean, born July 25th. Congratulations to Clan Douglas on a new addition!

A tip of the tarn to Taylor McKinnon for winning first prize in country dancing at North Carolina Highland Games. (Can you believe that Babs and Ed have a college-age daughter?)

Speaking of Highland games, SCOTS WHAT HAE… the time and energy should be getting ready for next month’s Virginia Gala. This will be my first festival as a member of Clan Mac-Donald and I’m as nervous as a corbie on a high road! My husband Batair (that’s Gaelic for Walter; and he’s Dr. Hutcheson to his patients) is an old hand at this festival business, since he is in his second term as clan chief. He has arranged for Clan MacDonald to have its own tent at the games.

BRING YOUR OWN GLENLIVET!-A special thanks to that dear Betty Carson (so organized!) for heading up the hospitality committee. I’E be on hand to help her out-any more volunteers out there?

Batair and I were among the guests at Doug and Paige Stewart’s anniversary party last week. After a lovely dinner of prime rib, set on a table fit for the Bonnie Prince, we all went in to Paige’s stunning Queen Anne living room and watched slides of their trip to Scotland. They didn’t get to my old home place, but I’ve made them promise to visit it on their next trip.-Thanks to all the Highlanders here for making a newcomer to the country-and a newlywed-feel so welcome!

Note: Those with questions about the border collie herding competition, please don’t ask me! I’m completely bewildered by all creatures great and small. The person you need to talk to is the first Mrs. Walter Hutcheson, who can be reached at… (over)

CLAN CHATTAN

Dear Elizabeth,

How are you? It’s been ages! Due to a security leak in your organization (your mom), I have obtained your address and am writing to ask a favor. (In business school they teach us to come to the point in the first paragraph.) Did you know that I’m getting my MBA at Princeton! The folks are so thrilled about it-Daddy’s plastered bumper stickers on every vehicle we own, even the riding lawn mower. It’s quite sweet, really, to see them so happy. Your mother didn’t say what you were doing.

Haven’t seen you at the Highland games festivals since high school. You really ought to come to one. Surely you’re not still upset about the dance competition. Goodness, there’s so much more to a festival than that! There’s the hospitality tent, and the nametag chairman. Not everybody is meant to be graceful, you know.

Anyway, I hope I can persuade you to come to the Labor Day games (see enclosed brochure), because there is something that I need a volunteer for. You remember Cluny, don’t you? He’s fine, as reserved as ever. For the past two years, I’ve been the person in charge of him for the festivals. You know how they like a pretty girl to show him off. Well, this year I simply can’t come! I’ll be in Europe during term break with my flatmate. So, I need someone to take my place. Buffy and Pax and Cammie-Lynn were all booked up, so I’m hoping that you’ll show the old Clan spirit and volunteer for the job. But if you can’t afford it, do say so, and I’ll understand.

Please let me know soon about this. I’m off to Europe next week. Oh, and what have you been doing lately? Teaching?

Got to run!

Mary Stuart Gillespie

Dear Mary-Stuart,

Can’t tell you how devastated I am to hear that you won’t be at the Highland games this year. In that case, I guess I’ll go. And I’ll be happy to take care of Cluny. He’s my favorite member of Clan Chattan, anyway.

No, I’m not teaching. I’m getting a degree in forensic anthropology, along with my fiancé, Milo Gordon. We spend a lot of time cutting up dead bodies. I think of you often.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth

“THERE! I told you we weren’t lost!” said Elizabeth MacPherson, slapping the steering wheel. “Look at the bumper sticker on that car.”

Her cousin Geoffrey assumed an expression of world-weary disdain. “The one that says: Do it with a Piper?”

“Yes. Meaning bagpipes. They must be on their way to the Scottish festival.”

“Or perhaps to an exterminators’ convention. One can but hope,” sighed Geoffrey.

“You promised you were going to behave,” Elizabeth reminded him.

“If our theatre group weren’t producing Brigadoon next spring, you would never have got me to come.”

“I know, Geoffrey,” said Elizabeth sweetly. “But you were my second choice for someone to go with.”

“Oh? And who was your first choice?”

Elizabeth shrugged. “Just anybody.”

She continued to follow the blue station wagon along Virginia Highway 42, looking for signs announcing the Western Virginia Highland Games. Why did I want someone to come with me, Elizabeth wondered. Is it a holdover from the old days when a woman alone was a wallflower? She stole a glance at Geoffrey, who had gone back to reading the play script. She had better make some effort to stay on good terms with him for the weekend: Geoffrey was known for his skill at subtle revenge.