Covenanting Country

Fact: Reading aloud is still an exciting family activity that engages young and old alike.  It's true!
We recently spent a week in South West Scotland, 'Covenanting country', and enjoyed some lovely relaxing evenings reading from 'The Two Margarets - Danger on the Hill' by Catherine Mackenzie. From 2 years old to 40*ahem*ish years old, we were each enthralled by the story of Margaret Wilson and Margaret MacLachlan and their faithfulness unto death.  Catherine Mackenzie excellently weaves a fictional story around the true facts known about the case of the two Margarets.  Margaret Wilson is only 18 years old and her siblings younger when they are forced to flee from their parents and comfortable home and hide from the authorities in the hills surrounding Wigtown.  With large sums promised as a reward for their capture they are eventually betrayed by a family friend and handed over to the authorities.  The strength of their faith was incredible in the face of such circumstances and this is vividly portrayed in the story. Visiting Wigtown and the scene of such atrocities and spotting signposts with farm names and local areas from the story served to really bring the truth of it all home to the children.  Even if it is not possible to visit the area, the story will still take you back to that time & place and hold you there with bated breath to see what the outcome will be.
The Two Margarets - Danger on the Hill by Catherine Mackenzie, also available as an eBook. This book is part of the Torchbearer series which are all fictionalized biographies of martyrs.
Incidently, our eldest son badgered us to go to this part of the country after being inspired by the Crown & Covenant series a historical fiction series about the Covenanting times - a brilliant series for boys.
Lorna