‘Stunning seascapes and beautiful beaches’ of the north-west are inspiration for writer’s debut novel, ‘The Flitspace’
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The “vast wilderness” and “beautiful beaches” of north-west Sutherland provide the setting for “The Flitspace” — an “exciting” first work from a debuting Scottish adventure novelist.
First-time fiction writer Stewart Cable has been holidaying in Assynt since he was a baby.
His family’s love affair with north-west Sutherland began when his parents started taking camping trips in 1966, before they brought him there as an infant in 1979. As both a child and as a parent himself, he has returned almost every summer.
“I first visited north-west Scotland as a baby in 1979 and have been back most years since,” he recalls. “There were a few regular families by then, so I remember looking forward to seeing my usual gang of pals each summer and exploring every inch of the coast and hills. We were allowed a freedom there we never had at home.
“On the headland, the salmon fishermen had a bothy and would launch their boats every day to check the nets and bring in the salmon. Something you sadly don't see anymore.
“They tolerated us kids hanging around and asking questions even though us Lowland kids had trouble understanding their rich accents. I remember a gang of us playing on the ancient tractor they used to haul the nets up with after they'd left one day.
“While pretending to drive, someone accidently let the hand brake off and the tractor began rolling down the hill, kids jumping off left and right.
“Fortunately, it clipped the fisherman’s bothy, only causing minor damage to both —otherwise it would have been over the rocks and into the sea! Needless to say we steered clear of the fishermen for a while after that.”
The 45-year-old from Dumfriesshire now has a family of his own. Married to Linsey, his sons Ruaridh (9) and Calum (6) have also found a place of retreat and adventure in the north-west.
“When my own kids were born, there was obviously no question of taking them anywhere else,” Stewart adds. “Now they're the ones making gangs and seeing regular friends each year and getting a bit more freedom than they do at home.
“I haven't shown them all the secrets yet of course, some they need to discover on their own.
“The basic story of The Flitspace was originally one I'd made up for my boys while on a long distance drive. The characters are of course their slightly naughtier alter egos.
“That story wasn't set in Clachtoll but when I decided to write something down, just to see if I could do it, it was the only place to set it. Somewhere I knew well, and could write about with passion.
“I adore the mixture of stunning seascapes, vast wilderness, beautiful beaches and inspiring history. What better place to set my first novel?”
The Flitspace begins when Ru-um and his younger brother Cali, on holiday in the north-west, go missing while on a walk to an ancient, ruined broch. Last seen with a mysterious girl, Amelia, they are eventually found several days later — unharmed — but with Cali now inexplicably older than Ru-um.
The story breathlessly follows the boys as Amelia takes them deep under the broch to the ‘Flitspace’ - a gateway to another world identical to their own but completely uninhabited, except for the descendants of a small tribe who fled from Scotland one thousand years ago.
However, Amelia hasn’t told them the whole truth of her world, or of the strange aging properties of the Flitspace. The boys quickly find themselves in conflict with Amelia’s powerful brother Mor-Ri and his enigmatic advisor known as Minister.
With Amelia’s help, their own knowledge of the landscape, and the discovery of megafauna not seen in present day Scotland, the boys attempt to thwart Mor-Ri’s plans and escape back to their own world.
Stewart adds: “I have tried to create an exciting, funny adventure story reflecting my love of the outdoors and north-west Scotland in particular, while also exploring several themes that encourage young readers to think about the world around them.
“For example, what impact have humans had on the Scottish landscape and how might Scotland look today if humans never existed? What was the purpose of the ancient brochs dotted around Scotland and who built them? Is what we experience as reality all there is to the universe?
“On a more personal level the story asks; what does it mean to be older? Are we the same person as we were ten years ago?
“And, how far would someone go to save their family?”
The Flitspace is available to buy now via various online bookstores or directly from Troubador Publishing.
