Today, on a very wet and windy Christmas Eve in Buckinghamshire, my thoughts are in the Scottish Highlands. I love it up there - the Aviemore area in particular. Today, Aviemore is forecast rain and snow, and I believe it's snowed up there recently. I wish they'd send some snow my way! I would love for it to be a white Christmas (rain just doesn't create the same effect), but sadly I don't think it's meant to be.
My novelette, Out of my Debt, is set in the Scottish Highlands. The library where Ruby works in Aviemurchus is fictional (as is Aviemurchus), and so too is the photography shop in Aviemore where Ruby gets a second job. The Reindeer Centre in Aviemore does indeed exist though - I have been there - as do Loch Morlich, the Cairngorms National Park, Loch an Eilein, Inverness, and indeed, Aviemore itself (including the Tesco!).
Aviemore does have its own library, but its larger than the one Ruby works in, which is why I created Aviemurchus (I created the name by merging parts of the place names, Aviemore and Rothiemurchus).
Below I have posted some pictures of some reindeer I saw at the Reindeer Centre. Suitably Christmassy I thought. Happy Christmas everybody.
