Widow’s legend sparked author’s new book

A GALLOWAY legend has inspired author Lawrie Johnston to put pen to paper for his latest novel. A Raven Rising is set in 1307 and tells of a strangers arrival at a remote cottage in the Galloway hills that belongs to the Widow of Craigencallie and her three sons. The stranger sets the brothers a challenge which will change their lives forever. It features King Robert the Bruce, the Battle of Glentrool and Whithorn Priory, as well as the Battle of Bannockburn and the politics of 14th-century Scotland. Lawrie is an established author of Scottish historical fiction, whose first novel, Who Served Well, was published in 2022. A history graduate of Stirling University, he taught history in Scottish schools for over 30 years and is interested in the history of Galloway where he lived for many years. Lawrie said: “I have always been interested in Galloway, a unique part of Scotland, with a very rich history. “I was asked to lead an historical walk about the Battle of Glentrool as part of the Newton Stewart Walking Festival. “I came across a fascinating local legend about the Widow of Craigencallie and her three sons who encountered King Robert Bruce in his hour of need. The legend was the inspiration for A Raven Rising.”