About Angela MacRae Shanks
Angela MacRae Shanks was born in Garmouth, a village near the mouth of the River Spey in northeast Scotland, and still lives in this beautiful part of the world. Her mother’s family belong to Strathavon, a real place, and this remote glen is very dear to Angela’s heart. Here, she first heard tales of the area’s dramatic history, its people, and their struggles, and became fascinated. Growing up in Moray, a beautiful part of Scotland known as ‘malt whisky country’, an interest in the area’s illicit past took hold, particularly whisky smuggling and the reasons behind it. Her fascination with the natural world and the folklore of the Highlands, combined with her training in natural therapies, led her to weave herbal lore into her tales. Those who healed using plants and the wisdom of nature, usually women, were often branded witches. She felt the need to explore this injustice, and so the Strathavon Saga was born.