Undiscovered Scotland

 

"The Tide Also Takes" by R P Carruthers is a thoroughly enjoyable historical adventure/romance that we wholeheartedly recommend to anyone interested in the less-travelled corners of Scottish history: or to anyone who is simply looking for a good yarn.

The Jacobite rising of 1719 is easily overlooked, coming as it did on the heels of the 1715 rising and overshadowed by the (arguably) nearly successful attempt by Charles Edward Stuart, "Bonnie Prince Charlie", to oust the Hanoverian dynasty in 1745 before his eventual defeat at Culloden. In 1719 the plan was for a Spanish fleet to land a force of 5,000 troops in south-west England. The weather intervened and the Spanish fleet was badly damaged and the invasion cancelled. Meanwhile, a small Spanish diversionary force landed in Stornoway in the Western Isles and then in Loch Duich on the west coast of the mainland, where they captured Eilean Donan Castle. They subsequently met an opposing force of Hanoverian government troops at the Battle of Glen Shiel.

Much of this features as background to "The Tide Also Takes". Stating the outcome of the battle here might be considered a spoiler, though the existence of a Jacobite rising in 1745 does give a strong indication of the outcome of the 1719 rising.

The story in "The Tide Also Takes" is told from two main perspectives: Shona, the wife of a local laird, and a Spanish officer, Captain Alejandro de la Rueda. Even if you've not read on the rear cover that the two of them are destined to meet and fall in love, you get the sense of an inevitable convergence from quite early in the story. Of course, once the Battle of Glen Shiel has delivered its outcome, those on the losing side become fugitives from a vengeful government trying to eradicate every last vestige of rebellion. At this point, more personal enmities also have a chance to come to the fore and the story heads off towards its gripping conclusion.

The book is well constructed and nicely paced and you find yourself caring about the characters. This reader was carried along in a very enjoyable way. With a historical novel the quality of the author's research is vitally important in delivering a world that is believable to it readers and we found that the setting and background were every bit as credible and convincing as we would have hoped.