Liz MacWhirter
Published: 6 July 2022
June 2021
Liz is pursuing an interdisciplinary DPhil in Theology through Creative Practice. Her thesis comprises a novel set in the Western Isles during the 1470-90s, together with a critical reflection. CSCS Seedcorn funding covered the cost of a vital research trip to the Isle of Islay, following desk research during Covid. The purpose of the trip was archival research and location research.
Her novel tells history through women’s eyes, at a time of cultural trauma when the Scottish Gaelic Lords of the Isles fell from power. At the Finlaggan Centre, located at the edge of the historic gathering site of the Lords of the Isles, Liz consulted several first edition and rare books. Two sources provided accounts that may verify Liz’s theory about the impact of the Prince Bishop of Durham Lawrence Booth in 1462 and 1474. Numerous granular details found in sources dating back to the Middle Ages will inform the writing of the novel, increasing verisimilitude. Liz gathered autumnal field notes and identified new locations for the story, such as an unmarked ruin above Loch Allan near Keills providing a plausible hiding place for a character on the run.
First published: 6 July 2022
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