Millrace News
Summer 2010
The event of the summer for Millrace was the launch in Inverness of the centenary edition of My Friends the Miss Boyds. Generously hosted by Waterstone’s on 24th June, it attracted Jane Duncan readers from all over Scotland, as well as from south of the border. There was even one delightful guest from Russia. Jane Duncan’s niece Shona and nephews Neil and Donald, who have written an Afterword for the new edition, were there to sign copies of the book (see below).
But the launch was just one of several events taking place that week to celebrate the centenary of the Black Isle author’s birth. Dr Jim Mackay’s fascinating guided walks round Jemimaville and Reachfar attracted lots of enthusiastic participants — see the group below beside Udale Bay — and the week ended with ‘Tea with Friends’ at the Old Brewery in Cromarty. This was a lovely occasion, given by the Cameron family, where local residents, fans and family were able to meet and swap memories of Jane Duncan and thoughts about the books, and Dr Fiona Thompson spoke of her researches among the Jane Duncan archives.
The final Jane Duncan event of the year, also in Cromarty, will be on Saturday 11th September — part of the tenth Black Isle Words Festival. The afternoon will be devoted to talks and a discussion under the heading ‘Reachfar, Jane Duncan’s Black Isle’. Click here for a pdf of the full Festival programme.