IT is the most popular event on the bikers’ calendar and this year one of Scotland’s favourite writers has chosen Thunder in the Glens (TITG) in Aviemore for the public launch of her latest book.
Lin Anderson will unveil Sins of the Dead at a Ladies of Harley event on the August bank holiday weekend. The latest mystery for forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod starts during an illegal race in the underground tunnels of Glasgow, when four female Harley-Davidson riders make a horrific discovery – a dead man lying in the darkness, hands together on his chest.
This is a 13th outing for MacLeod and the book was inspired by Anderson’s visit to last year’s TITG with friends from her home village, Carrbridge. She told The National: “A Harley featured in the previous book – I don’t know why but in came a Harley and I felt it was an interesting back story.
“Last year I was sitting at the Cairngorm Hotel having a drink and listening to the music – it’s such an amazing atmosphere and the idea just came to me.
“Sins of the Dead actually opens in Glasgow when the four female Harley riders are racing in the old London Road tunnel illegally and they come across a body and it goes on from there.
“These female riders become, if not the stars of the book apart from Rhona MacLeod, a big feature of it. It then ends in a big scene in Aviemore at Thunder in the Glens.
“There’s a couple in Aviemore – Fran and Jim Anderson who are members of the Dunedin Chapter [Harley Owners Group, the event organisers] and they feature in the book, because I said I was going to have somebody who knew the score, all the arrangements and things ... they were able to give me great advice.”
Last year, Anderson’s book Follow the Dead opened on top of Cairngorm and was launched at the mountain rescue centre there.
She said: “Willie Anderson, the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue leader, helped me a lot with that with the whole world of Cairngorm and climbing and we had the launch at the rescue centre, so it seemed sensible when Thunder plays such a big role to launch the new one at the rally.
“The book is dedicated to the Dunedin Chapter – I couldn’t have written it without them. It would have been madness not to launch it during TITG.”
Anderson will be meeting the Ladies of Harley in Aviemore and will doubtless partake in some of the Bloody Scotland Stirling Gin cocktails created for the occasion.
However, she admits that she is not yet a true member: “No, I’m not. They’re trying to persuade me to go on a ride-out this year so I think I’ll have to succumb – as long as I can get my leg over the bike.”
There are no such fears for George McGuire, the organiser of TITG, which marks its 21st birthday this year, with several headline acts already confirmed, including the Rick Parfitt Junior (RPJ) Band, Gun, the Skids and Maison Hill.
“This year’s TITG is heading for a 3000 sell-out for the indoor music venues at night,” he said. “The mass bike ride-out on Saturday has been extended to enable it to ride through more of the local villages.
“Viisitors will be able to view the bikes up close and personal during the stopover in Grantown-on-Spey.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here