Borders author brings Good Witch back in new children’s book
A new tale of fairies, goblins and witches set in the Scottish Borders has flowed from the pen of award-winning writer of children’s stories and books, Alasdair Hutton, who has produced another adventure of Morag, the Good Witch of Abbotsford.
In this new book, The Good Witch and the Eildon Fairies, Morag, helps to foil a raid by a gang of greedy goblins from Ettrick Forest to steal the coronation jewels of the fairies who live under the ancient Eildon Hills.
Kelso-based Alasdair, who spent 30 years as writer and storyteller for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and is a former convener of Scottish Borders Council, will launch his new book at Abbotsford Visitor Centre on Friday, November 20 at 4pm, just before this year’s Christmas shopping event at Abbotsford.
Bob Dewar has created another set of enchanting illustrations for young readers in this latest tale about The Good Witch and the Eildon Fairies.
This is the third book for children which Alasdair has set in the Borders. The first was Mustard and Pepper about two little Dandie Dinmont dogs who lived at Abbotsford with Sir Walter Scott.
The Good Witch of Abbotsford, also illustrated by Bob Dewar, was well reviewed and told the story of how the young witch Morag stopped a plot by an evil witch to capture a group of children and make them servants in the witches’ coven.
He wrote Scotland’s Greatest Storyteller as a biography of Sir Walter Scott for older children and young adults.
Alasdair’s first book for children, The Tattoo Fox, won the Heart of Hawick Children’s Book Award. He followed that with The Tattoo Fox Makes New Friends and then the Luath Treasury of Scottish Nursery Rhymes, also illustrated by Bob Dewar.
He wrote The Greatest Show on Earth about his first 25 years writing and narrating the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for adults and then The Castle Cat told young readers more about the cat who befriended the Tattoo Fox at Edinburgh Castle.
Alasdair is not slowing down as the years pass. He has already completed two more books about the Castle Cat and has written the first draft of a sequel to the Good Witch and the Eildon Fairies.