Crail, Fife, Scotland, UK--once home to Ada de Warenne

 The medieval royal family of Scotland never had a shortage of castles. Crail, in County Fife, was proclaimed a royal burgh by William the Lion and once was the setting of a castle believed to be often visited by Ada de Warenne.

Today there is no castle, only a privately owned tower on the spot where it is thought it stood.

Looking across the harbor.

Crail is distinctive with its stone wall that creates a safe harbor.

 Quaint, beautiful, clean, Crail is worthy of being featured on calendars, jigsaw puzzles, and souvenir mugs. 

Cobblestone streets near harbor

 Historical 17th and 18th century buildings are homes and shops of all kinds, including restaurants, ice cream and souvenir shops, and lobster stands.

The cobblestone streets are well maintained.

Hill thought where castle stood

This photo is taken from the harbor wall. The castle stood hil and looked over the North sea out to the Isle of May.

Looking down from the top of the approximately

ten foot wall.

Since my picture of the harbor did not turn out, I borrowed this one of a great jigsaw puzzle of Crail.

A Pawn for a King, Ada de Warenne, Queen Mother of Scotland

Daughter of the Earl of Surrey, Ada de Warenne is destined to marry a nobleman of her parents’ choosing. Little does she know the king of England will mandate her marriage to Prince Henry of Scotland, the son of King David and heir to the throne, for England's gain. As much as she resists, the odds work against her, and she unwittingly falls in love with the handsome prince. What was once her greatest fear—a marriage without love—turns into one of the greatest romances of all time—until tragedy strikes. Can a privileged English girl survive the ruthless ways of medieval Scotland and be counted among the greatest women in history?

Hinze and Sowards Meet in Haddington

Authors Joan Sowards and Sarah Hinze meet in Haddington, Scotland, UK to do research their novel, A Pawn for a King, Ada de Warenne, Queen Mother of Scotland.

Sarah Hinze is the 24th great-grandaughter of Ada de Warenne and a multi- published author, whose titles include The Castaways, is a public speaker, and has raised nine children.

A Pawn for a King is Joan Sowards' seventh published novel, including Shadows of Montsegur, A Tale of the Cathers (Dans l'ombre de Montsegur)--a medieval tale about the Albigensian crusade--a composer, genealogist, and is the mother of five.