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8 places in the north and north-east which have appeared in crime fiction

There’s plenty of places around the north and north-east that would be the perfect backdrop for a crime novel.

Banff Bridge, which is Aberdeenshire Council's top priority
Banff Bridge repairs could cost up to £3 million. Image: Kenny Elrick/ DC Thomson

With the return of Granite Noir, take a look at the inspiration behind some of Scotland’s most gripping crime fiction novels set in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Inverness and Highlands. Who doesn’t love a good mystery?

Aberdeen

Aerial view of Aberdeen Harbour.
Aberdeen Harbour featured in crime fiction novel “Cold Granite”. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

What better way to start than with the Granite City itself?

Stuart MacBride is renowned for his crime thriller novels with Detective Sergeant McRae as the main protagonist.

“Cold Granite” in particular focuses on the police hunt for a child killer who stalks the wintery streets of Aberdeen.

A range of locations appear throughout the novel – including Aberdeen Harbour, Police Scotland, Marischal Street, and Rosemount Place.

Banff, Aberdeenshire

The seaside town was the idyllic setting for Shona MacLean to base her first novel on.

Walking around Banff, she was inspired by its long-standing history in the streets and houses.

The 1920s tale begins when a young man collapses in front of two sisters who discover that he’s been murdered by poisoning.

MacLean began writing “The Redemption of Alexander Seaton” in a Cottage at Deer Park, before completing it in St Anne’s Terrace.

Macduff, Aberdeenshire

Tarlair Swimming Pool in Macduff, Aberdeenshire
Tarlair Swimming Pool in Aberdeenshire featured in crime novel “The Missing and the Dead”. Image: Kenny Elrick/DCT Media

Of course, the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author included another Aberdeenshire town in the series.

When Stuart MacBride scouted the Macduff location for his crime novel “The Missing and the Dead”, he felt it was the perfect place to find a body.

The book centers around a child’s corpse washing up in Tarlair Swimming Pool, initiating a major manhunt.

Without Sergeant McRae on the team, DCI Steel’s investigation crew from Aberdeen are making no progress in solving the case.

Inverness

The Ness Islands in Inverness.
The Ness Islands in Inverness featured in “Shadow Man”. Image: Shutterstock

Margaret Kirk writes crime fiction based in and around her home city of Inverness.

“Shadow Man” is the first novel in her series of books featuring DI Lukas Mahler.

On this occasion, two brutal murders bring the ex-Met Detective Inspector the biggest challenge he has ever faced in his career.

Several locations are used to tell the story – including  Ness Islands, Raigmore Hospital, Bunchrew House, Police Scotland on Burnett Road, and Slackbuie Roundabout.

Cairngorms National Park, Highlands

Cairngorms National Park
Cairngorms National Park featured in “The Dead of Winter”. Image: Shutterstock

Stuart MacBride also ventures into the valleys of Cairngorms National Park with DC Edward Reekie in the crime novel “The Dead of Winter”.

To others, Glenfarach looks to be a quaint, snow-dusted village.

In reality, it’s a community full of convicts who have served their sentences but can’t safely be released into society.

All Edward had to do was return to Aberdeen from delivering a prisoner to the sanctuary to live out his days – until an approaching blizzard shut everything down.

Ullapool, Highlands

Aerial view of Ullapool
Ullapool featured in “From the Shadows”. image: Kenny Elrick/ DC Thomson

From Torridon to the Minch, G R Halliday draws inspiration from all over the Scottish Highlands in “From the Shadows”.

Halliday moved to Inverness to explore the stunning landscape – including the beaches, mountains, and glens.

In the novel, a social worker named Michael Bach conducts his own search for a missing client.

Michael lives in a fishing village close to Ullapool, north of the Highlands.

Lochaber, Highlands

The village of Kinlochleven in Lochaber
The village of Kinlochleven in the Scottish Highlands featured in crime novel “A Winter Grave”. Image: Shutterstock

The latest novel by crime writer Peter May, “A Winter Grave”, takes us to the mountains of Kinlochleven.

Setting the scene in 2051, efforts are made to alert readers on how the future could look due to climate change.

The engrossing read observes a stranded meteorologist on a mountaintop weather station in extreme conditions –  further escalating to the discovery of a missing man’s body.

Dunnet Head, Highlands

Dunnet Head
Dunnet Head featured in “The Night Watch”. Image: Keith Broomfield

To follow a series there has to be an element that urges readers to come back for more. And the DS Max Craigie series is no exception.

As an ex-police Officer, Neil Lancaster transports you into the reality of unlawful activity, proving the determination that goes into bringing a criminal to justice.

His third installment, “The Night Watch”, focuses on a lawyer who is found dead on a clifftop at Dunnet Head on the northernmost tip of Scotland.

 

 

 

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