One of the most rewarding moments as a writer is seeing a story that began as a simple idea grow into something that resonates with readers. Recently, that journey led to an unexpected milestone when The Veil of Calderglen was featured in the Glasgow Times.
The article explored the inspiration behind the book — and how a real place in East Kilbride helped shape the story.
You can read the original article here:
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/scottish-news/25873002.authors-new-book-inspired-east-kilbrides-calderglen-park/
A Story Rooted in a Real Place
Like many ideas, the story began with something simple: a walk through Calderglen Country Park in East Kilbride.
The park is one of the town’s most recognisable green spaces, stretching across woodland and river valleys along the Rotten Calder gorge.
It’s the kind of place that already feels slightly mysterious — wooded paths, hidden corners, and the sense that something might exist just beyond what you can see.
That atmosphere made it the perfect setting for fiction.
From Walks in the Park to a Novel
According to the Glasgow Times, the idea for the story grew from time spent walking through Calderglen with family, imagining what might happen if the familiar landscape hid something far stranger beneath the surface.
That thought became the starting point for The Veil of Calderglen.
In the book, the park becomes more than just a location. It becomes a gateway to something unknown — a place where reality itself might not be as stable as it seems.
What begins as an ordinary discovery slowly evolves into something far more dangerous.
The Story Behind The Veil of Calderglen
The novel follows a group of young characters who uncover secrets hidden within the park — secrets that hint at another world existing just beyond their own.
At first, the discovery feels like an adventure.
But as the truth begins to unfold, they realise the boundary between worlds may be far more fragile than anyone imagined.
And if that boundary breaks, the consequences could affect both realities.
Writing About Places People Recognise
One of the things I enjoy most about writing is using real locations as inspiration.
Places like Calderglen already carry stories within them — centuries of history, quiet moments, and the imagination of the people who walk those paths every day.
When readers recognise a setting, it changes the experience of the story.
Suddenly the mystery feels closer to home.
When Local Stories Become Bigger Ones
Seeing The Veil of Calderglen featured in the Glasgow Times was a reminder that stories inspired by local places can travel much further than expected.
What begins as an idea during a quiet walk can eventually become a book — and sometimes even a news story.
And that’s one of the most exciting parts of writing fiction.
You never quite know where the idea will lead.
Read The Veil of Calderglen
If you’d like to explore the story behind the article, you can find the book here:
And if you happen to visit Calderglen Country Park yourself, you might just find yourself looking at the woods a little differently.