The Illustrated Declaration of Arbroath

Happy Sunday to you

in lockdown or however you find yourself!

I'm never short of reading material and the latest book has queue jumped, since it's the 'Right Time To Read It'. 

I knew I would not be able to go on an independence march in Arbroath, Scotland, on Saturday 4th April 2020 when the organisation All Under One Banner announced it. The reason I could not attend was that I expected to be on my cruise holiday, and by the 4th April was expecting to be spending a few onshore hours in Funchal, Madeira, going to tourist spots I didn't go to on my last Madeira visit in 6 years ago.

My OH, knowing how keen I was bought me a book as a consolation prize for not getting to Arbroath and it's a beauty. As well as Beta reading for a fellow Ocelot Press author today, I'm reading my copy of The Illustrated Declaration of Arbroath by Andrew Redmond Barr, and it's a fabulous production.  

The letter written to the pope 700 years ago, with the attached seals of the many important men in Scotland, is itself relatively short but Andrew Barr has made some beautiful illustrations to flank the historical background that makes the letter of the Declaration of Arbroath still be so important and very relevant today. 

The 700th celebrations of the Declaration of Arbroath have had to be postponed due to the the COVID 19 pandemic lockdown, but I'm so pleased to be able to celebrate the date myself, in my own small way.

So far, I've read half of the book and will complete it later tonight. The illustrations are so brilliantly done- published in black and white  -  that they really make me want to reach for some colouring pencils to do some colourising. 

Now, if I had 2 copies of this lovely book I'd do exactly that.  ;-) 

Slàinte!