The Forgotten Highlander

Synopsis

Alistair Urquhart was a soldier in the Gordon Highlanders captured by the Japanese in Singapore. He not only survived working on the notorious Bridge on the River Kwai , but he was subsequently taken on one of the Japanese 'hellships' which was torpedoed. Nearly everyone else on board died and Urquhart spent 5 days alone on a raft in the South China Sea before being rescued by a whaling ship. He was taken to Japan and then forced to work in a mine near Nagasaki. Two months later a nuclear bomb dropped just ten miles away . . .

This is the extraordinary story of a young men, conscripted at nineteen and whose father was a Somme Veteran, survived not just one, but three close encounters with death - encounters which killed nearly all his comrades.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Abandoned Isle

* Summary: The story begins on the remote Scottish island of Skye, where the abandoned ruins of Clan MacTavish stand forlorn. Ciara MacTavish, a young archaeologist, arrives on the island to investigate the ruins, hoping to uncover the forgotten history of her clan.
* Example: "The ancient walls of Castle MacTavish rose from the mist-shrouded hills, a silent testament to a forgotten past."

Chapter 2: The Ancient Curse

* Summary: As Ciara delves deeper into the ruins, she encounters an ancient artifact—a cursed sword. Legend has it that whoever touches the sword will be cursed with eternal solitude. Ciara's curiosity outweighs her fear, and she handles the sword, triggering the curse.
* Example: "Faintly glowing runes danced upon its surface, promising both power and a terrible price."

Chapter 3: The Time Traveler

* Summary: Suddenly, a mysterious stranger appears. He is Alasdair MacTavish, a warrior from the 16th century, transported to the present day by a magical amulet. Alasdair and Ciara form an unlikely alliance, working together to break the curse.
* Example: "Through the shimmering veil of time, he had stepped from the mists of history, his eyes blazing with a fire that had not dimmed with the passage of centuries."

Chapter 4: The Hunt for the Amulet

* Summary: The curse can only be broken by retrieving the amulet that brought Alasdair to the future. Together, they embark on a dangerous quest to find it, facing ancient traps and relentless pursuers.
* Example: "The path they followed twisted through treacherous glens and haunted woods, each step bringing them closer to their destiny."

Chapter 5: The Battle for Time

* Summary: As they approach the amulet, they confront the forces that keep Alastair trapped in the present. A fierce battle ensues, threatening to undo everything they have fought for.
* Example: "Swords clashed with a deafening roar, the echo of centuries colliding in a battle for the very fabric of time."

Chapter 6: The Broken Curse

* Summary: With courage and sacrifice, Ciara and Alasdair retrieve the amulet and use it to break the curse. Alastair returns to his own time, leaving Ciara with a newfound appreciation for her heritage and a poignant reminder of the interconnectedness of past and present.
* Example: "As the final rune faded, a surge of energy washed through them, severing the bonds that had bound them across the centuries."