Archie and the Enchanter

This is for 8 - 12 year olds.



It takes place on Scotland's wild West Coast where Archie discovers an ancient and supernatural set of bagpipes.



The magical bagpipes do impossible things. The music it makes is powerful.



Through its music, history begins to change.



It's not the bagpipes but the chanter that is supernatural (the chanter is the part of the bagpipe that the piper uses to make music).



The chanter is probably more than 1,500 years old and yet looks brand new.



The name 'chanter' comes from the word 'enchanter' - and 'enchant' is what it does.



The origins of the enchanter are shrouded in mystery. It disappeared before the Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745. Perhaps the Young Pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie, would have won through if the Enchanter had been around.



Then our hero, a scruffy little boy called Archie, found it, and this book is about what happened next.



There are two lessons: music is more important than money (poor people have no money but in music they have a source of joy) and Scotland still some unfinished business as an independent nation.



Alexander Weir is a grandpa living as part of a small community in a remote part of West Scotland. The community homeschools and he teaches art and reads stories to the children. This tale has captured their imagination and they clamour to have it shared with others.



The yarn is the first of a series with the sequel in the process of completion. Ultimately, a series of four is planned. Each one is focussed on Archie, his ancient bagpipes and the powerful magic they introduce that seeks to re-write history.



The author is also Editor of a quartely Scottish based literary magazine and a contributor to the local Kintyre Writers Circle anthology.