ANYONE can see Kingussie’s Festival of Words, which returns today (Thursday) is the real Mc- Coy - but now they can learn just why.

Visiting this week is the author of a book which explains just how the expression came into the w orld.

Formerly of Kingussie - indeed, one of the original ‘Town of Lit...

The Real Mackay
Helen Graham
£9.99 (Paperback)
TROUBADOR PUBLISHING

Night after night, jostling crowds clamour for entry to Edinburgh's Theatre Royal with one name on their lips: The Real Mackay. But who is he? This historical novel plunges the reader into the weird and wonderful golden era of Scottis n...

IN SEARCH OF THE REAL MACKAY

By Helen Graham

About eight years ago I came across a scrap of paper among my mother’s family tree research which sparked my curiosity. Apparently we had a Mackay ancestor who was not only a comedian and friend of Walter Scott but also the origin of the well-known phrase...

1. It tells the story of my five times great uncle, Charles Mackay, who is regarded by many as Scotland’s finest 19th century comedian and was also a great friend of Sir Walter Scott.

2. It’s mostly set in the first half of the 19th century in Edinburgh’s Theatre Royal. Hardly anyone knows there w...