As Elle followed the narrow road, she saw on the map that she was almost at the northernmost tip of Skye, passing through a few tiny hamlets as she followed the coastline towards Uig.

‘Is any of this looking vaguely familiar, Gran?’ she asked, getting frustrated as a light drizzle started once more and she had to slow down.

Yes, it is, Gran finally announced, immediately lifting Elle’s spirits and making her tighten her hold on the steering wheel. I think this is the way.

‘I don’t know, I think we’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere,’ Elle said almost half an hour later, peering out to survey the landscape of flat, open paddocks around them.

Gran had instructed her to make a sharp left turn at a road sign about twenty minutes earlier and they hadn’t passed a single car or person since.

Hold on, dear, I’m listening, Gran said, sounding distracted.

‘Listening? To what?’

To whom, she corrected.

‘Whom?’ Elle started to get the feeling she should be concerned.

My great-grandmother.

‘Your great-grandmother?’

Must you repeat everything, darling? It’s quite distracting. Yes, my great-grandmother, Murdina.

‘What? She’s with you?’ Elle asked, stopping the car. What was this—a freaking progressive ghost tour? Ancestors just jumped on board whenever they felt like it?

‘Well? Is this the right way?’

She’s telling me this isn’t the place, Gran finally announced, sounding disappointed.

‘Well, if you can summon past relatives, why don’t you just ask Isla herself where the damn castle is?’

It doesn’t work like that, Gran said with a decided snip in her voice.

‘Then how does it work?’

I don’t know how, Elspeth. I’m somewhat new to this whole death thing myself. She’s just here and I can only tell you what she’s telling me.

Elle didn’t have the emotional strength to try to figure out the afterlife right now; she was cold and hungry and sick of being lost. Rubbing her fingertips across her forehead as she struggled to get her frustration under control, she asked in a calm tone, ‘Are you sure none of this looks familiar?’

No, I’m not sure. The last time I was here I was nine years old.

Oh, for goodness sake. How on earth were they going to find this place? Google said it should be around here. Wasn’t Google supposed to know everything?

‘Look it’s already after two, even if we did find it, there wouldn’t be much time to have a proper look around. Let’s just book into that pub we passed earlier, have some lunch and ask a local where we can find it. We’ll start fresh tomorrow morning. Okay?’ Her question was met with silence. ‘Gran?’ Elle sat still, waiting for some kind of reply, but none came. ‘Righto, then.’ Maybe Gran and Murdina had decided to go and catch up over a cuppa or something. Elle would just carry on with her plan and find a pub. And maybe a stiff drink or two.