Friends and co-stars of mega-hit book turned television series, Outlander (written by Diana Gabaldon), come together for an epic journey through the Highlands of Scotland to learn more about the historic roots of their homeland and to drink a little whisky on the way…
Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish do not always see eye-to-eye on Outlander and this road trip shapes up to be much the same from the opening few pages as McTavish buckles up to be driven round the country by his castmate: “I look at his boyish grin as he jiggles the gearstick, barely able to stifle sniggers, and realise this is a man capable of anything.”
The two actors take it in tuns to narrate their way through the trip with commentaries on the sights, the history and their friendship. They pay homage to their own journeys into the acting world and into Outlander and while they do they sip the odd dram or two. The pair are both wildly amusing and even readers who don’t have a passion for whisky, warfare or road-tripping will be hard-pushed not to enjoy the tales sewn neatly and entertainingly throughout.
Clanlands was an idea borne out of a simple conversation between the two and is now set to be aired as a docuseries in 2021 titled Men in Kilts. The book is the story of the journey they took to discover more about the clans that shaped Scotland but along the way they learn a lot about each other too – the good, the bad and the ugly!
Despite the serious undertones and the stabbings and beheadings and allusion to rape and torture the book is laugh-out-loud funny – perhaps more so for those familiar with the series although it is certainly not a prerequisite for reading the book. It will, however, make those who haven’t seen it want to tune straight in and see Heughan and McTavish as their Jacobite characters (Jamie Fraser and Dougal MacKenzie respectfully).
A perfect Christmas present for anyone who loves whisky, Scottish history, road trips through the Highlands, Outlander, or all four.