Outlander fans and ‘Droughtlander’ survivors can at last breathe a sigh of relief. That’s right, Christmas has been catapulted forward by an entire month thanks to actors Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish who have launched a new book.
Over the weekend, the Outlander stars took to the stage at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall to talk about their latest project, The Clanlands Almanac: Seasonal Stories From Scotland (Hodder & Stoughton, RRP £16.99/$26.99), which will be available in the UK on 9 November 2021. Hosted by Lee Randall, the audience was treated to an hour and a half of tall tales and wee stories, many of which were underpinned by the friends’ mutual appreciation for top notch Scotch.
The Usher Hall in Edinburgh
For those less acquainted with Outlander’s windswept Highlanders, the pair play two of the lead characters in the insanely popular Scottish-themed TV show (a series based on the breeze-block-sized books by author Diana Gabaldon that are among the most passionate transatlantic love letters ever to have been dispatched from North America to the Old World).
Following on from the gargantuan success of their first book – the New York Times Best-Seller Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other for which they toured Scotland in a trusty old campervan – the dynamic duo has produced yet another cornucopia of all things Alba, including a compendium of historical trivia and a cask full of whisky-soaked japes. It is a veritable ode to their homeland, her history and her people.
‘The Almanac is an odyssey through the many byways of a Scottish year, an invitation to join us over twelve glorious, whisky-fuelled months,’ wrote Sam on his Instagram page earlier this year. ‘In it you will find mountains, battles, famous (and infamous) Scots, the alarming competitiveness of Men in Kilts, clans, feuds, flora, fauna and a healthy sprinkling of embarrassing personal reminiscences (or the endless persist in winding up Graham McTavish). Much is explored, all is shared, lawsuits are inevitable.’
The Clanlands Almanac, to be released in the UK on 9 November 2021.
Broken down into twelve bite-sized chunks, the book is ‘a seasonal meander through the wilds of Scotland’, made digestible by the interspersing of whisky facts, road trip capers, and honest insights into Sam and Graham’s own backgrounds. (We even hear of the time Sam was stood up by his date outside McDonald’s in The Almanac’s February chapter). From First Footing to Samhain, Fringe Festival follies to blood-soaked battles, the actors’ new book is hotly anticipated by Outlander fans across the globe.
‘One thing you learn, the more you look into clans, is that they could not get enough of fighting,’ said Graham at Usher Hall. ‘I was truly amazed, both when researching the first book and the second book, at how long Highlanders hold on to grudges. We’re not talking a year later and they’re still feeling a bit grumpy. This is 170 years later. One was only finally resolved in 1975.’
‘Graham’s “Battles of the Month” were very long,’ replied Sam. ‘We had to cut them down. The man really is blood-thirsty.’
Sam & Graham for the cover of Clanlands [Credit: Dave Foster Photography]
If Clanlands was a gentle introduction to the McRoad Trip, The Almanac is an epic twelve-month pilgrimage down Scotland’s twisty backroads that have long been forgotten. You can find out more about The Almanac at www.clanlandsbook.com. (At this point, I urge you to check in with your Outlander friends – they still have twenty-four hours to wait before the book is released in the UK and may require support through these difficult times).
The Clanlands Almanac: Seasonal Stories from Scotland will be available in the UK from 9 November 2021, and worldwide from 23 November 2021.
For more on Sam Heughan, Outlander, Clanlands and Men In Kilts, tune into our podcast (episodes three-seven) on Spotify or by clicking on to our Anchor FM link HERE.
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