Description

Acclaimed historian Alistair Moffat sets off in the footsteps of the Highland clans and their definitive conflicts. In twelve journeys he explores places of conflict, recreating as he walks the tumult of battle. As he recounts the military prowess of the clans he also tells of their lives, their language and culture before it was all swept away.

From the colonisers who attempted to ‘civilise’ the islanders of Lewis in the sixteenth century through the great battles of the eighteenth century – Killiekrankie, Dunkeld, Sheriffmuir, Falkirk and Culloden – this is a unique exploration of many of the places and events which define the country’s history. The disaster at Culloden in 1746 represented not just the defeat of the Jacobite dream but also the unleashing of merciless retribution from the British government which dealt the Highland clans a blow from which they would never recover.

Locations included are:

Prestonpans * Glenfinnan * The Isle of Lewis * Edinburgh * Inverlochy * Tippermuir * Mulroy * Killiecrankie * Dunkeld * Sherriffmuir * Falkirk * Culloden Moor * Arisaig & Morar

Publisher Review

‘Taking the reader through key historical moments of battles that would alter the country forever, he also offers fascinating insight into the language, culture and lives of the clans’ * The Bookseller * ‘This is a splendid book, evocative, and enlightening, Study it and take it with you if you set out to explore these scenes of long-ago battles; or, with its help, content yourself with reliving them in your imagination’ — Allan Massie * The Scotsman * ‘There are digestible explanations of the complex politics that drew so much blood and reflections on the Gaelic culture that was swept away after Culloden… a stirring account’ — Mary Miers * Country Life Magazine * ‘Centuries melt away in this riveting read’ * Sunday Post * ‘A marvellous book in which the author takes you by the hand and leads you through some of the pivotal moments in Scottish history’ — Ken Lussey * Undiscovered Scotland * ‘The prolific Scottish author Alistair Moffat has developed something of a speciality in combining scholarly analysis of historical figures with vivid descriptions of his own journeys in their footsteps… well-researched and well-written’ — Ian Bradley * Church Times * ‘He clambers through terrain described with vivid, sensory immediacy, telling the story of each battle, setting each in context in the landscape and offering terrifying glimpses of Scotland’s past’ * The Tablet * ‘Moffat has blended solid history with a readable style and elements of a travelogue to create an engaging piece that spans genres and should interest a wide audience’ — Robbie MacNiven * Current Archaeology *