Alistair Moffat

The Secret History of Here is the story of a single place in the Scottish Borders. The site on which Alistair Moffat's farm now stands has been occupied since prehistoric times. Walking this landscape, you can feel the presence and see the marks of those who lived here before. But it is also the story of everywhere. In uncovering the...

Acclaimed historian Alistair Moffat sets off in the footsteps of the Highland clans. 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—surely the most feared fighting men in Western Europe—he also speaks of their lives, their language, and culture before it was all swept...

In To the Island of Tides, Alistair Moffat travels to—and through the history of—the fated island of Lindisfarne. Known by the Romans as InsulaMedicata and famous for its monastery, it even survived Viking raids. Today the isle maintains its position as a space for retreat and spiritual renewal. Walking from his home in the Borders, through the historical landscape of...

Full of character, combining proper research with a sure eye to what attracts and sustains an audience's attention Scotland on Sunday The story of the Highland clans is a gripping one, full of celebrated names and heroic deeds. It is also, as Alistair Moffat reveals, the story of a fearless people, shaped by the unique traditions and landscape of the...

Fourteen centuries ago, Irish saints journeyed to the Hebrides and Scotland's Atlantic shore. They sought spiritual solitude in remote places, but their mission was also to spread the word of God to the peoples of Scotland. Columba was the most famous of these pioneers who rowed their curraghs towards danger and uncertainty in a pagan land, but the many others...

Since 1945, the world has changed at breakneck speed, and life in post-war Scotland is now entirely different from what it was like when Alistair Moffat grew up in the quiet Border town of Kelso in the 1950s. At that time, the rhythms and practicalities of daily life, which had remained constant for many generations, were about to change in...

A delicious trip through the geography, history and culture of the region &emdash; Sunday Telegraph Ever since the days of the Grand Tour, Tuscany has cast its magic spell on foreign visitors. Attracted by the perfect combination of history, art, architecture, superb natural beauty and weather — not to mention magnificent traditions of food and drink — British visitors and...

From the Ice Age to the recent Scottish Referendum, historian and author Alistair Moffat explores the history of the Scottish nation. As well as focusing on key moments in the nation's history such as the Battle of Bannockburn and the Jacobite Risings, Moffat also features other episodes in history that are perhaps less well documented. From prehistoric timber halls to...

Scotland's largest city has always been one of the most vibrant, varied and fascinating places in the country. Glasgow: A New History begins with the river, for the Clyde made the city flourish. From prehistory to the Romans, to Mungo and the kingdom of Strathclyde, it's a rich, quirky and moving story that remembers the foundation of the burgh by...

From the early fourteenth century to the end of the sixteenth, the Anglo-Scottish borderlands suffered one of the most intense periods of warfare and disorder in modern Europe. As a consequence of constant conflict, Borderers suffered horribly at the hands of marauding armies who ravaged their land, destroying crops, slaughtering cattle, burning settlements and killing indiscriminately. Forced by extreme circumstances,...

Hadrian's Wall is the largest, most spectacular and one of the most enigmatic historical monuments in Britain. Nothing else approaches its vast scale: a land wall running 73 miles from east to west and a sea wall stretching at least 26 miles down the Cumbrian coast. Alistair Moffat considers who built the Wall, how it was built, why it was...

Alistair Moffat tells the extraordinary story of the Highlands in the most detailed book ever written about this remarkable part of Scotland. This is the story of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland as it has never been told before. From the formation of the landscape millions of years ago to the twenty-first century, it brings to life the events...

From prehistory to the present day, the story of Edinburgh is packed with incident and drama. As Scotland's capital since 1437, the city has witnessed many of the key events which have shaped the nation. But Edinburgh has always been much more than just a political centre. During the Enlightenment, it was one of the intellectual powerhouses of Europe, and...

A charming, lively and often amusing tour of 36 forgotten episodes and overlooked people and places of Scottish history. While Scotland's history cannot be separated from its kings and queens, saints and warriors, there is a rich story to tell about the country's lesser-known places, people and events. This colourful history of Scotland tells those other tales, half-forgotten or misunderstood,...

A WATERSTONES BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2024 The border between England and Scotland is rich in history. It has been the site of battles, treaties, castles, and crossroads. But it can also be a lens through which to look at the changing history and identities of these two countries. Between Britain is a one-hundred-mile journey through eight centuries. It is...

A charming, lively and often amusing tour of 36 forgotten episodes and overlooked people and places of Scottish history. Scotland's Forgotten Past explores a side of Scotland's history that often goes unnoticed, highlighting lesser-known places, people, and events. While Scotland is famous for its kings, queens, saints, and warriors, this book introduces readers to tales of proud Picts, 'pirate kings',...

Alistair Moffat tells the extraordinary story of the Highlands in the most detailed book ever written about this remarkable part of Scotland. This is the story of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland as it has never been told before. From the formation of the landscape millions of years ago to the twenty-first century, it brings to life the events...

From prehistory to the present day, the story of Edinburgh is packed with incident and drama. As Scotland's capital since 1437, the city has witnessed many of the key events which have shaped the nation. But Edinburgh has always been much more than just a political centre. During the Enlightenment, it was one of the intellectual powerhouses of Europe, and...

A pioneering look at early Scotland that transforms prehistory into gripping narrative history. The story of the land that became Scotland is one of dramatic geological events and impressive human endeavour. Alistair Moffat's gripping narrative ranges from the great thaw at the end of the Ice Age—which was instrumental in shaping Scotland's magnificent landscape—through the megalith builders, the Celts and...