Sam Heughan

I have a bit of a soft spot for books about walking: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, Beyond Belfast by Will Ferguson, The Road is How by Trevor Herriot and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce spring to mind. There's something about slowing travel down to a walking place that leads people to contemplate and reflect. That's just what Sam Heughan does while walking The West Highland Way.

Sam Heughan is probably better known as Jamie Fraser on Outlander, the TV series made show more of Diana Gabaldon's books. I am a fan of the series (both books and TV) and so I've seen quite a lot of Heughan. And, yes, I admit that I've wished I could be in Claire's place just to have Jamie Fraser in my bed at night. I didn't pick this book up for that though. As I said, I really like books about walking and this one is set in an area I might actually visit. I didn't expect to get such unlimited access to Heughan's life and thought processes but that was a lovely benefit. We learn that Heughan's father abandoned his wife and two small boys leaving Sam's mother to raise them without any help. And she seems to have done a great job because Sam is well-grounded. His acting success certainly didn't happen overnight but he worked at his craft with every chance he got. When he was picked for the role of Jamie he was getting close to 40 which was the milestone he had decided would mark the end of his try at acting. It's obviously made a major change in his life in terms of financial security but he doesn't seem to have gone wild as a result. He bought a place in Glasgow and a Harley Davidson motorcycle but he has also donated money for scholarships at his acting school. He is close to his mother and brother and a number of friends. Incredibly, he has never married. Perhaps his father abandoning his family makes him doubt whether he has what it takes for the long run. He alludes to that in the book but says that he wants to try to improve on that facet of his mindset.

All this rumination about his life is interspersed with his life on the Trail. He starts out planning to camp out each night and so his backpack is very heavy. After the second day when the rain was nonstop he was close to quitting. But he met another walker who suggested he stay in a hotel close to the trail that he was getting picked up at. A soft bed, dry clothes and a good breakfast plus a decision to forget about camping allowing him to lighten his pack put Sam on the trail with lighter footsteps. He also decided to take a little more time and really enjoy the scenery and surroundings. He started to notice all the mushrooms and other fungi surrounding the trail and they became his troops. Sam Heughan has a whimsical sense of humour. The pictures included in the book, especially the ones he took on the walk, are marvelous.

While talking about this book with my husband we thought we should maybe return to Scotland and check out some of this countryside. Sounds like a plan. show less

The pairing of unlikely friends is always good for comedy gold. Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, who both appear on the wildly popular show Outlander, take to the roads of Scotland in a camper van (among other things) to explore Scottish history, drink lots of whisky, and of course make fun of each other at every turn.

This was a delightful book. Sam’s impulsive nature contrasts amusingly with Graham’s more developed sense of caution, and the two of them trade off commentary on each show more other’s digressions. Both share stories from their lives (personal and professional), anecdotes from Outlander, and talk about the impact of studying Scottish history and how it deepens their ties to the land of their birth.

Even if you have zero interest in Outlander, you might still like this if Scottish history and travelogues are your jam. show less

A lovely combination of memoir and travelogue, I'm left with the sense of having just finished an hours-long conversation with an old friend over a wee dram or few. Sam Heughan's conversational tone about the ups and downs of both his life as well as his journey along the West Highland Way is honest and endearing. (And I admit, it's nice to find another human who appreciates a good fungi selfie!)

I’m not the diehard Outlander fan that this book is marketed to, but I am a diehard fan of Scottish men going on road trips with their best friends and writing about it/filming it (Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman and the Long Way series) and I’ve desperately missed reading fun travel stories and antics like Anthony Bourdain’s. If you care nothing for Outlander but love Scotland, you will enjoy this book. If you are watching/reading Outlander, be sure to get caught up with the show first show more as there are spoilers. And if you love Outlander already, then yes, you will enjoy this book.

I fall into the camp of people who have watched a few episodes of the show and I didn’t particularly care if any plot points were spoiled for me before I watch them because I’m not overly invested as a fan, I’m here for SCOTLAND. Give me more Scotland, tell me when I can go back, please oh please Covid go away so I can spend a month driving around the west coast of my favorite country.

Ewan McGregor sees Scotland in every place he visits, and I say everywhere looks like Pennsylvania, which also looks like Scotland. It just feels familiar, like a place I’ve always loved and known. The Cairngorms of the Highlands look like the Appalachians of my home state. My husband and I took a road trip from Edinburgh to Orkney and back and we were absolutely mesmerized. We stopped at many places the Top Gear/Grand Tour trio did on their Scottish road trip and I’ve added every visit of Graham and Sam’s to our itinerary for the next visit already.

But back to Sam and Graham. I’m publishing this review today because the series they filmed to accompany the book, Men in Kilts, airs today on Starz (which I do not have but now want to get). The intergenerational pairing of the men with rhyming names is dynamic and fun – their friendship jumps off the page and the oral history style to the book makes you feel like you’re trapped in the camper van sitting between the two of them and watching them bicker over Sam’s driving skills (or lack thereof).

Their adventure starts, as every good Scottish road trip should, with a whisky tasting (though as the boys are being responsible, one should not then drive immediately after imbibing). Sam’s (occasionally reckless) pursuit of adventure is balanced by Graham’s cautious (and as he contends age-appropriate) refusal to potentially put himself in harms way. Occasionally, we get the full treat of Graham putting his latte down and hoping on the tandem bike or in the WWII era motorcycle sidecar and he enjoys himself (mostly) to Sam’s great delight.

Clanlands is a fun buddy adventure, but also an informative trip through Scottish history, particular of the Jacobite uprising/rebellion depicted in Outlander. The rhyming men visit the battlefields from the show as well as some of the castles and I learned a great deal about a time I know a great deal about, but through an American lens. While the Brits were dealing with us ungrateful colonists throwing tea in the harbor and rebelling, the Scottish had been in a constant state of rebellion since the Stuarts were exiled to France (Bonnie Prince Charlie) and the Hanovers from Germany crossed the Channel and took over (the Georges I-III).

The Jacobites, supporters of James (father and grandfather of Charlie, both James), saw the Stuarts as the rightful monarchs of Scotland (which they were – the King of Scotland took over the monarchy of England when Elizabeth I died and he was a Stuart). Bloody battles were fought and the English won out, a frustration for the proud Scots. Sam and Graham focus on the roles of the Clans in the battles, as well as their fights amongst each other and how some chose to support the English during this period.

Graham, the historian of the pair, offers the most historical political insight and the political science student and historian in me was captivated. But Clanlands isn’t just a history book. There’s adventure, whisky, shenanigans, more whisky, re-enactments of Outlander battle moves, and much more. It’s a great adventure and friendship story and a worthwile read for anyone who loves a good road trip story. show less