Alistair Moffat (1) (1950–)
Author of Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History
For other authors named Alistair Moffat, see the disambiguation page.
Works by Alistair Moffat
Scotland's Forgotten Past: A History of the Mislaid, Misplaced and Misunderstood (2023) 84 copies, 1 review
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Moffat, Alistair Murray
- Birthdate
- 1950-06-16
- Gender
- male
- Education
- University of St. Andrews
University of Edinburgh
University of London - Occupations
- author
- Organizations
- Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Scottish Television (chairman, program director)
Borders Book Festival (founder) - Awards and honors
- Order of the British Empire (Member)
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Kelso, Roxburghshire, Scotland, UK
- Associated Place (for map)
- Scotland, UK
Members
Reviews
“Scotland’s Forgotten Past” is an enjoyable recounting of numerous incidents and events in the history of Scotland that have either been forgotten or misrepresented in popular culture (for example, the “traditional tartans” of the Highlands was invented by Lowlander Sir Walter Scott). The author graduated with a degree in history from St. Andrews University and much later in his career served as the 48th Rector of that august university, so any worries about the historical accuracy show more of the stories told here are alleviated. Moreover, his writing style is engaging, informative without being in the least stodgy and even exhilarating in places (such as the formal reopening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 when Dr. Winifred Ewing stated: “The Scottish Parliament, adjourned on the 25th day of March, 1707, is hereby reconvened”). If you’re interested in the history of Scotland, from the geological formations that created the physical land to the most recent pushes for independence, this is an excellent place to start; recommended! show less
I’ve lived in Scotland for nearly four years, so it was about time I read an actual history book centred on the country. This one was chosen on my last-day-of-the-library panic-borrowing, as it was the most substantial volume of Scottish history on the shelf. I found it a bit challenging to get into, as the pre-history of Scotland (and Britain in general, admittedly) is fairly mysterious. There is limited archaeological evidence and a confusing tapestry of different languages. This poses a show more challenge for any popular history writing, but could perhaps have been explained more clearly here. I liked the conclusion of chapter four, though:
Once the narrative reached the end of the Middle Ages, it became easier to follow and thus more involving. Given the vast period that Moffat covers, events are often discussed briefly and pen portraits of personalities vaguely sketched. This makes it a useful introduction for people like me, who learned no Scottish history in school and have picked up only scraps from museums, historical novels, and histories of Britain that focus heavily on England. Now I finally have some idea of what the Highland Clearances and Jacobite Rebellion were, as well as the different religious context in Scotland. I also learned some entertaining little facts, for example that Mary Queen of Scots played golf. Likewise, it was pleasing to discover why Edinburgh’s Georgian New Town is elegantly rectilinear, but the roads to the East and West of it are anything but. (The answer: land ownership issues.) The material on changing class dynamics, the relationship between Highlands and Lowlands, and the constitutional relationship with England provided intriguing introductions to complicated issues.
The final chapters naturally reflect upon the political divergence between England and Scotland, which I definitely want to read more detailed analysis of. I appreciated Moffat’s tracing this back through the decades. ‘Scotland: A History From Earliest Times’ was published in 2015 and political divergence has only increased in the last five years. After the EU referendum and 2019 election, Scotland feels like a refuge of relative sanity when compared to England’s descent into poisonous xenophobic neo-nationalism. The great irony, of course, is that the SNP have ‘nationalist’ in their party name and the Conservatives do not. To stave off utter panic about the pandemic, I’m only paying attention to what the Scottish Government are doing and as far as possible pretending that the UK government doesn’t exist. Thus I found this a helpful lockdown read, as it provides some context for where I live. It caused me to reflect on whether I feel Scottish. I’d feel like an interloper if I claimed that, as my accent is very Southern. However, I don’t feel English either and Scotland is definitely my home. I have absolutely no intention of moving back to England and wish more of my family and friends would move to Scotland.
Despite the book's somewhat difficult start, I’ve decided on four stars rather than three as I learned quite a bit and whetted my appetite for more Scottish history. Balancing breadth and depth in a book like this is by no means easy. My main stylistic quibble is the inclusion of little boxes breaking up the text. The literary quotations, on the other hand, are well chosen and enrich the narrative. I smiled at occasional use of, ‘But not for long,’ as this echoed the Horrible Histories TV show. Conveniently enough, a friend lent me [b:Scotland: Her Story|42108534|Scotland Her Story|Rosemary Goring|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538383059l/42108534._SX50_.jpg|65687373] prior to lockdown, as Moffat’s book acknowledges his history is largely a litany of male names. show less
At the outset of the 9th century, Scotland did not yet exist and nor was it inevitable. Many different paths lay open. Our history could have moved in a different direction – given a series of different interactions between people and events, modern Scotland could have understood itself in Norn and been known as Vikland – or perhaps Pictland or Alba or North Anglia or Yr Hen Ogledd, the Old North. But, to understand how history moved in the way that it did, it is very important to observe how these five different speech communities and political entities interacted. And it is equally important not to look backwards and confect a story of how one triumphed over the other, of how one group forged a nation out of the defeat of others. It did not happen that way. Our nation is the sum of Scandinavian Scotland, Pictish Scottish, Irish Scottish, English Scotland, and British Scotland.
Once the narrative reached the end of the Middle Ages, it became easier to follow and thus more involving. Given the vast period that Moffat covers, events are often discussed briefly and pen portraits of personalities vaguely sketched. This makes it a useful introduction for people like me, who learned no Scottish history in school and have picked up only scraps from museums, historical novels, and histories of Britain that focus heavily on England. Now I finally have some idea of what the Highland Clearances and Jacobite Rebellion were, as well as the different religious context in Scotland. I also learned some entertaining little facts, for example that Mary Queen of Scots played golf. Likewise, it was pleasing to discover why Edinburgh’s Georgian New Town is elegantly rectilinear, but the roads to the East and West of it are anything but. (The answer: land ownership issues.) The material on changing class dynamics, the relationship between Highlands and Lowlands, and the constitutional relationship with England provided intriguing introductions to complicated issues.
The final chapters naturally reflect upon the political divergence between England and Scotland, which I definitely want to read more detailed analysis of. I appreciated Moffat’s tracing this back through the decades. ‘Scotland: A History From Earliest Times’ was published in 2015 and political divergence has only increased in the last five years. After the EU referendum and 2019 election, Scotland feels like a refuge of relative sanity when compared to England’s descent into poisonous xenophobic neo-nationalism. The great irony, of course, is that the SNP have ‘nationalist’ in their party name and the Conservatives do not. To stave off utter panic about the pandemic, I’m only paying attention to what the Scottish Government are doing and as far as possible pretending that the UK government doesn’t exist. Thus I found this a helpful lockdown read, as it provides some context for where I live. It caused me to reflect on whether I feel Scottish. I’d feel like an interloper if I claimed that, as my accent is very Southern. However, I don’t feel English either and Scotland is definitely my home. I have absolutely no intention of moving back to England and wish more of my family and friends would move to Scotland.
Despite the book's somewhat difficult start, I’ve decided on four stars rather than three as I learned quite a bit and whetted my appetite for more Scottish history. Balancing breadth and depth in a book like this is by no means easy. My main stylistic quibble is the inclusion of little boxes breaking up the text. The literary quotations, on the other hand, are well chosen and enrich the narrative. I smiled at occasional use of, ‘But not for long,’ as this echoed the Horrible Histories TV show. Conveniently enough, a friend lent me [b:Scotland: Her Story|42108534|Scotland Her Story|Rosemary Goring|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538383059l/42108534._SX50_.jpg|65687373] prior to lockdown, as Moffat’s book acknowledges his history is largely a litany of male names. show less
Quite an interesting account of the Celtic lands, filled with anecdotes and trivia about the area and its people. The Sea Kingdoms is very readable and full of details like the last native speaker of Kernewek (Cornish), medieval scribes and their poetry, lost languages and more.
I've heard that some of the "history" Moffat refers to may be rubbery but this is still certainly worth a read as an introduction to the Celts, or in my case, an introduction to my ancestors.
I've heard that some of the "history" Moffat refers to may be rubbery but this is still certainly worth a read as an introduction to the Celts, or in my case, an introduction to my ancestors.
I thank my friend, David Grebow, for recognizing that I would have enjoyed this book. At first, I wasn't sure if he knew me well enough or not and I just dipped into it from time to time. But he was right. As I progressed through it, I got more and more enthralled. I've finished it and I really liked it. I spent a year of my naval training in Rosyth, just across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh and, as a member of the school's marching band, I visited much of the border country that the show more author describes so it meant something to me from that aspect too.
A year in the life of the the author at his property in the Borders is interlaced with prognostications of "the past" supported by buried metal 'finds', stones and land shapes. Fascinating. show less
A year in the life of the the author at his property in the Borders is interlaced with prognostications of "the past" supported by buried metal 'finds', stones and land shapes. Fascinating. show less
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- Works
- 37
- Members
- 2,244
- Popularity
- #11,431
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 27
- ISBNs
- 138
