Graham McTavish

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

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

I read this book aloud to my partner while waiting to deploy. I attempted the accents, which at times may have been accurate, but likely spoiled a wee-bit of the effect.

A decent buddy-read, with some comedic elements intermixed with pop history. One can tell that McTavish and Heughan truly do love their homeland and the characters that it births. As a second-generation export from Scotland, I connected with the brusk repartee and laconic wit evinced by some of the people they meet.

I show more encourage it as a light read, with some scotch, skirl of the pipes, and longing for the waft of peat bog and sheep manure. show less

Scotland is one of my favorite places on the planet. I was excited to explore the land through the voices of two native sons, Sam and Graham. This book is a companion to their Starz documentary show Men in Kilts, of which I have seen only one episode because I don't subscribe to that channel.

At this point, I would still gladly seize an opportunity to watch the show, because I think it would be much more enjoyable than the book, which is, quite frankly, a mess. There's a lot of good show more information in here, but the narrative flows stream-of-consciousness between both men, who also interrupt each other often. The content will therefore bound from discussing a visit to a place, to the place's role in history, to something that happened during Outlander filming, to something from their personal past, to more history, all of that packed with banter and interjections between the two men. Frankly, it is frustrating and dizzying. I can only regard their co-writer with awe, because I can only imagine how much more muddled it was before she revised everything.

In the end, I don't find it a bad book, but it was a frustrating one. I won't be keeping it. show less