The Highlands and Islands of Scotland: A New History

by Alistair Moffat

In rich and telling detail, Alistair Moffat relates the remarkable story of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

In the beginning was the formation of the awe-inspiring landscapes which set the scene for the arrival of hunter-gatherers at the last ice age. Geography made history as people began to leave indelible marks on the landscape. Orkney invented henges and a cult based around extraordinary stone monuments that spread south to create Stonehenge.

Mystery swirls around the mountains and the straths, first described in the lost language of the Picts and bounded by their strange symbol stones. Crosses were carved on them to mark the coming of Christianity from Ireland. Gaelic eclipsed Pictish and when the Vikings came, a version of Norse was spoken for a millennium in the Northern Isles. In the Hebrides the great the Lordship of the Isles was a cultural adornment until the late 15th century. As he traces the political shifts of history, Moffat also focuses on the origins of much of Highland piping, tartan, whisky, peat-cutting, Harris Tweed, Highland games and much else.

In the modern period, the Highlanders was the key battleground for the Stuarts’ attempts to regain the throne and the place that suffered appalling destruction as a consequence of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s ultimate failure at Culloden in 1746. The Clearances and emigration saw many thousands leave as the Highlands and Islands emptied and working landscapes became scenery.

But after centuries of decline, the north is being renewed, the land is coming alive once more and this unique story ends on an upbeat note as the Highlands and Islands of Scotland look forward to a future of possibilities.

Genres: History, Scotland, Nonfiction

496 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 2024

About the author

Alistair Moffat is an award winning writer, historian and former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Director of Programmes at Scottish Television.

Moffat was educated at the University of St Andrews, graduating in 1972 with a degree in Medieval History. He is the founder of the Borders Book Festival and Co-Chairman of The Great Tapestry of Scotland.

Reviews

[Ajay · Rating 2 out of 5]

The thesis is elegant: in the Highlands and Islands, geography made history. Moffat promises to explore how the region's dramatic topography, coastlines, and brutal weather shaped where people settled, how they lived, and why they left. It's a compelling intellectual framework and one that demands a generous use of maps to explore. And yet the book contains not a single map. Not one. Attempting to follow Moffat's arguments about landscape and place without any visual reference is like being given a guided walk through the mountains while blindfolded. I lost my bearings within the first few chapters and never fully recovered them.

This is a particular shame because Moffat's feel for place expressed through language is one of the book's genuine pleasures. Where others might dismiss Gaelic placenames as a wide scatter of wild words few people now understand, Moffat reads them as windows into how past communities understood and related to their landscape. This sensitivity to language permeates the whole book. Poetry, Norse sagas, and even snatches of Shakespeare are woven through the text, and these moments of literary reach give the history a texture and richness that drier accounts lack.

Moffat's knowledge is wide, and his affection for his home region and its people is evident. I finished the book with a considerably better understanding of Scotland and it's history. But I also finished unable to construct a clear mental map (literally and figuratively) of what I'd read. A history that sets out to explain how geography shaped a people, and then declines to show you that geography, has failed at its most basic task.

[Don Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book as I prepared for a cruise around the Scottish Islands. I had already read about Scottish history generally and thought this might fill in some gaps. Although it was an entertaining read, I did find it a bit disjointed in its presentation. Moffat's personal anecdotes did provide some color and a modern context. As with many history books these days, some maps would have been helpful. But Google Maps often saved the day, giving me further context.

[Olly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. Definitely had some good bits with the history told in an engaging way. Some parts were a bit of a slog, but that’s on me for not being that into the Picts or poetry, rather than a criticism of the author. The latter chapters were a bit scattergun and even a little self-indulgent on the author’s behalf. Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable read.

[Ross Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little conflicted by this book. Alistair Moffat is a lovely writer. He has a very personal and engaging style. As a general history book, this is entertaining and accessible. For that it should be applauded. But it is a little scatter gun and poorly defined in scope. There is lots missing but how can any book cover such a large diverse area in 450 pages?

[Ash Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my usual type of read but pretty interesting nonetheless. I think it will defo encourage me to read more non-fiction but I think I’d prefer something on a specific subject.

Picked up the book as the author will be attending the McLellan book festive at the end of the month

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of the book pretty much explains what it's about. The author looks at the area from prehistoric to modern times with each chapter exploring a different epoch. Very interesting. The only niggle I have is that there were no maps or images of any kind.

[Philip Coulter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting parts, possibly some big gaps. I could have done without some of the more Alan Partridge-esque personal asides.

[Malcolm Schaffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an ambiguous project and I suspect not all the history of the area will have been or could be covered but there is much to savour within this book.Alistair Moffat is one of my favourite authors ,he has a superb style of recounting historical and other data but interspersing it with vivid accounts of important incidents ,the Clearances and the 1745 uprising being obvious examples I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in building a better picture of Scotland and especially the north