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The Clanlands Almanac: Seasonal Stories from Scotland
A seasonal meander through the wilds of Scotland.
If Clanlands was a gentle road trip through Scotland, this almanac is a top down, pedal to the metal up and down odyssey through the many byways of a Scottish year. An invitation to anyone who picks up the book to join us on a crazy camper van exploration over 12 glorious, whisky fueled months. Mountains, battles, famous (and infamous) Scots, the alarming competitiveness of Men in Kilts, clans, feuds, flora, fauna, with a healthy sprinkling of embarrassing personal reminiscences thrown in. Much is explored, all is shared. It is a camper van cornucopia of all things Alba.
From First Footing to Samhain, Fringe Festival follies to whisky lore, Sam & Graham guide readers through a year of Scottish legends, traditions, historical and contemporary events, sharing personal stories and tips as only these two chalk-and-cheese friends can.
As entertaining as it is practical, The Clanlands Almanac is a light-hearted education in Scottish history and culture, told through the eyes of two passionate Scotsmen. The perfect escapist guide, The Clanlands Almanac is intended as a starting point for your own Scottish discoveries.
If Clanlands was a gentle road trip through Scotland, this almanac is a top down, pedal to the metal up and down odyssey through the many byways of a Scottish year. An invitation to anyone who picks up the book to join us on a crazy camper van exploration over 12 glorious, whisky fueled months. Mountains, battles, famous (and infamous) Scots, the alarming competitiveness of Men in Kilts, clans, feuds, flora, fauna, with a healthy sprinkling of embarrassing personal reminiscences thrown in. Much is explored, all is shared. It is a camper van cornucopia of all things Alba.
From First Footing to Samhain, Fringe Festival follies to whisky lore, Sam & Graham guide readers through a year of Scottish legends, traditions, historical and contemporary events, sharing personal stories and tips as only these two chalk-and-cheese friends can.
As entertaining as it is practical, The Clanlands Almanac is a light-hearted education in Scottish history and culture, told through the eyes of two passionate Scotsmen. The perfect escapist guide, The Clanlands Almanac is intended as a starting point for your own Scottish discoveries.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published November 23, 2021
352 people are currently reading
2364 people want to read
About the author
Sam Heughan
16 books815 followersSam Heughan was born April 30, 1980 in New Galloway, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. An accomplished stage and screen actor best known for Outlander (2014), A Princess for Christmas (2011), and A Very British Sex Scandal (2007). He is an active patron of Youth Theatre Arts Scotland and Leukemia and Lymphoma Research. He attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) located in Glasgow, Scotland.
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November 30, 2021Don’t feel like I can rate this one because the hardback version very badly needs a copy edit. Defo wasn’t ready for print!
I listened to the audiobook of this alongside reading the hard copy though, which is narrated by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, same as their previous book Clanlands. And I did thoroughly enjoy their narration and would recommend consuming the book that way if you’re inclined to pick this up.
Being the mega Outlander stan that I am, I was always going to read this and my enjoyment of it was somewhat pre-guaranteed. However, having listened to Clanlands very recently and then watching their TV show Men in Kilts straight after, this book doesn’t really feel necessary? What I mean by that is, this book doesn’t really cover much new ground. A lot of the content in here is retelling an anecdote or historical fact they’ve covered already in either the first book, the show or both. There’s still joy to be found here though, in their animated storytelling (with help from co-writer Charlotte Reather) and jesting camaraderie.
Ultimately, it could just be the nature of an almanac - I don’t think I’ve read one before? - but the poor editing definitely didn’t help, and this just felt a bit messy.
I listened to the audiobook of this alongside reading the hard copy though, which is narrated by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, same as their previous book Clanlands. And I did thoroughly enjoy their narration and would recommend consuming the book that way if you’re inclined to pick this up.
Being the mega Outlander stan that I am, I was always going to read this and my enjoyment of it was somewhat pre-guaranteed. However, having listened to Clanlands very recently and then watching their TV show Men in Kilts straight after, this book doesn’t really feel necessary? What I mean by that is, this book doesn’t really cover much new ground. A lot of the content in here is retelling an anecdote or historical fact they’ve covered already in either the first book, the show or both. There’s still joy to be found here though, in their animated storytelling (with help from co-writer Charlotte Reather) and jesting camaraderie.
Ultimately, it could just be the nature of an almanac - I don’t think I’ve read one before? - but the poor editing definitely didn’t help, and this just felt a bit messy.
February 9, 2022
Clanlands Almanac by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish is book 2 from these two Scottish actors (well known for Outlander and men in kilts) it's another charming giggle out loud read about their tour and series making of Men In Kilts and once again poor Graham trying to keep his life and more history and other places to visit in Scotland with a little more memoir added into the mix.
You do need to read their first book Clanlands and this will definitely make you want to watch Men In Kilts.
If an easy and simple clan history is what your looking for I definitely recommend this 📖
You do need to read their first book Clanlands and this will definitely make you want to watch Men In Kilts.
If an easy and simple clan history is what your looking for I definitely recommend this 📖
February 7, 2022
“Clanlands Almanac: Seasonal Stories from Scotland” by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish is the follow up to their first novel, “Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other”, but the two novels can easily be read separately. Both stories are narrated by Sam and Graham, and if you’ve read “Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other”, than you will recognize the witty banter and repertoire that the two Scots generate, which makes reading this story so enjoyable.
In “Almanac”, McTavish and Heughan illustrate all twelve months of the year using various celebrations, locations and battles in different parts of Scotland. For example, each month has a breakdown of important dates (including births and deaths of historical figures), one Scottish locale and one adventure to partake while there, an important historical battle that took place on the lands, and then of course, one “dram of the month” where the Scots pick one whisky from each region.
The hilarious back-and-forth between Sam and Graham makes (mostly) for light and easy reading. There is almost a constant stream of battles in Scottish history, and the authors definitely cover a LOT of them in detail. There will be something for everyone in this book, although not everything will fit in with every reader. I thoroughly enjoyed the personal information from Heughan and McTavish’s past, as well as when they told stories and anecdotes featuring characters from the Outlander set. The “adventures” recommended are interesting too, as they are not the ones you’d expect, and they provide an interesting alternative to the normal, run-of-the-mill forms of entertainment (there’s a LOT of hiking and climbing).
“Almanac” is a must for hard-core fans of Outlander (or Sam and/or Graham), but is also a must-read for anyone planning a trip to Scotland, as it provides a view of the country from the eye of a local. Some of it is dry and hard to get through (depending on where your interests lie), but “Almanac” has a lot of interesting information in it, and regardless of what you like and why you picked up the novel, it will provide you with some cool facts and knowledge.
In “Almanac”, McTavish and Heughan illustrate all twelve months of the year using various celebrations, locations and battles in different parts of Scotland. For example, each month has a breakdown of important dates (including births and deaths of historical figures), one Scottish locale and one adventure to partake while there, an important historical battle that took place on the lands, and then of course, one “dram of the month” where the Scots pick one whisky from each region.
The hilarious back-and-forth between Sam and Graham makes (mostly) for light and easy reading. There is almost a constant stream of battles in Scottish history, and the authors definitely cover a LOT of them in detail. There will be something for everyone in this book, although not everything will fit in with every reader. I thoroughly enjoyed the personal information from Heughan and McTavish’s past, as well as when they told stories and anecdotes featuring characters from the Outlander set. The “adventures” recommended are interesting too, as they are not the ones you’d expect, and they provide an interesting alternative to the normal, run-of-the-mill forms of entertainment (there’s a LOT of hiking and climbing).
“Almanac” is a must for hard-core fans of Outlander (or Sam and/or Graham), but is also a must-read for anyone planning a trip to Scotland, as it provides a view of the country from the eye of a local. Some of it is dry and hard to get through (depending on where your interests lie), but “Almanac” has a lot of interesting information in it, and regardless of what you like and why you picked up the novel, it will provide you with some cool facts and knowledge.
April 2, 2024
Ein weiteres Buch der beiden Schauspieler, aktuell immer noch in der Outlander Verfilmung zu sehen.
Diesmal gehen sie das gesamte Jahr Monat für Monat durch. Es gibt 12mal Clans, Jahres- und Geburtstage, Whiskey, Burg, Schlacht, Abenteuer (aka Sam klettert auf einen Berg), Regionen sowie einen sportlichen Wettstreit zwischen den Autoren.
Insgesamt bis zum Oktober nicht schlecht, aber auch etwas zu kindisches Hin und Her und ein großer Sassenach Whiskey Werbeblock für Hr. Heughan. Dann versöhnen sich sich und es wird wieder besser.
Aufgrund der Art des Buches natürlich einige Wiederholungen.
Wiedermal wird einiges an Vorwissen zur schottischen Geschichte erfordert und es gibt einige Querverweise auf Clanlands und ein noch nicht auf Deutsch erschienenes Buch von Heughan.
3,5 Sterne aufgerundet
Diesmal gehen sie das gesamte Jahr Monat für Monat durch. Es gibt 12mal Clans, Jahres- und Geburtstage, Whiskey, Burg, Schlacht, Abenteuer (aka Sam klettert auf einen Berg), Regionen sowie einen sportlichen Wettstreit zwischen den Autoren.
Insgesamt bis zum Oktober nicht schlecht, aber auch etwas zu kindisches Hin und Her und ein großer Sassenach Whiskey Werbeblock für Hr. Heughan. Dann versöhnen sich sich und es wird wieder besser.
Aufgrund der Art des Buches natürlich einige Wiederholungen.
Wiedermal wird einiges an Vorwissen zur schottischen Geschichte erfordert und es gibt einige Querverweise auf Clanlands und ein noch nicht auf Deutsch erschienenes Buch von Heughan.
3,5 Sterne aufgerundet
January 6, 2022
The Clanlands Almanac: Seasonal Stories from Scotland was fun and fine, but it was almost too conversational to be a decent book. It would make a much better TV show, broken into 12 episodes. They could really let their freak flags fly, and could reuse hilarious content from their existing TV show.
As an audiobook, The Clanlands Almanac: Seasonal Stories from Scotland sounded like a podcast, which again is fine. However, there were such variances in the commentary that it was hard to hear it all properly. They went from hushed whispers to loud laughter and then back to normal speaking all within a 15-second clip. I had to skip certain parts because the production made it impossible to listen at any volume comfortably. That's unfortunate, because Heughan and McTavish have such great chemistry.
So four stars for the content, as it was quite enjoyable, but two stars for the production.
As an audiobook, The Clanlands Almanac: Seasonal Stories from Scotland sounded like a podcast, which again is fine. However, there were such variances in the commentary that it was hard to hear it all properly. They went from hushed whispers to loud laughter and then back to normal speaking all within a 15-second clip. I had to skip certain parts because the production made it impossible to listen at any volume comfortably. That's unfortunate, because Heughan and McTavish have such great chemistry.
So four stars for the content, as it was quite enjoyable, but two stars for the production.
December 15, 2021
2.5
While I enjoyed this book and learned some interesting tidbits of history and culture, there were many parts that dragged, feeling slightly unimportant. I would have given it a higher rating other than the fact that it clearly wasn't ready for printing. At times it reads a bit as though it was written in a speech-to-text fashion, and wasn't edited for clarity. At other times, there are simple grammatical errors, and others, blatant printing mistakes. The error that sticks out most to me was the story of how Sam travelled on a boat from "INSERT".... Enough said.
While I enjoyed this book and learned some interesting tidbits of history and culture, there were many parts that dragged, feeling slightly unimportant. I would have given it a higher rating other than the fact that it clearly wasn't ready for printing. At times it reads a bit as though it was written in a speech-to-text fashion, and wasn't edited for clarity. At other times, there are simple grammatical errors, and others, blatant printing mistakes. The error that sticks out most to me was the story of how Sam travelled on a boat from "INSERT".... Enough said.
January 19, 2022
Funny and informative-- I love the banter between Sam and Graham, but... it really needed one more edit. I felt like I was reading an advanced reader copy with all the errors.
January 14, 2022
Listening to another book from Sam and Graham was a delight. I enjoyed that this book focused on each of their interests--Sam got to talk about whiskey and Graham got to talk about battles. There's also quite a bit of Scottish history.
Audiobook is definitely the way to consume the book. Some of Sam and Graham's laughter and unscripted jokes are kept, and it makes listening to their back and forth even more of a delight.
Audiobook is definitely the way to consume the book. Some of Sam and Graham's laughter and unscripted jokes are kept, and it makes listening to their back and forth even more of a delight.
November 24, 2021
A must listen! I loved this new volume from Outlander and Men in Kilts frenemies Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish. Laugh out loud hijinks, behind the scenes stories and interesting tidbits from Scottish history. HIGHLY recommend!!
November 17, 2023
‘*‘ Meine Meinung ‘*‘
Da ich schon ein paar Mal in Schottland war, hat mich dieses Buch natürlich interessiert.
Für jeden Monat erzählen Sam Heughan und Graham McTavish dem geneigten Leser von ihren Wettkämpfe, historischen Schlachten, Whisky, Feiertagen und noch vielem mehr. Mir haben es vor allem die Wettkämpfe der beiden angetan. Denn diese wurden immer aus Sicht von beiden nacheinander erzählt. Dabei kamen Humor und gegenseitige Fopperei nicht zu kurz und ich musste häufig mindestens grinsen. Doch da diese Wettkämpfe auch immer zu Schottland passten, lernte ich auf amüsante Weise noch mehr über das Land und seine Bräuche.
Beim Whisky hatte ich darauf gehofft, dass auch Glengoyne dabei wäre (die einzige Destillerie, die ich je besucht habe). Hier wird nämlich im Hochland gebraucht und in den Lowlands gelagert. Oder war es andersherum? Ich weiß es nicht mehr, aber jedenfalls ist das einzigartig. Aber es gibt in Schottland so viele Brennereien, dass die Auswahl garantiert nicht einfach war.
Doch genug abgeschweift. Zurück zu den historischen Ereignissen und der Burg des Monats. Da konnte ich dann ein bisschen mein Wissen vertiefen und noch viel mehr Neues erfahren.
Zuerst wird im Monat ein Ereignis genauer betrachtet, gefolgt von dem Tropfen des Monats. Nun erfahren wir mehr über die Region und das Gemäuer des Monats und im Anschluss über den Wettstreit der beiden Autoren und die Schlacht des jeweiligen Monats. Abgerundet werden die Kapitel mit bedeutenden Geburtstagen. Natürlich werden auch Fakten von Outlander mit einbezogen und hier dürften die Fans der Serie begeistert werden.
Ich gebe es zu, es war mir auch wichtig mehr über die Haggisjagd, den Haggis an sich und seinen Schutz zu erfahren. Nicht zu vergessen, dass ich in diesem wichtigen und bedeutenden Monat Geburtstag habe.
Okay, ich habe nur Haggis-Monat, September, Oktober und November gelesen, verrate euch aber jetzt schon, dass ich total begeistert bin von dem Buch. Es werden Fakten auf leichte Art und Weise präsentiert und niveauvoller Humor kommt auch nicht zu kurz. Die anderen Monate werde ich in den jeweils passenden Monaten lesen und mir so noch ein bisschen die Freude am Buch verlängern. Das Buch ist auf jeden Fall für alle Schottland- und Outlander-Fans und alle, die mehr über Schottland erfahren wollen, ein tolles Weihnachtsgeschenk und ich vergebe 5 Haggis-Sterne.
‘*‘ Klappentext ‘*‘
Kalendergeschichten aus Schottland
2020 nahmen die „Outlander“-Darsteller Sam Heughan und Graham McTavish ihre Leser*innen in ihrem Reisebuch „Clanlands“ auf eine ungewöhnliche Tour durch Schottland mit. Jetzt bestreiten sie mit ihrem „Almanac“ ein neues, nicht minder unterhaltsamen Format: In zwölf Kalender-Kapiteln führen sie ihr Publikum durch das schottische Jahr.
Vom legendären Hogmanay zum Jahreswechsel über die streng begrenzte Haggis-Jagdsaison (April, April) und das weltberühmte Fringe-Kulturfestival in Edinburgh bis hin zum keltischen Halloween ist jeder Monat voll gepackt mit Jahrestagen und Festen, mit schottischen Persönlichkeiten und historischen Daten. Im selbstironischen Dialog präsentieren die beiden kilttragenden Schauspieler ihre Schlacht des Monats, ihre Burg des Monats, ihren Clan, Whisky oder Ort des Monats. Berührende Erinnerungen, komische Anekdoten, testosteron-geladene Wettstreitereien und immer wieder die Liebe zu Schottland machen dieses Jahrbuch zu einer ebenso amüsanten wie informativen Fundgrube.
Das perfekte Geschenk für alle Schottland- und „Outlander“-Fans!
Da ich schon ein paar Mal in Schottland war, hat mich dieses Buch natürlich interessiert.
Für jeden Monat erzählen Sam Heughan und Graham McTavish dem geneigten Leser von ihren Wettkämpfe, historischen Schlachten, Whisky, Feiertagen und noch vielem mehr. Mir haben es vor allem die Wettkämpfe der beiden angetan. Denn diese wurden immer aus Sicht von beiden nacheinander erzählt. Dabei kamen Humor und gegenseitige Fopperei nicht zu kurz und ich musste häufig mindestens grinsen. Doch da diese Wettkämpfe auch immer zu Schottland passten, lernte ich auf amüsante Weise noch mehr über das Land und seine Bräuche.
Beim Whisky hatte ich darauf gehofft, dass auch Glengoyne dabei wäre (die einzige Destillerie, die ich je besucht habe). Hier wird nämlich im Hochland gebraucht und in den Lowlands gelagert. Oder war es andersherum? Ich weiß es nicht mehr, aber jedenfalls ist das einzigartig. Aber es gibt in Schottland so viele Brennereien, dass die Auswahl garantiert nicht einfach war.
Doch genug abgeschweift. Zurück zu den historischen Ereignissen und der Burg des Monats. Da konnte ich dann ein bisschen mein Wissen vertiefen und noch viel mehr Neues erfahren.
Zuerst wird im Monat ein Ereignis genauer betrachtet, gefolgt von dem Tropfen des Monats. Nun erfahren wir mehr über die Region und das Gemäuer des Monats und im Anschluss über den Wettstreit der beiden Autoren und die Schlacht des jeweiligen Monats. Abgerundet werden die Kapitel mit bedeutenden Geburtstagen. Natürlich werden auch Fakten von Outlander mit einbezogen und hier dürften die Fans der Serie begeistert werden.
Ich gebe es zu, es war mir auch wichtig mehr über die Haggisjagd, den Haggis an sich und seinen Schutz zu erfahren. Nicht zu vergessen, dass ich in diesem wichtigen und bedeutenden Monat Geburtstag habe.
Okay, ich habe nur Haggis-Monat, September, Oktober und November gelesen, verrate euch aber jetzt schon, dass ich total begeistert bin von dem Buch. Es werden Fakten auf leichte Art und Weise präsentiert und niveauvoller Humor kommt auch nicht zu kurz. Die anderen Monate werde ich in den jeweils passenden Monaten lesen und mir so noch ein bisschen die Freude am Buch verlängern. Das Buch ist auf jeden Fall für alle Schottland- und Outlander-Fans und alle, die mehr über Schottland erfahren wollen, ein tolles Weihnachtsgeschenk und ich vergebe 5 Haggis-Sterne.
‘*‘ Klappentext ‘*‘
Kalendergeschichten aus Schottland
2020 nahmen die „Outlander“-Darsteller Sam Heughan und Graham McTavish ihre Leser*innen in ihrem Reisebuch „Clanlands“ auf eine ungewöhnliche Tour durch Schottland mit. Jetzt bestreiten sie mit ihrem „Almanac“ ein neues, nicht minder unterhaltsamen Format: In zwölf Kalender-Kapiteln führen sie ihr Publikum durch das schottische Jahr.
Vom legendären Hogmanay zum Jahreswechsel über die streng begrenzte Haggis-Jagdsaison (April, April) und das weltberühmte Fringe-Kulturfestival in Edinburgh bis hin zum keltischen Halloween ist jeder Monat voll gepackt mit Jahrestagen und Festen, mit schottischen Persönlichkeiten und historischen Daten. Im selbstironischen Dialog präsentieren die beiden kilttragenden Schauspieler ihre Schlacht des Monats, ihre Burg des Monats, ihren Clan, Whisky oder Ort des Monats. Berührende Erinnerungen, komische Anekdoten, testosteron-geladene Wettstreitereien und immer wieder die Liebe zu Schottland machen dieses Jahrbuch zu einer ebenso amüsanten wie informativen Fundgrube.
Das perfekte Geschenk für alle Schottland- und „Outlander“-Fans!
April 1, 2022
3 stars for content, 1 star for the narration 😀
January 3, 2022
I really enjoyed being transported around Scotland with the stories told in this book, and the love Graham and Sam have for Scotland really shone through. However because of the bad copy editing I've had to round it down to 3 stars.
I really struggled to get over the editing blunders and unfortunately it distracted from the stories being told. The most notable mistakes are the grammatical errors, the repeated paragraph at the start of the September chapter, the missing narrators - so at points you don't know who's talking, and the obvious mistake 'We took a ferry from [INSERT]'.
It's a shame that the editing mistakes made it feel like an unfinished draft ended up getting published. If this was fixed I think it would have been a much more enjoyable read. Overall I'd recommend reading Clanlands instead of this Almanac.
I really struggled to get over the editing blunders and unfortunately it distracted from the stories being told. The most notable mistakes are the grammatical errors, the repeated paragraph at the start of the September chapter, the missing narrators - so at points you don't know who's talking, and the obvious mistake 'We took a ferry from [INSERT]'.
It's a shame that the editing mistakes made it feel like an unfinished draft ended up getting published. If this was fixed I think it would have been a much more enjoyable read. Overall I'd recommend reading Clanlands instead of this Almanac.
March 5, 2022
I hate to say it (because I am a huge Outlander and Men in Kilts fan), but I did not enjoy this book. It took me a long time to get through it. If you have watched Men in Kilts and read Clanlands, then DON’T buy this book. You will be disappointed, as it is mostly a recap of that show and that book. On top of that, it is poorly done. This book was a huge marketing scheme ( it worked, I bought it). It was rushed to print and has too numerous to counts errors in it. Huge errors. For example, it repeats full paragraphs. In addition, it has sentences like, “We took a ferry from INSERT which I recall took around seven hours (page 272). Where was the editor? Too busy drinking whisky?
November 6, 2022
What a fun way to learn history! Entertaining and humorous, Sam and Graham tease each other and share personal stories and anecdotes along with Scottish history.
Gentle Reader: occasional swears, including the F word. Some adult discussion and speaking of drinking—a lot.
Gentle Reader: occasional swears, including the F word. Some adult discussion and speaking of drinking—a lot.
December 26, 2021
WOW WOW WOW WOW! This book is amazing! It is witty, full of history, engaging, intriguing, heartfelt, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "Clanlands Almanac: Seasonal Stories from Scotland", I was whisked away on an adventure, and learned so much from reading this book.
I absolutely love learning about Scotland and history, love the show "Outlander", and after reading "Clanlands, I just knew I needed to read this book! I am so very glad I did!
Throughout the book, Sam and Graham go month by month throughout the year, and explore and delve into various aspects of Scottish history and culture: from battles, castles, traditions, the people and places encountered, the land, music, food, whiskey, competitions, to so much more! I loved seeing the personal moments added throughout, and tied into what is being spoken about (and their banter is hilarious once again!). And, as a performer, I loved reading about some behind-the-scenes moments as well. Also included are websites for "further reading"...and I can't wait to dive in and learn even more!
To Sam, Graham, Charlotte, and Scotland: thank you so much for opening your hearts to us, and please most certainly keep writing books! I look forward to reading more!
Thank you so much to Mobius Books for the gifted copy of this book, it is amazing! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I absolutely love learning about Scotland and history, love the show "Outlander", and after reading "Clanlands, I just knew I needed to read this book! I am so very glad I did!
Throughout the book, Sam and Graham go month by month throughout the year, and explore and delve into various aspects of Scottish history and culture: from battles, castles, traditions, the people and places encountered, the land, music, food, whiskey, competitions, to so much more! I loved seeing the personal moments added throughout, and tied into what is being spoken about (and their banter is hilarious once again!). And, as a performer, I loved reading about some behind-the-scenes moments as well. Also included are websites for "further reading"...and I can't wait to dive in and learn even more!
To Sam, Graham, Charlotte, and Scotland: thank you so much for opening your hearts to us, and please most certainly keep writing books! I look forward to reading more!
Thank you so much to Mobius Books for the gifted copy of this book, it is amazing! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
December 10, 2021
I could listen to these two read the phone book (if there were still such a thing). It was a well put together almanac with lots of fun and random information. Their personal anecdotes are always the most fun to listen to, but I think my favorite parts this time were the tongue in cheek, sarcastic bits that they broke down laughing during. So glad they were kept in the final cut!
September 22, 2024
An absolute delight from start to finish. Sam and Graham are such great writers, have delightful chemistry together, and have such a knack for weaving intriguing tales of Scottish history and culture. I loved this book 🥰
October 6, 2023
These guys are funny I like Graham’s alternative historical narratives 😂
January 9, 2022
Similar to the previous but I liked this one a bit more, better organized, though still annoying/tiring at times (seriously, just stop with all the plugs). Also surprisingly there are a bunch of formatting errors and some grammatical errors, which makes it seem like the book wasn’t thoroughly proofed.
January 20, 2022
This was a pretty fun listen, but the truth of the matter is… I like watching these two way more than I like reading their writing or listening to them read their writing. I learned a lot about Scotland, and a lot of their stories were amusing, but sometimes Sam and Graham were, to quote my husband, way too “pleased with themselves.”
January 1, 2025
I read the first edition of the Clanlands Almanac, and I am not sure if the editor was not thorough enough or Sam and Graham ignored her notes, but good lord, I have NEVER encountered so many typos (and editing notes left by mistake) in a book. They impeded the flow and were incredibly frustrating. I had to take off a star for the errors alone.
However, the content was a funny, interesting smorgasbord of Scottish history and culture. Violence between the clans, holiday traditions…the variety was great.
I would definitely be interested in reading another book by Sam and Graham (if they pay more attention to the editing process next time).
However, the content was a funny, interesting smorgasbord of Scottish history and culture. Violence between the clans, holiday traditions…the variety was great.
I would definitely be interested in reading another book by Sam and Graham (if they pay more attention to the editing process next time).
January 16, 2022
This is a really cute book! I’ve skimmed it for the last few days and though it’s very anecdotal, I actually learned a thing or two that I didn’t expect, and I laughed out loud several times. The banter is what I came for, and it didn’t disappoint. If you love Men In Kilts, this won’t disappoint. It’s cheeky & sweet. In the acknowledgements, Graham refers to Sam as his “gentle tormenter”, and that pretty much perfectly sums up the mood of this book- and the pair in general.
September 16, 2024
Das Buch fand ich wieder richtig toll. Diese beiden sind einfach so herrlich. Ich mag ihren Humor und ihre offenen Erzählungen sehr. Man lernt auch viel über die Clans und ihre Fehden und viel über das Leben der Schauspieler. Man lernt sie doch recht gut kennen. Und man erfährt auch viele Hintergründe zu Outlander, was ich total toll fand. Es ist einfach so toll zu lesen. ich kann es für Outlander-Fans nur empfehlen. Einfach klasse.
January 22, 2022
To be clear, I’ve never watched or read Outlander, so discovering that Heughan and McTavish in fact first became associated while starring/acting in the TV show (and also, I haven’t seen Men in Kilts, either) was something I slowly figured out from the increasing number of references in the book, an ode to their native Scotland and friendly rivalry.
January 30, 2022
What a delightful book! I enjoyed reading about some of the events and people involved that took place in different regions in Scotland, the behind-the-scenes stories of Sam and Graham while filming Men in Kilts throughout the regions, a few yummy recipes and the general camaraderie between the two friends. This was the perfect book to escape with and I enjoyed it immensely. I'll miss 'hearing' their voices!
December 23, 2021
Honestly another Sam and Graham book where they talk about Scottish history? Count me in! These two wonderful idiots, because when you read this and Clanlands they are informative but also so silly, and it’s just great!
August 27, 2023
This was a well-narrated almanac of Scotland. Interesting info, but not so interesting I couldn’t stop reading it. It might be better to go through it month by month during the said month instead of the whole thing at once. I’ll probably give that a try next year.
3.5 stars rounded up
3.5 stars rounded up
December 8, 2021
Oh, how I love basically anything these two do together. They're so funny; I love the history and the stories but I'm also here for the witty banter.
January 7, 2022
Audio version is so good.
January 14, 2022
Fun, interesting read. I love seeing and hearing their personal thoughts and opinions on various things.
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