Alistair Moffat
Wednesday 9th October
Greenside Church, 1b Royal Terrace, Edinburgh, EH7 5AB
7pm
7.30pm
A former director of both the Edinburgh Fringe and STV, and founder of the Borders Book Festival, Alistair Moffat is an author of high acclaim. Through his histories of Scotland and its regions, as well as investigations into Scot's genetic inheritance, Alistair has proven himself a great chronicler of the past.
This time round, Alistair joins us for a celebration of his two latest offerings: Edinburgh: A New History and The Highlands and Islands of Scotland: A New History.
The value of your event voucher will be redeemable against either of these two featured books, and we will have signed copies available on the night!
Edinburgh: A New History
From prehistory to the present day, the story of Edinburgh is packed with incident and drama. As Scotland’s capital since 1437, the city has witnessed many of the key events which have shaped the nation. But Edinburgh has always been much more than just a political centre. During the Enlightenment, it was one the intellectual powerhouses of Europe, and in the twentieth century it became the arts capital of the world with the founding of its many festivals. Finance, religion, education and industry are also important parts of the story.
Alistair Moffat explores these themes and many more, showing how the city has grown, changed and adapted over the centuries. He introduces Edinburgh’s famous places and people – including monarchs, murderers, writers and philosophers – as well as the ordinary citizens who have contributed so much to the life of one of the world’s best-known and most beautiful cites.
The Highlands and Islands of Scotland: A New History
This is the story of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland as it has never been told before. From the formation of the landscape millions of years ago to the twenty-first century, it brings to life the events and the people who have shaped Highland history, from saints, sinners and outlaws to monarchs, clan chiefs and warriors.
Highly readable and informative, it mines a wide range of sources including medieval manuscripts and sagas, poetry and popular culture. Picts, Romans, Irish missionaries, Vikings, Jacobites and the flood of emigrants who left to forge new lives abroad are just some of the important players in the drama. As he paints the bigger picture, Alistair Moffat also introduces many key aspects of Highland culture and explores the experience of ordinary Highlanders and Islanders over thousands of years.
About Alistair Moffat
Alistair Moffat was born in Kelso, Scotland. He is an award-winning writer and historian, and was Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and is former Rector of the University of St Andrews. He is founder of Borders Book Festival and Co-Chairman of The Great Tapestry of Scotland. His many books include The Highland Clans (also published by Thames & Hudson), To the Island of Tides: A Journey to Lindisfarne and The Hidden Ways: A History of Scotland's Forgotten Roads.