War Paths

The acclaimed historian sets off in the footsteps of the Highland clans, exploring places of conflict in twelve journeys.

As Alistair Moffat recounts the military prowess of the clans—surely the most feared fighting men in western Europe—he also speaks of their lives, their language and culture before it was all swept away.

From the colonisers who attempted to 'civilise' the islanders of Lewis in the sixteenth century through the great battles of the eighteenth century—Killiecrankie, Dunkeld, Sheriffmuir, Falkirk and Culloden—this is a unique exploration of many of the places and events which define the country's history. The disaster at Culloden in 1746 represented not just the defeat of the Jacobite dream but also the unleashing of merciless retribution from the British government which dealt the Highland clans a blow from which they would never recover.

Locations included are:

Prestonpans • Glenfinnan • The Isle of Lewis • Edinburgh • Inverlochy • Tippermuir • Mulroy • Killiecrankie • Dunkeld • Sherriffmuir • Falkirk • Culloden Moor • Arisaig & Morar

"Taking the reader through key historical moments of battles that would alter the country forever, [Moffat] also offers fascinating insight into the language, culture and lives of the clans." —The Bookseller