Second Scottish travel guide from 'Outlander' stars to Hodder

Hodder & Stoughton has acquired The Clanlands Almanac: Seasonal Stories from Scotland, a second title from Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, stars of the historical drama series "Outlander" and authors of 2020 title Clanlands (Hodder). 

Publisher Briony Gowlett acquired world English rights from Zoe Ross at United Agents. Publication is scheduled for 9th November 2021. 

The first title from the duo, Clanlands, combined travelogue, history, memoir, and the authors’ passion for Scotland. According to the publisher, it has sold over 370,000 English language copies around the world and has been translated into Dutch, German, Hungarian, Portuguese and Spanish, with further deals underway.

The follow up, The Clanlands Almanac, is billed as "the perfect escapist guide" and is intended as a starting point for readers to make their own discoveries. It will see Heughan and McTavish guide readers through a year of Scottish legends, traditions, historical and contemporary events while sharing stories and tips in a "light-hearted but informative" way.

Heughan and McTavish said: "If Clanlands was a gentle road trip with our readers through Scotland, this Almanac is a top down, pedal to the metal, up-and-down odyssey through the many byways of a Scottish year. We offer an invitation to anyone who picks up the book to join us on a crazy campervan exploration over 12 glorious, whisky-fuelled 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, lawsuits are inevitable. It is a campervan cornucopia of all things Alba."

Gowlett added: "Something that has felt particularly satisfying is that Clanlands has been the launch of two writing careers. Sam and Graham did what can often be hard for “celebrity” authors, to win over the bookselling / reading community by embracing its many different facets and being willing to learn about and embed themselves in it. To be planning for further success both here and internationally, with two of the loveliest, most hardworking authors you’ll meet, is a delight."