The Hidden Ways: Scotland’s Forgotten Roads

Shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing AwardsIn The Hidden Ways, Alistair Moffat traverses the lost paths of Scotland – its Roman roads tramped by armies, its warpaths and pilgrim routes, drove roads and rail roads, turnpikes and sea-roads – in a bid to understand how our history has left its mark upon our landscape. As he retraces the forgotten paths that shaped and were shaped by the lives of the now forgotten people who trod them, Moffat charts a powerful, surprising and moving history of Scotland.

Reviews of The Hidden Ways: Scotland’s Forgotten Roads

Our ancestors walked everywhere, unless they lived by a river or loch and travelled by boat, or were rich enough to keep a horse or pony. So Moffat will walk. He will walk over much of Scotland, following, sometimes struggling to follow, old roads that are now sometimes hard to find. This book is the story of a dozen such walks. This is a splendidly rich book – a treasure-house of information, memories and speculation — Allan Massie * * The Scotsman * * Praise for The Great Tapestry of Scotland: 'Not just visually stunning but intensely moving and occasionally very funny * * The Times * * Praise for The Border: 'Quirky, learned and utterly absorbing — ALLAN MASSIE Praise for The Scots: A Genetic Journey: 'Truly fascinating * * Scotsman * * Praise for Scotland: A History From Earliest Times: 'A very readable, well-researched and fluent account * * Scotland on Sunday * * Praise for The Reivers: 'A most compelling, thought-provoking and entertaining history * * Herald * * Praise for The Wall: 'Wonderfully entertaining . . . a real joy * * Independent * * Praise for The Sea Kingdoms: 'Brimming with interesting facts . . . instructive and wide-ranging * * Independent on Sunday * *