As if this were not enough, while confined during the COVID-19 pandemic, Heughan and McTavish took on another new challenge — writing their first book! Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other is exactly what the title suggests and exactly what you would expect from these two bantering buddies. Along with recounting their rollicking journey through the Scottish Highlands, the book shares tales from Heughan and McTavish’s personal histories, a peek behind the scenes of Outlander, and many a night full of whisky and shenanigans among close friends.

Clanlands may surprise readers, however, as it is more than just a traditional tale of two old chums hitting the road together for the hell of it. The amount of historical information and the level of detail provided throughout is impressive. Heughan and McTavish share what they learned through their own studies as well as their trip together, including such key moments in Scottish history as the Massacre of Glencoe, epic feuds among the clans, and, of course, the infamous Battle of Culloden.

Balancing out the heavy, and quite often bloody, history of their country, Heughan and McTavish also make plenty of room for fun in their travels and likewise in this book. (In all truthfulness poor McTavish is put through the ringer time and again by Heughan, but he is a good sport about it and holds his own when it comes to ribbing!) From learning to ride a rickety old tandem bike together to careening through the countryside in a camper van which Heughan –umm, how can I put this delicately? — struggles to drive, readers are sure to find themselves chuckling at the antics which results from this pair. The structure of the alternating narration between Heughan and McTavish works well to provide fodder for their joking, while also allowing glimpses into their personal thoughts and experiences.

Part reflection on their journey through the Highlands, part Scottish history lesson, and a huge dash of what I can only describe as the alpha male version of Thelma & Louise (don’t worry folks, no canyons involved here!), Clanlands takes readers on a wild ride in more ways than one. Toss in a hilariously ribald foreword from Diana Gabaldon herself, along with cameos by other Outlander cast favourites, and you end up with one entertaining read fans will not want to miss!

Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore. Many thanks to Mobius Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

About The Authors
Sam Heughan came to fame through the hit TV show Outlander, playing the lead character Jamie Fraser for five successful seasons. Released on Starz in the US, the show is viewed all around the world. With a career in theatre (Laurence Olivier award nominee), television and film spanning 17 years. Most recently seen in the Sony Pictures Bloodshot movie opposite Vin Diesel.  Graham McTavish has had an acting career spanning 35 years – best known as Dougal Mackenzie in the Starz hit show Outlander, and the fence Dwarf, Dwalin, in the Hobbit trilogy. He most recently starred as The Saint of Killers in AMC’s show, Preacher, based on the cult graphic novels of the same name.

Will you be picking up Clanlands? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

From their faithful camper van to boats, kayaks, bicycles, and motorbikes, join stars of Outlander Sam and Graham on a road trip with a difference, as two Scotsmen explore a land of raw beauty, poetry, feuding, music, history, and warfare.

Unlikely friends Sam and Graham begin their journey in the heart of Scotland at Glencoe and travel from there all the way to Inverness and Culloden battlefield, where along the way they experience adventure and a cast of highland characters. In this story of friendship, finding themselves, and whisky, they discover the complexity, rich history and culture of their native country.

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But with it being so long since the Season 2 finale in July last year, is the second season still fresh in your mind? Perhaps you haven’t had the chance to revisit Claire and Jamie in the lead up to it? Well I finally allowed myself to watch Season 2 and after many gasps, laughs, and more than a few buckets of tears, I have the perfect recap to refreshing your memory before the premiere.

Read on for our episodic recap of Outlander Season 2! Tell us in the comments below if you’re excited and what you’re most looking forward to seeing in Season 3! (Minimum spoilers please)

2.01: Through A Glass, Darkly

Claire returns to her time and reunited with Frank, who is shocked by her reappearance. Grieving over the assumed death of Jamie, the two attempt to reconcile, but not before Frank has an outburst reminiscent of his ancestor after learning Claire is pregnant. With near-gritted teeth, he accepts this if Claire will try to forget Jamie. The two leave for Boston to begin their lives anew.

A flashback sees the arrival of a pregnant Claire, Jamie, and Murtagh in France as they attempt to still prevent the Battle of Culloden from occurring. They formulate a plan which involves Jamie approaching his Jacobite cousin, Jared Fraser. The pair quickly make a new enemy, Comte St. Germain, whose ship must be burned when Claire diagnoses the crew members showing signs of small pox.

2.02: Not In Scotland Anymore

Jamie remains haunted by Randall in both his dreams and intimate moments, which leads Claire to an apothecary owned by the delightful Master Raymond. Jamie is soon invited to meet with the Bonnie Prince Charlie himself at a brothel.

Meanwhile, Claire spends time with her new friend Louise and a young girl named Mary Hawkins, whose name rings a bell for Claire. Through Louise she obtains an invitation to court. Enter the glorious red dress, which gains the attention of Monsieur Duverney, the Minister of Finance, in the wrong way. They also encounter the Duke of Sandringham and Claire meets Alex Randall, the brother of Black Jack, who reveals his brother is still alive.

2.03: Useful Occupations and Deceptions

Claire recalls Mary Hawkins marries Randall, which means that he must live for at least another year in order for them to wed and conceive Frank’s ancestor. She eventually confides in Murtagh about Randall being alive.

Whilst Jamie is busy with the Prince, Claire finds herself feeling useless so she becomes a volunteer at a hospital, which Jamie is not pleased about. He meets Fergus, a young pickpocket, who will now aid their cause by stealing Charles’ correspondence. They discover a sheet of music, which they decode with the aid of Mother Hildegarde and it donors to the cause as well as Sandringham playing both sides once more.

2.04: La Dame Blanche

Claire is poisoned by the Comte and so she visits Master Raymond to which he bestows a necklace that will change in the presence of poison, and tells her she will see Frank again.

Jamie and Claire plan a dinner with Charles so Sandringham can see he is foolish and unworthy. But this means Claire must tell Jamie that Randall is alive, and when she does, he is unexpectedly elated. The two also finally reconcile and reconnect intimately.

Claire discovers Louise is pregnant by Charles, which they will use to unhinge Charles during the dinner. Unfortunately the dinner does not go to plan after Mary and Claire are attacked on their way home with young Mary raped and Claire called ‘La Dame Blanche’, which causes them to scurry off. They leave Mary in Alex Randall’s care whilst Jamie slyly toasts to Louise’s pregnancy. Just as Charles is about to embarrass himself, they are interrupted by what looks like Alex trying to rape Mary.

2.05: Untimely Resurrection

After the brawl, Claire waits for Jamie to return home after being arrested and explains to Claire he spread the rumour she was a La Dame Blanche. Jamie later discovers Charles is about to come into a lot of money after the Comte decides to make himself an ally and the two decide to sell wine to make a profit.

Claire visits Mary who will be leaving Paris as she can no longer wed her betrothed, but now dreams of marrying Alex. Claire intervenes by telling Alex to stay away as his sickly condition would only be a burden.

In the grounds of Versailles, Claire runs into Randall and Jamie soon follows who then challenges him to a duel. Claire becomes frantic and alleges Randall raped Mary in order to get him in jail so she can convince Jamie to wait a year, which he eventually agrees to.

2.06: Best Laid Schemes…

Jamie reveals to Claire that he agreed to wait for his duel as he wants her to return to Frank if something happens to him. However, Murtagh doesn’t understand why Jamie is waiting so the two finally tell him about Claire.

With the wine shipment arriving, Claire comes up with some herbs to mimic small pox so the shipment has to be destroyed, but Charles asks Jamie to transport it to his cousin’s storehouse so it isn’t declared tainted.

Their next plan is for Murtagh and a gang of men to hold up Jamie and Comte when they transport the wine. Meanwhile, Claire becomes unwell and stays at the hospital, only to return home to find Jamie and Fergus went to the brothel and he is now duelling Randall. What she doesn’t know is Fergus entered a room there which was occupied by Randall…

Claire rushes to the woods where Jamie stabs his blade into Randall’s privates just as Claire screams and agony and blood pours from her womb. The heartbreaking moment sees Claire and Jamie screaming for one another as the two are separated.

2.07: Faith

After witnessing the duel, Claire’s baby is still-born, although Mother Hildegarde performed an illegal baptism so she could be buried on hallowed ground. She suffers from a fever until Master Raymond comes to help retrieve the remaining placenta. Eventually Claire returns to their home, and it is here that Fergus reveals why Jamie did what he did. Jamie heard Fergus’ cries and walked in on Randall raping the young boy.

Now with some better understanding, she gets an audience with the King, which will more than likely require her virtue as a payment. Instead, she is quickly whisked into a hidden chamber where she comes face-to-face with Comte and Master Raymond who are accused of sorcery. As a ‘La Dame Blanche’, she looks into their hearts to prove their innocence but must provide another test in the form of a poison. Master Raymond drinks first and lives, but then slips a real poison in which is revealed by Claire’s necklace and the Comte dies.

Claire gives her final ‘payment’ to the King and Jamie returns home. Flashbacks are shown of Claire’s agonising time at the hospital and results in her blaming herself for what happened because she put Frank first. She asks to be taken home, to Scotland, but not before they visit Faith’s grave.

2.08: The Fox’s Lair

Claire, Jamie, Murtagh, and Fergus return to Lallybroch only to find Jamie’s signature has been forged to show support for Charles, so Jamie decides he will do what he can to win Culloden. The two head off to see his grandfather, Lord Lovat, only to find Colum MacKenzie and Laoghaire are there too.

Lovat wants Lallybroch in exchange for his support, but with Claire being a La Dame Blanche, they attempt to persuade him with a vision. Unfortunately, he ends up signing Colum’s document declaring neutrality. But as they leave, Lovat and his men approach and he reveals he is playing both sides and will be covered if the Jacobites lose.

2.09: Je Suis Prest

The episode sees the Highlanders training to fight for Charles and sees Dougal, Angus, and Rupert return. Naturally though, there is a bit of power struggle between Jamie and Dougal.

Poor Claire begins to suffer from PTSD and has flashbacks to her time as nurse in WWII, and this sees some distance created between the two lovers once more. But when a young British solider tries to kill Jamie and he goes to torture him, Claire decides to pretend she is his prisoner. The soldier will do anything to stop Jamie from ravishing her (beyond hilarious) and gives up the information the location of the soldiers. After a brief victory, the group join the rest of Charles’ army.

2.10: Prestonpans

Marshland separates the Jacobites and the British, so Dougal attempts to see if they can cross it, which results in a no. A local reveals to Jamie he knows of a hidden trail that will lead them straight to the British. With the triage all set up by Claire, the Jacobites begin their attack and it’s a bloodbath and so the British retreat.

Unfortunately there are causalities as Rupert gets a blade to the stomach and Angus gets knocked out by a cannon blast. Dougal quickly makes a fool of himself in front of Charles and becomes exiled by Jamie. It is then revealed Angus has been bleeding internally and dies from his injuries.

2.11: Vengeance is Mine

Jamie receives orders they are to ride to Inverness, as he holds too much sway over Charles. Whilst on their way, they encounter British soldiers where Rupert cops a bullet to the eye and they find shelter in a church so they can patch Rupert up again.

The British track them down and Claire once again pretends to be their hostage so the rest of them can safely depart and then rescue Claire from wherever they take her. Unfortunately they change courses, and Claire must somehow get a message to Jamie so luckily she runs into Hugh Munro.

Claire is taken to Belmont, where the Duke of Sandringham is residing along with Mary Hawkins. The Duke once again plays Claire so Jamie is in for a trap when he arrives and she discovers the Duke’s servant bears a mark similar to Mary’s rapist. Jamie and Murtagh come to the rescue with Mary killing her rapist and Murtagh chopping off the Duke’s head and laying it at Claire’s feet, just as he promised.

2.12: The Hail Mary

Jamie attempts to attack the English whilst they celebrate the Duke of Cumberland’s birthday, but Prince Charles’ group of men get lost and abandon the attack. Claire runs into Mary Hawkins again, who is now pregnant and soon to be married to Alex Randall, however, his condition is severe. Alex reveals to Randall and Mary that he wishes them to be wed to benefit them all and the unborn child, which will continue the Randall line and ultimately lead to Frank.

Claire also attempts to help Colum MacKenzie after he asks her to end his life painlessly. On his deathbed he asks Jamie to oversee the clan and then tells Claire in secret that Dougal and Geillis’ baby was born before she was burned.

2.13: Dragonfly In Amber

The heart-wrenching finale jumps between Claire’s present time in 1968 and the final few days before the Battle of Culloden. A 50-year-old Claire return to Scotland after the death of Reverend Wakefield and we are introduced to the grown-up version of his adopted son, Roger, along with Claire and Jamie’s daughter, Brianna. Claire quickly becomes enthralled by Scotland once more and visits the ruins of Lallybroch and Culloden, whilst Brianna spends time with Roger and runs into Gillian Edgars, also known as Geillis Duncan.

Back in 1746, Claire and Jamie attempt to stop the battle once more with plans to poison Prince Charles, but Dougal overhears and this leads to the pair killing him. Caught in the act, Jamie asks for two hours to sort everything out, which includes backdating a deed to leave Lallybroch to his nephew. Jamie reveals his final task to be taking Claire back to Craigh Na Dun and despite her reluctance, Jamie convinces her because he tells Claire he knows she is pregnant and wants the both of them to be safe. The two share a passionate and tearful goodbye with Claire heading back to her time and Jamie off to war.

Brianna begins to connect the dots of her parentage, which causes Claire to reveal her ‘far-fetched’ story. She then attempts to warn Geillis about travelling back, but they are too late. However, this convinces both Brianna and Roger of her story, and they then tell Claire that Jamie actually survived the battle…

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The first images for Season 3 come in anticipation for the teaser trailer debut which will be released this Sunday. The sneak peek will air before the new STARZ television series The White Queen, but there’s no doubt it will be up on social media minutes after its premiere.

In the new images, we see our Outlander trio in two very different places. Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser looks to still be in 18th century Scotland, while Caitriona Balfe and Tobias Menzies as Claire and Frank Randall smile together in the 1960s.

At the end of Outlander Season 2, Claire travelled through the stones at Craigh na Dun while Jamie stayed behind to join the Battle of Culloden so we will be seeing more of the two different time periods again this season.

The cast and crew are still currently filming and earlier this year, they moved their production to the Cape Town Studios in South Africa, where STARZ’s other television series Black Sails had been filming. The series will be utilizing the old ships from Black Sails to create the second half of the 3rd season where Jamie and Claire set sail for the Caribbean.

The third season will be based on the third novel Voyager and the author, Diana Gabaldon, is currently in South Africa consulting on the series. She has been dropping a few teasers of the cast working on the series.

Outlander Season 3 premieres on Starz in September, but until then, the #droughtlander continues.

Are you excited for more Outlander? Let us know in the comments below!

In the Company of Giants…again! pic.twitter.com/dJKJdHmJLl

— Diana Gabaldon (@Writer_DG) April 4, 2017

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