Waypoints: My Scottish Journey

by Sam Heughan

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

You love him in Outlander and from his book Clanlands, with Graham McTavish, so get ready for Sam Heughan’s first-ever memoir, Waypoints. In it, you'll learn all about his journey of self-discovery all the while being charmed by his Scottish wit. This book is a love letter to Scotland’s West Highland Way and will transport you there while you learn about the moments that shaped Heughan. This memoir is a personal revelry that will leave readers reflecting on the moments that shaped their own lives while being swept up in the Moor.

Journey deep into the Highlands in the first memoir by #1 New York Times bestselling author and star of Outlander Sam Heughan – exploring his life and reflecting on the waypoints that define him

In this intimate journey of self-discovery, Sam Heughan sets out along Scotland's rugged West Highland Way to explore his heritage and reflect on the personal waypoints that define him. The result is a love letter to the wild Scottish landscape that means so much to Sam, full of charming, funny, wise, and searching insights into the world through his eyes.

The nearly 100-mile walk itself is the backdrop for this narrative, which tells the story of Sam's life while exploring his outlook, values, and interests. Sam is a figure of fascinating contrasts: A Hollywood star with deep roots in Scotland, he's both outgoing and content in his own company. He has strong connections with his fans while recognizing the fragility and value of anonymity, and in his global health community My Peak Challenge he has created a network that brings people together as they chase individual goals. In his new book, while charting a path through a stunning wilderness, Sam maps out the moments that shaped his views on dreams and ambition, family, friendships, love, and life.

Waypoints is a deeply personal journey that reveals as much to Sam about himself as it does to his readers.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316495530
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	10/25/2022
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	22,343
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Sam Heughan is a Scottish actor and producer best known for his role as Jamie Fraser on the hit Outlander TV series. He is also the coauthor, with Outlander costar Graham McTavish, of the #1 New York Times bestseller Clanlands. His career in theater, television, and film spans nearly two decades, and in 2019 he was bestowed an honorary doctorate by the University of Glasgow and the University of Stirling for his charitable endeavors and artistic success. 

Table of Contents

Foreword xi

Prologue xv

Day 0 Time Out 1

Day 1 Into the Wild 15

Day 2 The Wake-Up Call 43

Day 3 The Great Reboot 79

Day 4 The Hard Road 135

Day 5 Fun Guys 181

Day 6 Waypoints 241

Epilogue 261

Acknowledgements 268

Picture Credits & Publisher Acknowledgements 269

About the Author 270

Editorial Reviews

2022-09-24
The male lead of the TV series Outlander takes us on a long Scottish hike while recounting the travails of stage and screen.

“I’m not hyperactive, I crave down time, but I feel guilty if I’m not…pushing myself in some capacity,” writes Heughan, who, sidelined by Covid-19 after shooting an abbreviated sixth season of Outlander, decided to walk the West Highland Way. Running from just north of Glasgow along Loch Lomond and up the U.K.’s tallest mountain, Ben Nevis, before ending along Scotland’s west coast, the trail is not for the faint of heart. Neither, writes Heughan, is acting: He chronicles his unsuccessful auditions for many much-wanted roles—e.g., hoping to bring the James Bond trademark back home, he was beaten out by Daniel Craig. Being hammered by rain and cold and pained by blisters and sore muscles are perhaps no less dispiriting than losing a role, but Heughan writes with generally good humor of his experiences, in which, on the trail, he plays the part of the hapless newbie. Still, he enjoys the bucolic solitude, as when he notes, “There isn’t a single soul around, unless you count a few hardy sheep in the distance bracing themselves against the gusts.” If you want to read solely about tramping around Britain, Robert Macfarlane is the writer you want, but if you have any interest in the art and craft of acting along the way, Heughan offers plenty of notes. “The key to Shakespeare, I learned, is to allow the text to live,” he writes. “It’s the punctuation and poetry that guides the actor, which makes breathing key to delivery.” For all that, it’s a treat, after a winding narrative that ranges from exultant to melancholic, to see Heughan on top of Ben Nevis at last.

A pleasure for fans of the author, whisky, and Scotland.

Kirkus Reviews

"A pleasure for fans of the author, whisky, and Scotland."—Kirkus

“As the title suggests, Waypoints is a rewarding mix of markers, both personal as he reflects on his life and geographical as he leads the reader along the West Highland Way.”—The Scotsman

“A deeply personal and warmly entertaining memoir that fans of Sam - and Scotland - will have a joyful time devouring.”—Heat

“From both his walk and his career, the common lesson is the power of persistence.”—The Times (London)

"Spirited and heartwarming"—booktrib.com

"With disarming asides and humorous accents, Heughan's narration reveals the fun-loving yet thoughtful man behind his acting roles…Bookended by scenes with Heughan’s estranged father, Waypoints is a companionable and inspiring memoir that encourages soul-searching and mindfulness.”—Bookpage

From the Publisher

Sam Heughan, OUTLANDER’s Jamie Fraser, recounts his journey across the 96 miles of Scotland’s West Highland Way. The story becomes a metaphor for Heughan’s life as an actor in this atmospheric and absorbing memoir. He gives a spirited and heartwarming performance as he interweaves stories of how he became a successful working actor into the details of his arduous trek across the magnificent Scottish landscape. His swoon-worthy Scottish accent highlights his charm and self-effacing humor, along with the warmth one can hear when he mentions his devoted mother and loyal older brother. The inclusion of live recordings made during Heughan’s hike, complete with sound effects of strong wind and heavy rain, are a lovely addition to this audiobook. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2023 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2023 - AudioFile

Sam Heughan, OUTLANDER’s Jamie Fraser, recounts his journey across the 96 miles of Scotland’s West Highland Way. The story becomes a metaphor for Heughan’s life as an actor in this atmospheric and absorbing memoir. He gives a spirited and heartwarming performance as he interweaves stories of how he became a successful working actor into the details of his arduous trek across the magnificent Scottish landscape. His swoon-worthy Scottish accent highlights his charm and self-effacing humor, along with the warmth one can hear when he mentions his devoted mother and loyal older brother. The inclusion of live recordings made during Heughan’s hike, complete with sound effects of strong wind and heavy rain, are a lovely addition to this audiobook. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2023 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2023 - AudioFile