Waypoints My Scottish Journey
Sam Heughan
320 pages
Octopus Publishing Group
published in paperback on June 22, 2023
ABOUT THE BOOK
In this journey of self-discovery, Sam Heughan sets out along the 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, and a charming, funny, wise and searching insight to the world through his eyes. The 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 rural Scotland, he’s both outgoing and content in his own company. He has strong connections with his fans while recognising the fragility and value of anonymity. In this 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 memoir with a difference! I wanted to tell the stories and share the experiences that have shaped me, but to do that I needed to challenge myself and spend some time in my own company, away from the distractions of everyday life. And for me there’s no better place to reflect than in the wild Scottish Highlands.’ SAM HEUGHAN
MY REVIEW
So my not so well kept secret is that I love to listen to celebrity memoirs. Especially those celebrities that I like. So when the chance came up to be a part of this blog tour I jumped on it. And to my surprise the audiobook came up as a skip the line copy from the library, so I was able to do an immersive read of listening to and reading the book together. And of course this one is read by the author in his sexy Scottish accent, so it was even better.
So the basis of this one was his trek along the West Highland Way. Where during a break in his acting schedule, he walked it alone and remembered the moments that left an impact on his life. His childhood, his family, his big break and his defeats. it was an honest look at what made him what he is today. And how he almost spur of the moment decided to make the hike and how it was slightly more difficult than he envisioned. While in reality it wasn’t anything like it, but yet it reminded me a little of Cheryl Strayed’s trek on the Pacific Coast Trail. A time to reflect and gain perspective on his life.
I love that he shared humble stories of his life. Not the social media version of everyone’s life that we are so accustomed to seeing these days, but some hard truths and moments. While I would never stalk a celebrity, I love when they choose to share a bit of themselves. I know I grow so accustomed to equating them with their roles. It is nice to see a piece of themselves of their choosing. One thing I am not sure I would have gotten from just the book version, was the recap of each day was recorded on the trail.
This was a great listen/read that I enjoyed from start to finish. I highly recommend it to Outlander fans and those that enjoy a good celebrity memoir.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sam Heughan is an award-winning actor, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, best known for his starring role as Jamie Fraser in the hit TV show Outlander. From his early days at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Sam has enjoyed a career in theatre, television and film spanning almost two decades. He is the co-author of two previous books, Clanlands and The Clanlands Almanac, both of which appeared on the Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller lists, with Clanlands becoming an instant NYT #1. Find Sam online @samheughan
Leave a Reply