Waypoints: My Scottish Journey

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Sam chose to attempt the hike and climb during the off season and found the solitude and brisk air invigorating. Heughan’s love for his mother and appreciation for how she encouraged creativity is at the heart of this book. Spend agloriousevening withaward-winning actor and Sunday Timesand New York Timesbestselling author of Clanlandsand TheClanlands Almanac, Sam Heughan, as herecounts his journey of self-discovery along the West Highland Way.

Sam Heughan (of “Outlander” fame) has penned a part memoir, part Scottish travelogue that is similar to his previous work (published with “Outlander” co-star Graham McTavish), “Clanlands” but it is also very different. Having just finished the West Highland Way exactly 20 days ago, this was incredibly meaningful and enjoyable to listen to. pain, and determination along the way, both on the trail and on reflecting about his own life so far.As a people pleaser, Heughan says he doesn’t want to disappoint fans, but he also values his privacy. He talks about his mother with love and admiration for giving him a childhood that gave him the confidence to pursue his dream of acting. It doesn’t take much for me to realize that perhaps I should apply the same approach to relationships. If there is he’s likely to be tearing up the tarmac on his beloved motorbike or pounding the streets preparing for yet another marathon. Sam Heughan aka Jaime Frasier from Outlander woke up one morning and decided he wanted to walk the West Highland Way, a hiking path across Scotland.

Having a few days free is a rarity for Sam and on a whim, he decides to walk the West Highland Highway, a mere 96 miles starting in the lowlands of Glasgow, all the way to Fort William, and if that wasn’t enough of a challenge, climbing Ben Nevis at the end too 😅 Reliving this journey of self discovery, whilst sharing some amusing anecdotes/reflections of his personal/professional life, Sam’s quest for solitude is mostly achieved, if you discount mushrooms (don’t ask 😂) and fellow hikers, Graeme and Lucy. Waypoints” is honest, hilarious and poignant, and it is perfect for fans of “Outlander”, and of Heughan in general. I actually appreciate that he doesn’t try to invent trauma or drama where it doesn’t exist and is honest about his life.We learned a lot about acting, film making and how it works, plus the details of Scotland itself was beautiful and immersive. The stories about acting school and his struggles and wins as he went after his career are honest and from the heart.

At points I felt my own feet and bones ache as it's so descriptive about his travels along the West Highland Way you feel your traipsing along with him. It, too, will teach you about the acting business, Heughan’s lifetime experiences from childhood and beyond that defined him as a person, and of course, the gorgeous landscapes of Scotland and their historical importance. At one point in his walk, Heughan screams out of pure joy, “Scotland,”à la Julie Andrews singing “The Hills Are Alive in The Sound of Music. Especially if someone else is doing it, and you get to just read about it, curled up by a fireplace).

Honestly, it made me take a look at my own life and think hard about things that I'd like to, what's missing, and what I can do about it. Especially, on the last day, when I saw Ben Nevis and was so elated and happy, so excited, that I wanted to share it with someone, so I ran after Lucy who I’d met and walked with, to find her and share that moment, the feeling of ‘isn’t it amazing, we’ve done it, we’re there! Yeah, well I’m always going at things 100% and certainly was doing that on the walk for the first two days, then I just realised I was not happy and thought ‘why do things if you’re not happy? This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Heughan’s memoir is a vulnerable, emotional ride through Scotland, with Heughan as the witty, weather-challenged, guide of a great journey, juxtaposed with the story of his childhood, the tough road as a struggling actor, his relationship with his family, being raised by a single mother, and a devastatingly honest look into his father’s abandonment and reappearance.

Away from the camera, Heughan is busy with his whisky brand Sassenach, and as the book details his successful alternative career as a barista before he made acting work full time, you can see why it’s a good fit. He reveals just enough of what has shaped him as a man/actor, while still maintaining the privacy he has come to covet for his personal relationships with those closest to him. As for Outlander, they are currently in production in their 7 th season, which will have 16 episodes and premiere in 2023. I love the honesty about his struggles on his climb and throughout his life, it's not overloaded or heavy so your made to feel sorry for him, just enough that your rooting and your extremely glad Sam got his big break in Outlander because he absolutely deserved it (and that's not because I love the books and show 😉). In this intimate journey of self-discovery, Sam sets out along Scotland's rugged ninety-six-mile West Highland Way to map out the moments that shaped his views on dreams and ambition, family, friendship, love, and life.I think way back when I was starting out [acting], there were a lot of pressures to look a certain way,” he told WBUR.