Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History

Erudite and entertaining, Before Scotland is essential reading for anyone interested in the land that became Scotland.

Alistair Moffat’s gripping narrative ranges from the great thaw at the end of the Ice Age – which was instrumental in shaping Scotland’s magnificent landscape – through the megalith builders, the Celts and the Picts, to the accession of King Constantine II. It is a story of dramatic geological events and impressive human endeavour.

Moffat deploys his knowledge with wit and deftness, interweaving the story with numerous special features on topics as diverse as cave drawings of dancing girls, natural birth control, the myth of Atlantis and the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence – all of them valuable, sometimes quirky, additions to the whole picture. Carefully chosen colour photographs give a strong sense of the Scottish landscape and monuments.

Alistair Moffatt is a well-known writer and television producer. Among his many books are Arthur and the Lost Kingdoms, The Sea Kingdoms – The Story of Celtic Britain and Ireland and The Borders: A History of the Borders from Earliest Times.