The Scots: A Genetic Journey

Description

History has always mattered to Scots, and rarely more so than now at the outset of a new century, after more than ten years of a new parliament and the new census of 2011. An almost limitless archive of our history lies hidden inside our bodies and we carry the ancient story of Scotland around with us. The mushrooming of genetic studies, of DNA analysis, is rewriting our history in spectacular fashion. In this new edition of The Scots: A Genetic Journey, Alistair Moffat explores the history that is printed on our genes, and in a remarkable new approach, uncovers the detail of where we are from, who we are and, in so doing, vividly paints a DNA map of Scotland. This edition takes into account recent developments in DNA science and includes recent findings on early farming and its migrations, Neanderthal DNA, the classic Celtic DNA Y chromosome haplogroup, the royal Stewart lineages, and physical characteristics

Alistair Moffat was born and bred in the Scottish Borders. A former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Director of Programmes at Scottish Television, he now runs the burgeoning Borders Book Festival as well as a production company based near Selkirk. He has written several other books that are published by Birlinn.

'A fascinating picture' -- James Naughtie * Today Programme BBC Radio 4 * 'The fusion of science and the physical history - like an abandoned croft - allows people to trace their Scots ancestry with precision' * Sunday Herald * '[Moffat] is wonderfully able to communicate the epic elements of the story, which matters because that's precisely what man's survival has been' * Scotsman *