The Malt Whisky Trail will virtually welcome author Alexander McCall Smith during Book Week Scotland this month.
Known and loved across the world for his No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency and 44 Scotland Street series, Alexander McCall Smith will narrate stories and poetry from his home in Edinburgh in a collaboration with The Glenlivet Distillery in Speyside.
This Book Week Scotland event will be live streamed on The Malt Whisky Trail Instagram channel on 17 November at 1pm (GMT).
Speaking of the collaboration, Alexander McCall Smith, said: “Visiting The Malt Whisky Trail is a marvellous way for visitors to Scotland, as well as Scots themselves, to discover a part of the country rich in historical associations.
"Whisky and storytelling in Scotland have more than a passing acquaintanceship. Book Week Scotland and the Malt Whisky Trail are natural partners, and I am really looking forward to being a part of this.”
With a warming dram of Glenlivet, Alexander will roam the world – sharing first his love for Scotland with its rich heritage of storytelling and finishing with a very special treat in the form of a poem from his new collection, In a Time of Distance, which perfectly captures travel and home amidst a time of isolation.
The Glenlivet is one of the nine whisky sites that make up The Malt Whisky Trail in the picturesque Moray Speyside region.
The Trail prides itself on taking visitors on a journey to discover the best of Malt Whisky Country including its landscape, larder, stories, and whisky.
Lyndsey Gray, experience leader at The Glenlivet Distillery commented: “Alexander shares our love for Scottish heritage and storytelling so it’s a real honour to be collaborating with him as part of the Malt Whisky Trail and Book Week Scotland.
"We are proud to be one of the nine sites that make up The Malt Whisky Trail as it’s an amazing way for people to discover Scotland, its whiskies and stories behind them.
"We hope Alexander enjoys his virtual visit to the distillery and we can’t wait for him to be able to visit in person soon.”
The event is in partnership and coincides with Book Week Scotland which takes place Monday 16 to Sunday 22 November.
A full list of 2020’s eclectic programme can be found on the Scottish Book Trust website.
The Malt Whisky Trail has also partnered with local independent bookstore The Bookmark in Grantown-on-Spey to sell Alexander’s latest works for the duration of Book Week Scotland, encouraging locals to get involved.
More information regarding this event can be found at Scottish Book Trust.
