The Scots - Alistair Moffat

History has always mattered to Scots, and rarely more so than now at the outset of a new century, with a new census appearing in 2011 and after more than ten years of a new parliament. 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 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 colour vividly a DNA map of Scotland.

Alistair Moffatwas born in Kelso, Scotland in 1950. He is an award winning Writer, Historian and former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Director of Programmes at Scottish Television. He is the founder of Borders Book Festival and Co-Chairman of The Great Tapestry Of Scotland.

'A fascinating picture'
Today Programme BBC Radio 4 - James Naughtie

'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