A Write Highland Hoolie

30/08/2026

Our first event on Sunday November 8 is a real treat for fans of crime fiction! Bestselling author Chris Brookmyre will be joining us at 9.50 am to talk about his latest book, Quite Ugly One Evening, an ingenious locked-room mystery.

Reporter Jack Parlabane is on a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic, attempting to solve a decades-long murder. But it's not long before he finds himself with a second murder to investigate - and the situation's about to get a whole lot more complicated . . .

It's a gripping, fast-paced read full of plot twists and dark humour that will keep you turning the pages to the end.

Tickets for Chris's event are on sale now, priced just £8, from www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com/book-now.

28/08/2026

Margaret Bennett is widely regarded as Scotland's foremost folklorist. She's a talented and charismatic lecturer, author, singer and storyteller who has won numerous awards for her work on recording and preserving Scotland's cultural traditions.

We're incredibly lucky to have Margaret performing at this year's A Write Highland Hoolie alongside Gary Innes and Ewen Henderson of Manran, and Allan Henderson of Blazin' Fiddles. Her event starts at 5.45 pm on Saturday November 7 and promises to be an unforgettable evening that will evoke the true spirit of the ceilidh.

We can't think of a better way to celebrate the Hoolie's first decade!

Tickets are now on sale at www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com/book-now. We recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.

26/08/2026

Imagine how wonderful the world could be if more people used their fame and fortune as Dolly Parton did, giving the gift of reading to millions upon millions of children across the globe. She will be sadly missed.

We are deeply saddened to hear of Dolly Parton's passing. We will always be full of admiration for her dedication to giving children the magic of their own book.

Dolly Parton understood just how powerful reading can be to a child's development. We have greatly valued working closely with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library UK over the years to bring books to care-experienced and adopted children in Scotland.

Our sincerest condolences go out to the family of Dolly Parton and all of our friends at her Imagination Library.

25/08/2026

We're thrilled that the brilliant Sally Magnusson will be joining us in Mallaig on Saturday November 7!

Sally will be talking about her latest book, The Shapeshifter's Daughter, which is a powerful reimagining of the Norse myth of Hel, Queen of the Underworld. Set in Orkney, it's an ambitious and imaginative novel that weaves together the stories of Hel and Helen, a woman facing a terminal cancer diagnosis who has made the impulsive decision to return to her childhood home.

It's a captivating, compelling read that has been described by Saga Magazine as "magical in every sense."

Tickets for Sally's event are already selling fast, and we recommend booking now to avoid disappointment: www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com/book-now.

23/08/2026

We're really looking forward to this event on Saturday November 7!

With over 40 years’ professional experience, Polly Pullar is a conservationist, naturalist, writer and photographer who specialises in wildlife and countryside matters and is also a wildlife rehabilitator. In addition, Polly is the co-founder of A Write Highland Hoolie.

In her new book, In the Company of Sheep, Polly travels the country from Dartmoor to Shetland, exploring exactly why sheep matter. She shows that, despite current ecological debates about overgrazing, with careful management, it is possible to restore habitat alongside an animal that has played a key part in British agricultural life for thousands of years.

Polly's event will be chaired by popular BBC Radio Scotland presenter Mark Stephen and is one not to be missed! Tickets are on sale now at www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com/book-now.

21/08/2026

Confirmation of what we've always known - Mallaig has just been named one of the best remote destinations in the world!

It's the only place in Europe to feature on a list of the world's top "end-of-the-road" towns compiled by WorldAtlas, which praises Mallaig's community, heritage and busy shops and restaurants. But guess what it neglects to mention? Mallaig's fabulously unique and wonderful book festival, that's what!

This November, you can enjoy all the many charms of Mallaig at A Write Highland Hoolie. Full programme details can be found at www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com, and tickets are now on sale.

19/08/2026

We're delighted to have botanist Dr Gregory J. Kenicer joining us in Mallaig on Saturday November 7 to talk about his new book, Plant Magic: The Supernatural Side of Botany.

It's a fascinating exploration of the way all sorts of plants have been used in magical traditions across Europe. With chapters on subjects from Witchcraft to Divination and the Plants of Faery, it's an entertaining read that will have you looking at your garden in a whole new light!

Tickets for Gregory's event are now on sale, priced £8, from www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com/book-now.

17/08/2026

If you liked Shona MacLean's Jacobite thriller, The Bookseller of Inverness, then you'll love her new book!

The Cromarty Library Circle is a non-crime historical novel set on the Black Isle in the 1830s. Its memorable cast of fictional characters are members of a real-life literary society that was active in the town of Cromarty at the time, and the novel explores how they negotiate the challenges of life and their relationships with each other in a turbulent and eventful year.

It's a captivating and engaging read that brilliantly evokes the atmosphere of small-town life in Scotland in the 1830s.

Shona will be appearing at A Write Highland Hoolie on Saturday November 7 at 11 am. Tickets are already in high demand, so make sure you book yours now at www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com/book-now to avoid disappointment.

14/08/2026

We can't wait to welcome author Elaine Thomson to the Hoolie on Saturday November 7!

Elaine's new novel, Saltwater, is a haunting tale set on the Isle of Stroma in 1896. Tom Torrance has been sent to oversee the construction of a new lighthouse, but the project is plagued by difficulties, not all of them easily explained. Tom, a man of reason, refuses to be deterred by talk of hauntings and bad omens, but he soon learns that some problems cannot be answered by science.

No wonder it has been described by the Herald newspaper as "the best Scottish ghost story of the 21st century so far"!

Tickets for Elaine's event are now on sale, priced £8, from www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com/book-now.

12/08/2026

Completing the trio of performers at our opening event on November 6 is the brilliant writer, musician and artist Rachel Sermanni. She'll be joining Michael Pedersen and Peter Mackay in A Write Highland Extravaganza at 5.30 pm in the West Highland Hotel.

Inverness-born Rachel describes herself as a Folk-Noir Balladeer. Her music often reflects on the experience of being human and she has a way of making mundane moments mystical: coffee machine breakages, the regret of not saying ‘I love you', bare feet on wood floors . . .

Her debut album, Under Mountains, was released in 2012. Since the release of her fourth studio album, Dreamer Awake, Rachel has become a mother for the second time and continues to explore this experience while sharing her songs and her insights into creativity.

We're very much looking forward to welcoming Rachel to Mallaig! Tickets for the event are on sale now, priced £18, from www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com/book-now.