Waypoints by Outlander star Sam Heughan reaches top 10 in New York Times bestseller list

Sam Heughan’s first autobiography, Waypoints, is billed as a ‘deeply personal’ memoir which is told against the backdrop of the West Highland Way, a move, the star said, which gave him time in his own company and the chance to challenge himself.

In August Heughan, who plays Jamie Fraser in the hugely successful show Outlander, revealed the cover for the book. Waypoints was published in the UK by Radar on 25 October 2022 and follows Heughan as he travels along the West Highland Way, explores his life and sees him reflect on the personal waypoints that define him.

Briony Gowlett of Radar said: “It’s a privilege to be working with Sam on his first solo project, a lead title for the Radar list. He is a hugely dedicated author who continues to grow in this space, and I feel especially excited to see this book connect with readers and show another side to Sam. Waypoints is a deeply personal journey that reveals as much to Sam about himself as it does to his readers.”

This isn’t the first time the actor has been on the coveted list of bestselling books, as his Clanlands and Clanlands Almanac, written with Outlander co-star Graham McTavish, also featured when they were released.

Of the success of the book so far, Heughan wrote a delighted post on Twitter, saying: “Wow!!! 🙌 @nytimes Bestseller! (X3!?! 😵‍💫) Huge thank you to you all and hope you have enjoyed the journey as much as I did. It was a really wonderful experience, sharing each step with you.”

Heughan, who trained at Glasgow’s Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), was awarded an honorary doctorate from the RCS in July of this year. In 2021, Heughan announced a new ten-year scholarship to support the next generation as they pursue their dreams at RCS. He is personally funding three annual scholarships for undergraduate students in the School of Drama, Dance, Production and Film. Sam also created Write Start: The Sam Heughan Creative Commission, designed as an annual award at RCS to encourage students to devise new work.