Our Programme For 2025

What an exciting week it’s been, with the announcement of the programme for A Write Highland Hoolie 2025! We’re thrilled to have a truly stellar line-up in store for you this November 7-9, and the good news is that tickets are now on sale from our website, with prices held at the same levels as last year.

The festival opens at 5.30 pm on Friday November 7 with the multi-talented author and singer-songwriter Malachy Tallack, who will be reading from his latest novel, That Beautiful Atlantic Waltz, and playing music from the soundtrack album that accompanies the book. After-dinner musical entertainment for ticket holders and hotel residents will be provided by talented duo Donald Livingstone and Iain Cameron.

Saturday’s packed programme begins with Dundee writer Michelle Sloan, whose gripping novel Mrs Burke and Mrs Hare tells the dark tale of the wives of Edinburgh’s notorious serial killers Burke and Hare. Then award-winning poet Jim Carruth will read from his critically acclaimed collection, The Auchensale Trilogy, and share new work inspired by Scotland’s rural heritage.

Galloway-based novelist Karen Campbell kicks off a great Saturday afternoon with This Bright Life, which tells the heartbreaking, yet humorous and hopeful, story of twelve-year-old Gerard, a bright kid who doesn’t always make good decisions.

Karen will be followed by writer Andrew Fleming, whose book The Gravity of Feathers draws on previously untapped sources and fresh insights to tell the story of St Kilda from earliest times up to the evacuation and its aftermath, overturning the traditional view of the circumstances that led to the last islanders being evacuated in 1930.

Staying with the island theme, Coinneach MacLeod, the Hebridean Baker, takes us on a journey through Scotland’s rich culinary heritage, sharing recipes and stories to tempt our tastebuds and stir our memories. Then we settle down for an unmissable event in the company of master storyteller and international best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith, one of Scotland’s most prolific and best-loved writers.

Saturday’s after-dinner entertainment for ticket holders and residents will be provided by musicians Iain MacFarlane and Ingrid Henderson, who will create a lively ceilidh atmosphere to keep the party going into the wee small hours.

Film-maker and illustrator Jane Smith starts Sunday in style with her book Community: People and Wildlife on the West Coast of Scotland, a gloriously illustrated account of her exploration of ten locations in the west of Scotland and the interaction between people and wildlife in a variety of diverse settings.

Our traditional Remembrance Day reading is followed by D.V. Bishop, author of the highly acclaimed Cesare Aldo historical thrillers set in Renaissance Florence, whose latest novel, Carnival of Lies, has been described as ‘the best Aldo book yet’.

Sunday’s afternoon event is a delight for all dog-lovers! BBC Alba presenter Peter MacQueen shares shaggy dog stories from his new book, Tails of Scotland: The Story of Scottish Dogs. 

Our final event of the weekend sees children’s author Alan Windram leading an all-singing and dancing event based on his book, One Button Benny, with tea and cake provided by Mallaig Primary School parents and Gaelic songs from the children. All are welcome at this fun event which brings A Write Highland Hoolie to a close for another year.

Tickets are priced at just £8 for daytime events and £14 for evening sessions and are on sale now from www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com/book-now. To enquire about hotel reservations, call 01687 462210. We’re looking forward to sharing A Write Highland Hoolie with you!

The West Highland Hotel

In this month’s blog post, we’re focusing on the home of A Write Highland Hoolie – the gorgeous West Highland Hotel in Mallaig!

The hotel has been a Mallaig landmark for over 100 years. It was built following the completion of the West Highland Line railway in the early years of the 20th century and was originally called the Station Hotel.

For the past 15 years, it’s been owned and run by Sine and Gavin Davis, ably assisted at times by their own children as well as an assortment of nieces, nephews, cousins and other relations. It’s a real family affair, and guests feel part of that close-knit circle as soon as they check in.

Every November, over Remembrance weekend, A Write Highland Hoolie takes over the entire hotel. We might be biased but we can’t imagine a more perfect setting for a book festival! Whether you’re a Hoolie regular or thinking about attending for the first time, you can be sure of a warm welcome from the minute you walk through the door.

With a crackling log fire burning in the foyer, comfy armchairs and a bar well-stocked with a huge choice of beers, wines and spirits, it’s the ideal place to relax at any time of the year. And that’s before you add books, books and more books and a packed programme of unmissable events when the Hoolie comes to town.

It all adds up to a fabulous house-party atmosphere where friendships are forged and discussions and debates continue far into the night. Luckily, at the end of every evening your bed is just a few short steps away!

The hotel’s location, perched above Mallaig, could not be more convenient for visitors. It’s just a five-minute walk from the railway station and ferry port, and there’s ample parking for those travelling by car.

Its elevated position means the hotel enjoys amazing views out across the water to the islands of Skye, Rum and Eigg, and it’s not unusual to spot marine life from the terrace. Last year, some humpback whales put in an appearance shortly after Natalie Sanders’ event on orcas, delighting everyone lucky enough to spot them.

When you book your Hoolie accommodation package at the West Highland Hotel, you’ll be able to choose from a number of room options ranging from Economy right through to the luxurious Hot Tub Studios. Your package includes all meals for the duration of the festival, but not your event tickets – those have to be purchased separately once booking opens in the summer.

To find out more or to book your accommodation, call the hotel direct on 01687 462210. Please don’t try to book online as all the rooms have already been set aside for Hoolie guests and will show as unavailable.

We’ll see you in Mallaig in November!

Your Questions Answered

Spring is here, and we're looking ahead to A Write Highland Hoolie 2025!

We’re busy putting together a fabulous programme of events for you – look out for some exciting announcements coming soon! In the meantime, though, we thought we’d answer some of the questions we’re most often asked by people thinking of attending the Hoolie.

Hopefully these will cover any queries you have, but if not, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re always happy to help.

Whether you’re a seasoned Hoolie regular or you’ve never been to the festival before, we hope to see you in Mallaig later this year!

Q. What is A Write Highland Hoolie?

A Write Highland Hoolie is Scotland’s friendliest book festival! It’s held every year over the second weekend in November in the West Highland Hotel, Mallaig.

Q. How can I attend?

Event tickets go on sale via our website over the summer. You can book for as many events as you like as our carefully thought-out programme means there’s no danger of sessions overlapping. Many of our guests like to book for every single event so they don’t miss out!

Q. Can I stay in the West Highland Hotel when I attend the Hoolie?

Yes! Our accommodation package at the West Highland Hotel includes a two-night stay, all meals and musical entertainment in the bar after dinner each evening. This can be booked by calling 01687 462210 once reservations open.

Q. Which should I book first – the hotel or my event tickets?

The hotel package goes on sale earlier than the event tickets and books up very quickly, so we recommend securing your accommodation first if you want to stay in the West Highland Hotel.

Q. Does the price of the hotel package include event tickets?

No. The Hoolie weekend rate at the West Highland Hotel includes bed, breakfast, lunch, dinner and after-dinner music over the duration of the festival, but guests need to book and pay  separately for tickets for the events they wish to attend.

Q. Is other accommodation available in Mallaig?

Yes, there are several other accommodation and eating options available in and around Mallaig for festival attendees who are not staying at the West Highland Hotel.

Q. Which genres of books are featured?

Our programme is eclectic and varied, covering fiction, crime, memoir, nature, folklore, history and outdoor pursuits – and poetry, too.

Q. Is it all about books?

Books are at the heart of the Hoolie, but there’s so much more happening, too! Musical entertainment is provided by some of Scotland’s best-loved traditional musicians, and there are plenty of opportunities to socialise and make new friends. We also run a full programme of outreach events, taking our authors and musicians into local schools.

Q. Can I buy books at the events?

Yes. The Highland Bookshop of Fort William runs a well-stocked bookshop at the festival, where you can buy all of the books featured over the weekend and many others, too.

Q. How can I keep up to date with announcements?

Follow us on social media and keep an eye on our website for news as the programme is confirmed.