'Outlander' star Graham McTavish coming to Louisville. Here's how to meet him

Buckle up "Outlander" fans, actor Graham McTavish is headed back to Kentucky. This time he's visiting Louisville to promote his third book, "Clanlands In New Zealand: Kiwis, Kilts, and an Adventure Down Under," rather than his namesake bourbon, McTavish Spirits, which brought him to town in September.

McTavish drew a large and enthusiastic crowd when he appeared during the 2023 Bourbon and Beyond Festival on Sept. 14. We know this to be a fact because we had to stand on our tiptoes to get a glimpse of the Scottish television and film actor best known for his roles as Dougal Mackenzie in the popular TV series “Outlander” and as Dwalin in the “The Hobbit” trilogy for Peter Jackson and "Aquaman."

"The crowd was wonderful and it all really surprised me, "McTavish told the Courier Journal. "It was my first time launching a bourbon whiskey and I had no idea people would get so excited."

This weekend the 62-year-old Scotsman will be promoting "Clanlands In New Zealand: Kiwis, Kilts, and an Adventure Down Under," a book he's written with fellow "Outlander" cast member Sam Heughan.

"You may not realize this but it was writing that got me into acting," he said. "I wrote comic sketches with my friend and we only trusted each other to perform them. One day the drama teacher at my school asked me to take over for a student who had dropped out of a play and that was the fork in the road that led me into acting."

Fast forward 30 years and multiple films, stage productions and television series later, the phenomenally popular Starz series "Outlander" brought actors McTavish and Heughan into each other's lives, making them co-stars, friends, and travel partners.

Their travels are documented in the popular television series "Men in Kilts." In fact, during the Q&A session at his Bourbon and Beyond appearance, fans peppered McTavish with questions about the series and wanted to know about future episodes.

The book "Clanlands in New Zealand" is an extensive account of McTavish and Heughan's adventures while filming their latest episodes of "Men in Kilts."

"I live in New Zealand part of the year and I also reminded Sam that one in five people in New Zealand counts Scottland as their ancestry so it seemed like the natural place to go," McTavish told the Courier Journal. "New Zealand being the adrenaline capital of the world, Sam had me doing all sorts of things that terrified me ― ziplining, jet boating, sliding down rock slides, shark cave diving, all sorts of mad adventures."

The new book, like the series "Men in Kilts," is filled with behind-the-scenes stories, amusing anecdotes and histories of particular places or people as the two friends travel from place to place.

Sunday is your chance to meet McTavish and pick up a copy of the new book (the pair has also written the New York Times best-seller, "Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other" and "Clanlands Almanac: Season Stories from Scotland") at the Plainview Barnes and Noble, 801 South Hurstbourne Pkwy. McTavish will be signing books and chatting with fans starting at 4 p.m.

McTavish said he appreciates when people come out to meet him at appearances, like the one Sunday at Barnes and Noble.

"I take these appearances, whether it's for books, television shows, or whiskey, very seriously because fans are the people who give me a fortunate life and I never take it for granted and I don't take it lightly."

Reach Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 'Outlander' actor Graham McTavish to do booksigning in Louisville