Witch Wood

By: John Buchan

Narrated by: Angus King

…for Witch Wood specially I am always grateful; all that devilment sprouting up out of a beginning like Galt's Annals of the Parish. That's the way to do it.—C. S. Lewis

Published in 1927, Scottish writer John Buchan's Witch Wood is set in a rural parish located in the Scottish Borders during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The story centers around newly ordained minister David Sempill's arrival in Woodilee in the wake of the Church of Scotland's acceptance of the Solemn League and Covenant and explores themes and issues surrounding religious tolerance and seventeenth-century Calvinism. With pagan rituals, an outbreak of the plague, and rumors about fairies and the devil, Witch Wood also delves into the supernatural and occult.

Written while doing research for his biography of Scottish nobleman James Graham, the 1st Marquess of Montrose, Witch Wood is considered Buchan's masterpiece by scholars and critics. Read by Scottish narrator Angus King, this audio edition maintains sections of dialogue originally written and published in Scots.

Public Domain (P)2023 Dreamscape Media

Extraordinary story seldom heard today

Nuanced story; thought provoking and subtle. Appreciated by C. S. Lewis. Author of “The 39 Steps” made into the great spy thriller by Hitchcock.

Buchan strikes again. Five stars.

Loved this book which so expertly weaves the history of the Covenanters, the 1st Marquess of Montrose, a Presbyterian minister, Beltane, and the hypocrisies of a tiny village. Beautifully narrated by Angus King in audible format.

Multiple horrors lead by human hypocrisy in 1600’s Scotland.

I read this novel in 1991. It’s stayed with me ever since. Wonderful narration by Angus King. Be patient with the broad Scots of some of the characters. The payoff is worth it.