Charles Maclean was born in 1946 and has had a diverse and international writing career. He is the author of a number of award-wining books on Scotch whisky and has also written novels and non-fiction books on the culture and landscape of Scotland. He is a consultant to the whisky industry and sits on the judging panel of the International Wine & Spirit Competition. St Kilda was Maclean's first book and has become recognised as a classic work of social history.