Ian Rankin is one of the literary stars of Scotland, and someone with a passion for the Far North who has set some of his novels in the Highlands. The action in his latest novel, A Song for the Dark Times, takes place between Edinburgh and the north coast.

In this part of the podcast, we focus on Ian's passion for the Highlands, how to capture the real life of the area rather than its tourist present or mythologised past, electric vehicle ranges and ... where to stop for a comfort break on the A9.