Alan was born and raised in Scotland, and has been fascinated by the history and heritage of his home nation since childhood. He grew up in Edinburgh, but later moved to Glasgow, where he achieved an MA in History of Art at Glasgow University. This led to a long career in the art world, during which he worked at an international auction house and as an antique dealer. Alan returned to academia in 2010, completing an MA in Classical Civilisation at Birkbeck College the following year. More recently, he completed a Ph.D. at the same institution, during which he analyzed eighteenth-century attitudes towards Scotland’s ancient past. He has lived in London for several years, but regularly returns to Scotland both for research and for pleasure. Elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 2017, his first book, entitled 'Classical Caledonia', was published by Edinburgh University Press in August 2020.