Five Fast Questions with Nicki Scott from Historic Environment Scotland

[00:00:00] This is 63% Scottish, a Scotland Appreciation Podcast.

[00:00:07] Welcome to 63% Scottish. My name is Eamon O'Flynn and I'm your host. I'm here with the guest from our last full episode, Nicki Scott, to run through Five Fast Questions.

[00:00:16] That's where I ask five questions and challenge our guests to answer each one in one minute or less.

[00:00:21] Okay, number one. What is one place every visitor to Scotland should check out?

[00:00:32] Everywhere. Iona.

[00:00:34] Iona?

[00:00:35] Iona. The Isle of Iona. So a little island off the coast of Mull, which itself is an island off the coast of Oban in the west of Scotland.

[00:00:45] There is a medieval abbey and nunnery. The journey there itself is magnificent, requires two ferries.

[00:00:55] It is associated with St. Columba, who is often credited with evangelizing Christianity in Scotland.

[00:01:02] That's a whole other podcast.

[00:01:04] That's a whole other, yep.

[00:01:05] Yeah, the history, the scenery. It's just such a stunningly beautiful spiritual place.

[00:01:14] Even if you're not religious, there is a sense of connection with the past and with the landscape.

[00:01:20] And yeah, Iona. Absolutely stunning place.

[00:01:24] Excellent. You're the first person to say that as well. So that's a bonus.

[00:01:29] What is your favorite uniquely Scottish word or phrase?

[00:01:36] Langme yer lumvik.

[00:01:38] I have no idea what just happened.

[00:01:43] What have you said to me?

[00:01:46] Literal translation, long may your chimney smoke.

[00:01:50] Essentially an expression of good luck.

[00:01:53] So if your chimney always smokes, you've always got fuel for your fire.

[00:01:56] You've always got warmth and heat and light.

[00:01:59] That's wonderful.

[00:02:00] So yeah, langme yer lumvik.

[00:02:03] Incredible.

[00:02:03] What a wonderful sentiment.

[00:02:06] We did talk about going back in time during the full length episode.

[00:02:10] So maybe you already have your answer to this.

[00:02:14] Who is one person from Scotland's past or present that you'd like to have a beer, whiskey,

[00:02:17] iron brew or coffee with?

[00:02:19] And would you have a beer, whiskey, iron brew or coffee with them?

[00:02:22] Ooh, I mean.

[00:02:26] Ooh, wow.

[00:02:27] Yeah.

[00:02:29] I suppose that would probably change depending on what second of the day you asked me.

[00:02:35] As much as I would, there are probably loads of people from the past I would probably love to do,

[00:02:40] but actually one from the present would be Ewan Bremner, the actor.

[00:02:45] Oh yeah.

[00:02:45] One of my favorite actors and he's in one of my favorite shows in the moment where he actually is using actual Scots words

[00:02:52] in an American show.

[00:02:55] And so it'd be lovely to just like chat about his experience on that and what it'd be like, you know, using Scots words in that kind of context.

[00:03:05] Yeah.

[00:03:06] Yeah.

[00:03:06] So yeah, probably Ewan Bremner, I think at the moment, but ask me again tomorrow, it would probably change.

[00:03:11] Be a different person entirely.

[00:03:14] Number four, what is one popular misconception of Scotland that you'd like to dispel?

[00:03:21] I often get people say to me, especially friends from overseas, say how much they love the Scottish accent.

[00:03:27] And I'm like, there isn't just one Scottish accent.

[00:03:31] There's many Scottish accents.

[00:03:34] So what accent is it that you like?

[00:03:36] Do you like the Glaswegian?

[00:03:37] Do you like the Edinburgh?

[00:03:38] Do you like the Aberdonian?

[00:03:39] Do you like the Orkney and Shetland one?

[00:03:41] Do you like the Western Isles one?

[00:03:43] Which one is it?

[00:03:45] It's not just a homogenous accent.

[00:03:48] There is such a breadth and depth and variety because there's such a breadth and depth and variety to the languages and peoples that have helped create modern Scotland.

[00:04:01] So that's reflected in the accent.

[00:04:04] Of course.

[00:04:04] Yeah.

[00:04:04] And I can speak to that as well.

[00:04:07] That is my experience with this podcast is every time I record an episode, it's an entirely new accent that has some similarities, but is definitely not the same accent.

[00:04:18] Absolutely.

[00:04:19] Okay.

[00:04:20] Number five.

[00:04:21] Is there anything you would like to know about Canada?

[00:04:24] As though I could answer every possible question about Canada.

[00:04:27] Do you actually have heated driveways?

[00:04:30] Heated driveways.

[00:04:31] I don't personally have a heated driveway.

[00:04:34] I do think it's possible.

[00:04:35] And, you know, I do know for I don't know why I've read about this, but in Michigan, so not very far away from here, they've actually experimented with heated roads and heated sidewalks.

[00:04:47] So that they don't have to shovel their snow away or if there's ice that forms, they don't have to deal with it.

[00:04:56] I personally would love it if that was a thing that was, you know, not too expensive for me to afford because there's a lot of snow here and I spent a lot of time in the winter clearing snow.

[00:05:07] Even with very little snow here.

[00:05:10] I would love that because shoveling snow is my least favorite thing about winter.

[00:05:15] So yeah.

[00:05:16] And it's dangerous afterwards because the ice that forms, if you don't get everything off of there and then it freezes again, it can just become a sheet of ice.

[00:05:25] So if it was heated, you'd think it would just become, you know, clear.

[00:05:28] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:05:29] It sounds like something we should be advocating for.

[00:05:33] Absolutely.

[00:05:33] First, Historic Environment Scotland, please fund that.

[00:05:35] And then start working on heated driveways for all.

[00:05:41] Who knows?

[00:05:42] Who knows what the future will bring.

[00:05:44] Yes.

[00:05:44] Thank you so much for joining me.

[00:05:46] You're very welcome.

[00:05:54] Thank you for listening to 63% Scottish.

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[00:06:10] It really helps.

[00:06:11] A big thank you to friends of the podcast, including the Toronto St. Andrews Society, the Scottish Society of Ottawa, the Scottish Banner and Scottish Studies at the University of Guelph.

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[00:06:24] Until next time.

[00:06:26] Goodbye.