Five Fast Questions with Nicki Scott from Historic Environment Scotland

Five Fast Questions with Nicki Scott from Historic Environment Scotland

We asked Nicki Scott from Historic Environment Scotland five questions and challenged her to answer each in one minute or less. Here are the questions:

  1. What is one place every visitor to Scotland should check out? 
  2. What is your favourite uniquely Scottish word or phrase? 
  3. Who is one person from Scotland’s past or present that you’d like to have a beer, whisky, Irn Bru or coffee with?
  4. What is one popular misconception of Scotland that you’d like to dispel?
  5. Is there anything you’d like to know about Canada? 


Have thoughts? Connect with 63 Percent Scottish on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram or contact us at 63percentscottish.com.

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.

[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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[00:06:00] You can also listen to every episode for free at 63% Scottish dot com.

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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.

[00:06:21] Your support is never taken for granted.

[00:06:24] Until next time.

[00:06:26] Goodbye.