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:
- What is one place every visitor to Scotland should check out?
- What is your favourite uniquely Scottish word or phrase?
- Who is one person from Scotland’s past or present that you’d like to have a beer, whisky, Irn Bru or coffee with?
- What is one popular misconception of Scotland that you’d like to dispel?
- 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.
[00:05:56] Check us out on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, also known as X.
[00:06:00] You can also listen to every episode for free at 63% Scottish dot com.
[00:06:05] If you listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts or another service, please subscribe to the show.
[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.