63 Percent Scottish: A Scotland Appreciation Podcast Eamon O'Flynn

We've talked about everything from baking to whiskey to history, but 63 Percent Scottish explores a new frontier in our newest episode: film. We've chosen the film "Local Hero" which has been called the "definitive" Scottish film to discuss. Why is it a definitive representation of Scottish culture?

To answer, we have journalist and author Jonathan Melville on the show. He's the author of "Local Hero: Making a Scottish Classic" - the definitive account of how this film was made, which is available in the USA and Canada. We cover:
What makes "Local Hero" the definitive Scottish film?The non-stereotypical depiction of rural Scottish lifeThe message Bill Forsyth was trying to communicate with the filmThe soundtrack contributions of Glaswegian Mark Knopfler

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

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.

We've already asked The Hebridean Baker - Coinneach MacLeod - five fast questions, so could we come up with five more? Of course! Here's what we cover:


You’ve traveled the world to promote your book. When you return from your globe-trotting what’s the first baked treat that you crave?Your cookbooks include a huge number of recipes, but if you had to pick just one bake to represent the Isle of Lewis forever, what would it be?You made a fantastic Christmas commercial with BBC Alba last year – we’ll post it on social media so everyone can see – where you help a young girl with some holiday baking. The big question: what did you make? It looks fantastic.On a scale of 1-10, how important is whisky to baking?Last time, I asked you to help the listeners learn how to say “Hello” in Gaelic. This time, can you tell us how to say “That tastes great” or the equivalent?

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

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.

Experiencing food is an important part of experiencing culture. Just think about it - how do you tell the culture of Detroit, New York and Chicago apart? The pizza (among other things). But seriously, food and food traditions can tell you a lot about the past and present of a culture, and Scotland is no different. 

We've asked Coinneach MacLeod, famous the world over as the Hebridean Baker, to tell us a bit about Scottish baking. We cover:


How he got into bakingThe cultural norms that guide the Scottish style of bakingKey Scottish bakesWhether baking/food is the perfect ambassador for a culture
Have thoughts? Connect with 63 Percent Scottish on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram or contact us at 63percentscottish.com.

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.

We asked Instagram historian Beth Reid five questions and challenged her to answer each in one minute or less. Here are the questions:
If you could meet one person from the Scottish Wars of Independence, who would it be?What's your second favourite era of Scottish history?If you had to recommend one place in Scotland for our listeners to visit, what would it be?You have to recommend one book about Scottish history for our listeners to read - what is it?Forgetting about history for a second, what's the most beautiful place you've ever visited in Scotland?
Have thoughts? Connect with 63 Percent Scottish on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram or contact us at 63percentscottish.com.

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.

Think about your top-ten Scottish historical figures. How many are women? For most people, Scottish history is simplified to William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Bonnie Prince Charlie, etc. But women are 50% of the population and they *were* there - playing a central role - for everything from the Jacobite Uprising of 1745 to the Scottish Enlightenment.

We've asked Beth Reid, a historian who has become very well known on Instagram as historywithbeth, to talk to us about the many women who played history-making roles in the Scottish Wars of Independence. We cover:


The basics of the Scottish Wars of IndependenceThe reasons we should study women in historyThe story of Isabella MacDuffThe influential Queens Consort during the Scottish Wars of IndependenceWomen in combat roles
Have thoughts? Connect with 63 Percent Scottish on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram or contact us at 63percentscottish.com.

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.

We asked Scottish Sun journalist Lewis McKenzie five questions and challenged him to answer each in one minute or less. Here are the questions:
You’re a political reporter but you’ve worked in a few areas – including sports and comedy. All of these sound like a blast to cover. Which is the most engaging/enjoyable as a journalist?Comedy can get pretty subversive, but so can politics. Which beat has had the darkest humour?If I was to tell people “X is the heart of independence in Scotland” where would X be?For tourism-centric listeners, what’s a place in Scotland that everyone should visit at least once?Finally, as someone who covers a hot button issue, I’d bet you get a bit of abuse from readers on both sides of the discussion. How do you cope?
Have thoughts? Connect with 63 Percent Scottish on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram or contact us at 63percentscottish.com.

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.