63 Percent Scottish: A Scotland Appreciation Podcast

If anything in Scotland gets big international headlines, it's independence. While it seems simple on the surface - is Scotland part of the United Kingdom or not? - it's an incredibly complex and emotionally-charged debate. If you don't live in Scotland, you can be forgiven for not knowing the details. But if you have an interest, this is the show for you!

We've asked Lewis McKenzie, a journalist at The Scottish Sun, to give us a run-down of independence movement - where it has come from, its current state and where it's going. We cover:

• The challenges of talking about Scottish independence
• The history of the modern Scottish independence movement
• The national shift to pro-independence parties
• The potential "versions" of independence and whether it can work
• The proposed benefits of independence

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 Steven Mill, the host of The Big Scottish Football Podcast, five questions and challenged him to answer each in one minute or less. Here are the questions:

1. Hypothetical: you move to Canada and you have to become a superfan of one major sport, do you pick baseball, hockey, American football or basketball?
2. Please pick a team for me. This will be the team I support from now on. Why’d you pick that team?
3. Where is the best place in Scotland to watch a football match?
4. In Canada, you might grab a beer and nachos for a snack at a hockey game. A hot dog is the clear favourite in baseball. What’s your go-to food and drink when attending a football match?
5. What would you prefer: to be a fan of a football team that never wins or to be a player on your team’s rival club and win a bunch?

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

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.

It's *the* big sport in Scotland, but our host - Eamon O'Flynn - doesn't know anything about it! Where do you start with Scottish football? It stretches all the way back to the very origins of professional football and is intimately intertwined with Scottish culture. Could we get a Scottish Football 101? It turns out the answer is yes, thanks to Steven Mill. 

Steven Mill is a national radio broadcaster who can be heard every Saturday afternoon on The Big Saturday Football Show, which airs across Scotland. He's also the host of The Big Scottish Football Podcast, which publishes episodes each Monday. We cover:

• The basics of Scottish Football - leagues, levels, etc.
• The various trophies, cups and championships
• The reason there isn't a "British Football League"
• Famous Scottish Football rivalries
• Scottish Football 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 Rosalind Erskine, the Food and Drink Editor at The Scotsman, five questions and challenged her to answer each in one minute or less. Here are the questions:

1. In the battle between whisky and Irn-Bru, which is Scotland’s *real* national drink?
2. Scotland has five whisky regions – if you could only choose one region to drink from for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
3. What is your favourite whisky-based drink for the deepest darkest part of winter?
4. The names of whisky distilleries are notoriously difficult for Canadians and Americans to say – are there any that you have trouble with?
5. In your opinion, what is THE whisky that every aspiring whisky connoisseur needs to have in their collection?

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

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.

Is Scotland a whisky nation? Is that like asking whether the sky is blue? Of course, whisky is one of Scotland's national drinks (hello Irn-Bru!) and top exports. It's packed with historical importance, too. But, do modern Scots drink it? How do they drink it? When do they drink it? If I want to celebrate my Scottish heritage do I... need to become a whisky aficianado?

Rosaline Erskine is the Food and Drink Editor at The Scotsman and the host of Scran, a podcast all about Scottish food and drink. She's also a big fan of whisky. That makes her the perfect person to ask about whisky culture in modern Scotland. We cover:

• The source of her own love of whisky
• The difference between single cask, single malt and blended whiskies
• Where and when Scots drink whisky
• How prevalent whisky consumption is in Scotland
• How you're supposed to drink whisky
• Where you can learn more about whisky

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 Coinneach MacLeod, known the world over as the Hebridean Baker, five questions and challenged him to answer each in one minute or less. Here are the questions:

1. If I’m getting off the ferry in Stornoway what the first thing I should do on the Isle of Lewis?
2. You’ve traveled the world to promote your book. Which location was LEAST like the Hebrides?
3. Which location was the MOST like the Hebrides?
4. If you must pick one meal to represent the Hebrides in a global cookbook, what would it be?
5. “Hello” is the start of a great friendship. Can you teach our listeners how to say “Hello, how are you?” or the equivalent in Gaelic?

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

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to grow up in the Outer Hebrides? Would you feel Scottish? Would you speak Gaelic? How often would you visit places like Inverness, Glasgow or Edinburgh? How, in general, is life different from any other part of Scotland?

Coinneach MacLeod is known around the world as the Hebridean Baker. A "food influencer" with substantial Instagram and TikTok audiences, he's also a best-selling author with two cookbooks in bookstores now and a third on the way. We cover: 

• The Isle of Lewis
• Connections to the rest of Scotland, including historical tradition
• The Outer Hebridean worldview
• the Gaelic language
• What people don't know about the Isle of Lewis and the Hebrides

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

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.

Welcome to our first Five Fast Questions mini-episode. We asked Owen Innes, the creator and host of the Scottish History Podcast, five questions and challenged him to answer each in one minute or less. Here are the questions:

1. If you were able to meet any single person from Scottish history, who would it be? 
2. If you could recommend just one historical location (castle, battlefield, etc.) to our listeners, what would it be? 
3. As a Scot, which accent in Scotland do you have the most trouble understanding? 
4. You must pick one film to represent Scotland forevermore. Which film is it? 
5. What is the most interesting era in Scottish history? 

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

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.

Have you ever wondered why William Wallace is such an important person in Scottish history? Or, are you wondering why I'm even questioning his place in Scottish history? Here's the deal - he came from obscurity, was a prominent military leader for less than six months, disappeared for five years and then was killed. It doesn't sound like much, but 700 years later the world's biggest movie star made a massive blockbuster about him. We all know who William Wallace was, but I want to know WHY?!?

To answer the question I've spoken with Owen Innes, the creator and host of the wildly successful Scottish History Podcast. We cover:

• The basics of William Wallace
• How Braveheart has shaped our understanding of William Wallace
• William Wallace's enduring legacy
• How Scottish people think of William Wallace today

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

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.

Where do you even begin when you're trying to discover your Scottish heritage? That's the question that host Eamon O'Flynn tries to tackle in the first episode of 63 Percent Scottish. He enlists the help of longtime friend Dr. Kevin James, the Scottish Studies Foundation Chair and Professor of History at the University of Guelph. 

We talk about:

• The Centre for Scottish Studies at the University of Guelph
• Research in Scottish tourism and travel history
• Surprising elements of Scottish culture
• Potential future topics for 63 Percent Scottish

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

Music by RomanSenykMusic from Pixabay.