Stories of Scotland
Stories of Scotland is an award-winning Scottish history podcast. Join hosts Jenny and Annie as they unravel the rich tapestry of Scotland’s culture, nature and heritage. Prepared to climb into caves, cairns and chaos, Jenny and Annie travel around Scotland and investigate how stories of the past can help us make sense of modern life. Stories of Scotland celebrates Scottish history through traditional storytelling, archival research, museum objects and wandering in nature. It is recorded in Inverness & hosted by Jenny, an environmental scientist & Annie, an archivist.
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Episodes
Tuesday Apr 21, 2020
Monday Apr 13, 2020
Sunday Apr 05, 2020
Sunday Apr 05, 2020
Jenny and Annie investigate salmon poaching on the Inner Tay Estuary between Perth and Dundee. They learn about this dark side to poaching, the dangers and shenanigans of catching illicit salmon. Looking at the little industrious town of Newburgh, they visit the fishing stations of Jock’s Hole and Gutter Hole.
Jenny and Annie uncover some underhand river police tactics for catching poachers.
Annie’s grandfather Jimmy tells stories of some late-night poaching antics on the River Nith in Dumfries, in the last of the grandparent interviews.
Saturday Mar 28, 2020
Saturday Mar 28, 2020
In this episode, Jenny and Annie eat some delicious Aberdeen rowies, also known as butteries. We look at the origin of this calories dense maritime snack and sing a cheeky wee buttery shanty. We hear about a mischievous oatcake-stealing fairy and Jenny reads from an account of hillwalking on Bennachie, a twelve-mile hike all on a buttery breakfast.
Friday Mar 13, 2020
Friday Mar 13, 2020
Continuing the conversation about rural Scotland, Annie and Jenny speak to Jimmy about his experience of being a blacksmith in 1950. They learn some very peculiar stories of blacksmiths from legends, including encounters with mischievous kelpies, bootlace-tying rhymes and the magic of iron. A surreal and enticing examination of the role of the village blacksmith.
Thursday Feb 06, 2020
Thursday Feb 06, 2020
In the third episode interviewing Jean and Jimmy we travel back to the dance halls of the fabulous fifties. Jenny and Annie learn about love, conscription and most importantly turnips. This is an intimate look at love and life in the rural lowlands of Scotland in the 1950s.
Sunday Dec 22, 2019
Sunday Dec 22, 2019
In this bonus episode, Jenny and Annie celebrate the winter solstice by looking at some wonderful eccentric traditions past on Shetland. We discuss the mystery of the Clava Cairns, the ancient monument that inspired the time-traveling romance Outlander.
Sunday Dec 22, 2019
Sunday Dec 22, 2019
In this exploration of family history, Annie and Jenny speak to Jean: Annie’s granny. It’s a wonderful and touching discussion of Jean’s childhood, family and what life was like growing up in rural Ayr during the Second World War. We learn about rationing, everyday life on a dairy farm, Ayr Gaiety Theatre, and prisoners of war working on nearby farms and their attempts at escape.
Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
The first of a five-part series from a Scottish grandparent’s living room. Annie and Jenny speak to Annie’s grandfather, Jimmy, about his childhood during the second world war. This sets them off to uncover weird and wonderful rationing tales, where they discover a most peculiar egg collector.Jimmy tells us about his joy in growing up close to the natural world, and we delve into the language of Juniper.
Monday Oct 28, 2019
Monday Oct 28, 2019
This episode looks at witchcraft and witch-purging in early modern Scotland. We hear the extraordinary confessions of Isobel Gowdie and learn about her initiation into sorcery and her incantations.Jenny and Annie look at the curious profession of witch-pricking, learning about two famous prickers: John Kincaid and crossdressing Christian Caldwell. A very surreal and magical episode for Halloween/Samhain!Warning: This episode contains descriptions of torture.