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...

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 –...

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...

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,...

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...

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”...

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,...

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: 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?Please pick a team for me. This will be the team I support from now on. Why’d you pick that team?Where is the best place in Scotland to watch a football match?In Canada, you might...

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...

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: In the battle between whisky and Irn-Bru, which is Scotland’s *real* national drink?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?What is your favourite whisky-based drink for the deepest darkest part of winter?The names of whisky...

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...

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: If I’m getting off the ferry in Stornoway what the first thing I should do on the Isle of Lewis?You’ve traveled the world to promote your book. Which location was LEAST like the Hebrides?Which location was the MOST like the Hebrides?If you must pick one meal to represent the Hebrides in a global cookbook, what would it...

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...

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: If you were able to meet any single person from Scottish history, who would it be? If you could recommend just one historical location (castle, battlefield, etc.) to our listeners, what would it be? As a Scot, which accent in Scotland do you have the most trouble...

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...

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 GuelphResearch in Scottish tourism and travel historySurprising elements of Scottish...

Are you interested in Scotland's history, society and culture? For host Eamon O'Flynn, the surprise discovery that he's 63 Percent Scottish led him to record discussions with award-winning journalists, best-selling authors, renowned academics and popular podcasters about everything from whisky and Wallace to Irn-Bru and independence. Listen every week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favourite podcasts, or simply visit 63percentscottish.com. We're also on Twitter,...