Podcasts about Scots

The Cru returns for Season 5 of Radio FreeWrite! In this episode, we set fresh writing goals, reflect on unions and collective action, and laugh about Monty Python as we take on the Scots phrase ca' canny: a call to ease up, work slow, and resist.Stories this week begin at the 16:30 mark and explore resistance in many forms: a poetic plea for freedom from work and a greening earth, a Joycean sketch of paralysis on the farm, a futuristic Uber ride tinged with climate anxiety, a fantasy where unchecked power threatens destruction, and a Labor Day reflection on the risks and strength of workers.Prompt: Ca' canny — Scots expression meaning go easy, don't exert yourself, go slow; also in trade union parlance: work to rule or restrict output so as to exert pressure on employers.Like this weeks episode and wish you could read as well as listen? Subscribe to our Substack for a summary of our opening discussion, a story from the episode, and a writing prompt! Be sure to follow us on Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do. Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has secured a rare audience in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump — a diplomatic coup that could shape both Scotland's international standing and the next Holyrood election.In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff, Andy Maciver and Ayesha Hazarika break down:Why this Oval Office meeting is such a big win for Swinney's leadership.The Scotch whisky tariffs — Scotland's largest export industry is on the line. Could Swinney negotiate a breakthrough deal with Trump?How this plays into Swinney's election strategy: “standing up for Scotland” on the world stage.The SNP's shifting position on Donald Trump — from heavy criticism to pragmatic diplomacy.Whether this actually cuts through to ordinary Scots facing the cost of living crisis.The comparison with Keir Starmer: has Swinney managed to outmanoeuvre the Prime Minister on international diplomacy?We also explore the optics of Swinney's Washington trip, the political theatre around international diplomacy, and whether this moment really elevates him as Scotland's statesman.

Book Title: The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603-1689 Author: Jonathan HealeyHeadline: New Model Army and the Regicide of Charles I Parliament reorganized its forces into the New Model Army, led by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, promoting based on effectiveness, not social status. After their decisive victory at Naseby in 1645, King Charles Isurrendered to the Scots in 1646. Following further conflict, Henry Ireton pushed for the king's trial, leading to Charles I's public execution in 1649, a shocking moment for many. 1600 QUEEN ANNE, KING JAMES, WALES, LATER CHARLES I

In this episode of The Inside Track, Eilidh and Susan look ahead to the World Championships and give their predictions on the ones to watch and which Scots they believe will bring home medals! The World Athletics Championships take place in Tokyo, Japan from the 13th - 21st of September. Twitter - @EilidhDoyle @SusanEgelstaffInstagram - @eilidh400h Get in touch: theinsidetrackpod@gmail.com

On this week's show: #AnnunciationShooting #Massie #ScottishJoanOfArc #Trump #Israel #Ukraine and more. Top 10 Bands with a color in their name. The post Inconclusive Breakdown 538: Queen of Scots appeared first on Shining Wizards Network.

I delve into the remarkable life of Peter Stewart, a former Royal Scots Dragoon Guard Chieftain tank driver whose experiences during the Cold War offer a unique perspective on military life. Peter's stories are filled with humour and nostalgia, particularly when he recalls his time in Berlin. His anecdotes are both entertaining and thought-provoking. Peter shares tales of training that tested the limits of his physical endurance, the friendships forged in the face of adversity, and the lessons learned that would stay with him for life. One of the highlights of the episode is Peter's recounting of Exercise Rocking Horse, an exercise designed to test the readiness of the British Army in the event of a Soviet invasion. Related episodes BRIXMIS, the defence of Cold War Berlin & Rudolf Hess https://pod.fo/e/f833 Life as a British Soldier in Cold War West Berlin https://pod.fo/e/163e4 The Last British Commandant in Cold War West Berlin Part 1 https://pod.fo/e/27472 The Last British Commandant in Cold War West Berlin Part 2 https://pod.fo/e/28391 Episode extras ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode420/ The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You'll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you'll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on BlueSky ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Threads ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Love history? Join Intohistory ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Friday's Football Daily, Phillip Egan brings you news Chiedozie Ogbene's new perspective on life after his long-term injury, plus Paddy McCarthy believes that this Ireland group are on the cusp of something special.Stephen Kelly says be careful what you wish for when it comes to saying goodbye Daniel Levy.Andy Robertson wants the Scots to go for it.Wales triumph the Kazakh test.Venezuela miss out on automatic qualification, but Paraguay qualify.And an emotional night in Buenos Aires as Leo Messi says goodbye.Become a member and subscribe at offtheball.com/join

This week on The Bubble Lounge, we're putting the spotlight on the leaders of the Highlander Band—the drum majors! Kaden Rice, Ian Hyde, and Mitch Dauphinais aren't just waving batons and keeping time; they're carrying on a tradition of excellence, school spirit, and dedication that makes Friday nights under the lights so unforgettable. From the first whistle at practice to that final note at halftime, their leadership keeps the entire band moving in perfect sync.In this episode, you'll hear what it takes to earn the role of drum major, the behind-the-scenes responsibilities that most fans never see, and the passion that drives them to lead with both precision and heart. Whether you're a die-hard football fan, a proud band parent, or just someone who loves the energy of a Scots game day, you won't want to miss this inside look at the students who set the tempo for our community's biggest stage.To learn more about the Highlander Band click hereAnd follow on Instagram hereThis episode is sponsored by: Cambridge Caregivers Kathy L Wall State Farm Agency | Mother Modern Plumbing | SA Oral Surgeons | Please show your support for the show by visiting our amazing sponsors.

Discover how invisible ink, codes, and women shaped early modern espionage.Paul Bavill is joined by historians Nadine Akkerman and Pete Langman, co-authors of Spycraft: Tricks and Tools of the Dangerous Trade from Elizabeth I to the Restoration, to expose the myths and realities of Tudor and Stuart espionage. In partnership with the Gloucester History Festival, they explore the hidden world of spies, secret codes, and the overlooked women who shaped Britain's first intelligence wars.Breaking the Myth:Spying wasn't a men-only game. Nadine and Pete challenge the enduring assumption that espionage in this period was dominated by Walsingham and Cecil, revealing the crucial roles played by women—often underestimated, unseen, and therefore the perfect agents.The Tricks of the Trade:Listeners are taken deep into the techniques of early modern spycraft. From invisible inks and counterfeit seals to origami-like folded letters and even messages swallowed in wax balls, the sophistication of Tudor and Stuart espionage is laid bare.Plots and Intrigue:From the Babington Plot and the downfall of Mary Queen of Scots to the near-success of the Gunpowder Plot, Nadine and Pete uncover how these intelligence networks worked—and how luck, deception, and paranoia often decided the fate of monarchs.Forgotten Figures:Far beyond the famous “spymasters,” we meet Arthur Gregory, an inventive genius who poisoned himself in pursuit of better forgery methods, and Lady Carlisle, a double agent whose true loyalties remain mysterious. These overlooked individuals demonstrate the real breadth of Britain's first intelligence wars.This episode reveals espionage not as a primitive sideline to Tudor politics, but as a dangerous, ingenious, and often deadly world—where women played a far greater role than history usually admits.Guest Information:Catch Nadine Akkerman and Pete Langman at the Gloucester History Festival on Wednesday, 17th September at 8:00 pm. Tickets are available at

Join us at Bradgate Park in Leicester with Jules Acton, author, former podcast guest and Trust ambassador, while our regular host Adam enjoys a summer holiday. We meet senior park ranger Matt who gives us a tour as he explains his role in caring for the site and its amazing trees. We've come to the park to see one in particular: a magnificent 830-year-old oak. It's in the running for Tree of the Year 2025. This year's contest celebrates our cultural connections with trees, shining a light on those that are local landmarks, sources of passion, inspiration and creativity. Find out what makes Bradgate Park's oldest oak special and vote for your favourite by 19 September.   Don't forget to rate us and subscribe! Learn more about the Woodland Trust at woodlandtrust.org.uk Transcript You are listening to Woodland Walks, a podcast for the Woodland Trust. We protect and plant trees for people to enjoy, to fight climate change and to help wildlife thrive.  Jules: Good morning. I'm Jules Acton. I'm an ambassador for the Woodland Trust. I've been in this job for 10 years this month and it's been a fantastic 10 years. I've loved every day because I get to meet some amazing trees and woods and even more than that, I also get to meet lots of amazing people who love trees and woods and who are inspired by them. So Woodland Trust members, other supporters, staff and volunteers. And I think one of the reasons people love trees so much is not just for the fact they provide all the wonderful services they they store our carbon, they provide fresh air, they can help filter pollution. But they're also absolutely entwined in our culture. And that's been taking place over hundreds and thousands of years. So our, particularly our native tree species tree species are absolutely embedded in our culture, and every old tree has a story to tell. Now, the reason we're here today is that we're going to talk about Tree of the Year and the theme of the Tree of the Year is culture and the way trees are embedded in culture. Ten magnificent trees have been chosen by a panel of experts. Each has a wonderful story to tell, and members of the public can go and vote for their favourite tree on the Woodland Trust website.  We are here in Bradgate Park car park. It is a golden morning and we're surrounded by trees. I can see oak trees, hawthorns, birches, hazels. It's absolutely gorgeous with the dappled sunlight falling down on us through the leaves. We're here to meet a particularly special tree. It's Bradgate Park's oldest oak tree, and it's about 20 minutes walk from the car park. So I see my colleague Natasha. She's over there waiting at the edge of the car park, waiting for Matt. Hello Natasha.  Natasha: Hello. Ohh hi!  Jules: Can you tell us a bit about your role, Natasha and what you do at the Woodland Trust?  Natasha: Yeah, I'm a social media officer, so I just help create and schedule all social media content, jump on whenever there's an opportunity like today.  Jules: And today you're going to be helping with the recording.  Natasha: Yeah, getting a few clips behind the scenes of how we record the podcast so we can share that and a few bits for our website as well and YouTube.  Jules: Thanks Natasha. Now I think we have just seen somebody drive up who might well be Matt. He's he's appeared in a very groovy looking buggy. And here we go. I believe this is Matt. Hello.   Matt: Good morning, Jules.   Jules: Hello, Matt, hi, lovely to meet you.  Matt: Nice to meet you. Welcome to Bradgate Park.  Jules: Thank you. Can you tell us a little bit about your role, Matt?  Matt: So yeah so I've I've worked at Bradgate Park for just over 20 years now and main sort of roles on on the site are woodland management and caring for the ancient trees that we've got that that are of European importance. And I also get quite involved with the drystone walls and repairing them. I lead a a group of volunteers on a Thursday and as we go across the site, I'm sure I can show you some of the work that we've been doing.  Jules: Oh brilliant, and you're going to particularly show us a very special tree, I believe.  Matt: Yes, I believe we might be able to find that. Yeah, the tree is approximately 830 years old. It predates the Magna Carta and I'd certainly like to take you to the tree and tell you a bit more about it.  Jules: All right. We're just getting ready to go and all around us are people enjoying the park, there are some people walking up hills. There are lots of dogs. There's one very cute little brown dog that's having a little dip in, in a little stream, a little brook, really at the edge of the park and it's already quite a warm day, so I think it's having a nice little cool down.  We're back en route towards the special tree with the beautiful drystone wall to our right and across to the left are, well there's a tree, there's a plantation, and then there's also a sort of a bit of a wood pasture environment would you call it Matt, with some native trees dotted around in the landscape?  Matt: Yeah, very much so. So this is Hallgates Valley. We're looking across to Dale Spinney. The park itself is 830 acres, of which spinneys represent about 10% of the parkland area, so it's quite a large proportion. All the spinneys were planted on the, on the hilltops across the park, that's that's not just by chance. And they were created around about 1830s-40s by the 6th early of Stamford and and now we see the spinneys that we've got here today so you've got quite a mature, mature standard trees. Quite a lot are softwood, but then we've got a mixture of hardwoods in there. We certainly replant hardwoods in the spinneys.  Jules: How would you define a spinney as opposed to, you know, other kinds of woods?  Matt: Nice easy question *laughs*. I would I would say you've obviously got different names of woodlands and you know we're, we're, we're in Charnwood Forest, but a a forest isn't just trees, it's clearings. And I would say a copse is a small woodland. I would say the spinney is is probably like slightly larger than that and then you go up towards a wood. I could be totally wrong! *both laugh*  Jules: I like it though. So Matt you say, you've you've been here 20 years.   Matt: Yeah, 22.  Jules: 22. So you obviously love it. And what is it that keeps you here?  Matt: I was born in Leicester and came here as a young child playing and you know to end up working here as a job, it's certainly a nice place to be coming to and huge, beautiful surroundings, fresh air and and then I've I've just got a real passion for particularly the a lot of the heritage crafts that we keep alive on the estate. So yes, we go down and we manage the woodlands, but we're actually carrying out coppicing operations and that, they go back to the Stone Age and and then other work on the site for instance drystone walling, which we're approaching a gap now that we've been repairing and is obviously another heritage craft, and for me, I I just think it's really important that we're passing on these skills, heritage crafts on to the next sort of generation.  Jules: That that's brilliant. And do you do you train sort of volunteers or or is it staff members in in this kind of thing?  Matt: I've trained up to Level 2 in walling. That's something I I went up to Derbyshire to do. We've actually got another chap on site now, Leon. He's, he was in the armed forces and and and Leon is doing his levels in walling as well. I believe he's already got Level 1 and 2. He's working towards his 3, we might be able to pop and see him in a bit, but I guess the focus should be trees today *laughs*.  Jules: Yeah, well if we have time, that'd be great. See how we go.  Matt: This is certainly a large gap of wall that we've been doing on the estate. We've got 17 miles of drystone wall to maintain. The deer park itself goes back to 1241, but it's, the boundaries changed slightly over over the years and the largest extent of the deer park was probably around about 1550 and that would have, certain parts of the boundary are drystone wall and and that's obviously what what we're left with today and we need to maintain that. Not only does it keep the deer inside the park, which is obviously beneficial for a deer park, it's fantastic habitat for various, you know, sort of reptiles to live in and adders, grass snakes, things like that.  Jules: Fantastic, so we're looking at at one of the drystone walls and it's I'd say about shoulder height, would you say and it's a grey sort of almost sort of slaty looking stone actually, do you, can you tell us what kind of the stone it is?  Matt: Yeah so on on this side of the park, it's it's it's it's a little bit more slaty towards Newtown Linford, that's that's more of a granite, the walling that we do on the, that we we do on the park is is called random coursed walling. So yes, as we build the wall up, you start with the larger stones at the bottom and as the as the wall tapers up, it angles in, that's called the batter of the wall, you can see the frame we've got and that that we're working to, we've got the building lines in. So this one is 80 centimetres at the bottom, tapering up to 40 centimetres at the top. Originally this was actually a lime mortar wall and a lot of walls on the park are lime mortar, but it is possible to rebuild dry, but we do a mix a mixture of both on the estate.  Jules: That's great and it's just lovely to see these heritage practices being kept alive and you mentioned the coppicing as well, which is absolutely very much part of woodland culture going back centuries. I believe it goes back to the Vikings, maybe even earlier, I don't know if you know anything about the history of it, Matt?  Matt: Yeah, well, certainly the Stone Age coppicing going back, going back to the Stone Age, it's the process of cutting the tree down to ground level. Not all trees will coppice, certainly oak will. That's where Copt Oak gets the name from, coppiced oak. Hazel is the primary tree species that we are coppicing, certainly in Swithland Woods and we've got a management plan in place. We've we've just come to the end of a 10-year management plan that was supported by, there's a lady called Liz Sharkey who comes up with a great plan for us. We're just starting in, in November will be the next 10-year plan and the intention of that is to create the most diverse habitat that Swithland Woods is and it will create a mosaic of habitats, different age stands within the structure of the woodland and and part of that will be coppicing rotation and that will open up and the the the floor of the woodland, let light in and that will benefit bluebells and wood anemone and all the related bird species and invertebrates.  Jules: This is all music to our Woodland Trust ears. Thank you, Matt. Shall we continue on our little tour?  Matt: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I will turn this very loud... *banging*  Jules: *laughs* I'm not actually sure how to get out the car, but ohh, OK, yeah, yeah. Natasha's on it. Thanks Natasha. OK, so we are walking up to not the tree we're here to see, but we couldn't resist this one because it's really special and it's a gnarly oak tree, kind of growing out of what looks like a big craggy load of rocks. Yeah, Matt, could you tell us a bit more about this tree?  Matt: Yes, I can. So it's English oak and some of the, it's growing out of granite and some of the rocks on the park are actually some of the oldest rocks, certainly in Britain and and the world, 560-million-year-old rocks that we've got on the park and it's all part part of the designation, actually, of the park, it's a SSSI, geological interest in the park and also the veteran trees are also part of that designation and we have just become a National Nature Reserve as well, Bradgate Park.  Jules: Well, congratulations! Could you just explain the SSSI to us just so people understand what the abbreviation means?  Matt: It's a Site of Special Scientific Interest, so there's many layers to Bradgate Park, people might just want to come have a nice walk, enjoy the views, and people that might be more interested in the geology of the park, so we get a lot of people that are coming out and looking at the rocks and looking for fossils and they're able to from that age, the rocks on the park and then other designations that we've got are related to the ancient trees and and that all forms a a bigger picture that makes the park so important that it has to be protected.  Jules: Fantastic. And one of the things that I've just noticed on both this very old oak tree and also on the rocks are, there's a lot of lichens. They're gorgeous. So they're sort of just splattered with them, some of them just look like, like, little sort of paint splats, don't they? They are different colours, we've got white ones, green ones on the rocks, I'm looking at, sort of greyish ones. Some are crusty, some are very flat, which is I think the nature of lichens. Do you know much about the lichens?  Matt: I certainly know that we need to keep the lichens exposed to the sunlight, so we have to clear bracken so they're not getting shaded out. They take a long time to form and I certainly know that they need good clean air. So that is a good sign, if you're seeing lichens, you're in a good place as a human being.  Jules: Yeah, absolutely. And and one of the things about oak trees as well is because they, they're long-lived trees, they provide particularly important habitat for lichens, cause some, many lichens are really, really slow growing, so they need a very slow, you know, stable habitat, so whether it be the rocks or or the very old tree and you'll get different species associated with the different environments as well.  Matt: Yeah, exactly right. And and you can see as well as the being lichens on the rock, you look up into the oak tree and in to the, up the, into the crown of the tree and we are seeing lichens on on the oak tree.  Jules: Yeah. Aed one of the other things about lichens is that they are also embedded in our culture as well, so we use them to to make dyes, some people cook with them, so again, a bit like bit like the oak trees and and other native trees, they're really entwined in our cultural history. This isn't the tree we're here to see, but it's absolutely marvellous! So I, gosh, I hope this becomes, goes on the Tree of the Year shortlist at some point because it deserves it!  Matt: Well, it's nice to have more than one entry.   Jules: Yeah, that would be good, wouldn't it?  Matt: I guess it would in in increase the chances of winning, but seeing as it's the first time you've come to the park, Jules, I thought you may as well see this.  Jules: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I love it. It looks quite elephantine from this, elephantine I should say, from this angle with this sort of like this great, long limb sticking out, it's almost like a trunk isn't it and up into the into the blue.  Matt: It certainly is, and I think that's certainly going to be the word of the day. I'm not, I'm not certainly going to try and trump that!   Jules: OK, yeah, let's, let's, let's try and use it again, in the next stop! *both laugh* OK. We're going back to the car now the the buggy, the T, TVA. No, the, what is it?  Matt: The ATV *both laugh* As we go back towards the ATV, we can see a absolutely stunning tower on a hill. It's gorgeous. It's kind of like, well it looks like it's in a fairytale to me. Could you tell us a bit about that?  Matt: So Old John Tower was, they started building it 1784 and and it is a folly and it was somewhere that the Greys, the owners, the Earls of Stamford could entertain guests and around the base of the tower, the rear is the remnants of an old racetrack, at the side of the tower, there's an old stable block and the Greys were certainly great horse fanciers and they entered racehorses into various events and along the the the old racetrack there's still remnants of old furlong markers and they were able to entertain the guests, stand up on the the roof of the of the tower and get an idea of of how good the how well the horses were performing.  Jules: Brilliant. And and the the Greys being the family of Lady Jane Grey, is that right?   Matt: Yes, that's right yeah.  Jules: OK. So it's it's absolutely stunning. It looks like the sort of, yeah, if you're drawing a scene in a fairytale, you'd be drawing a little turrety round tower on top of a hill, wouldn't you? And there'd be probably Rapunzel at the top, letting down her hair. On this occasion we've got a, on this occasion we've got a a very fit looking person who's just run a ring around the bottom of the tower and is now running towards us, obviously making use of this wonderful environment to to keep up their fantastic fitness. Right. OK. Now we are going back to the vehicle. And I think is next stop the the tree, our destination?  Matt: Yes it certainly is.  Jules: OK, OK, brilliant. I think I've actually worked out how to get in this time, which is ohh no, Matt's letting me in, thank you, what a gent, thank you. Right, we are now out of the vehicle and we are walking towards the special tree. And how long, how much of a walk is it from here?  Matt: So I can see it already and I'd say we're only about 200 yards away from it.  Jules: *laughs* Ohh, I still haven't seen it!  Matt: I'm I'm I'm deliberately walking in a way that it's going to appear.  Jules: Oh he's hiding it from us.   Matt: Yeah. There we go, fallow deer.  Jules: Ohh, there's ohh my goodness two fallow deer. The beautiful spotty backs, sort of trotting away. And then they've stopped and have given, they're looking at us. They're not too shy, actually are they?  Matt: No, no, they're not.  Jules: They look just like double Bambi. They're very beautiful.  Matt: You'll you'll you'll notice on all the trees, and there's about a dozen smaller oak trees that we planted, and these are about 30 years old now. Again, you can see how we've we've literally topped the smaller trees and and that's because we don't want to leave these trees just to get huge a. and maidens and straight and tall. So we want these to be stunted and more open grown. And so we've cut the tops off and and thinned them slightly. And then, again, we're hoping that that will make them longer lived.  Jules: Yeah, yeah. And of course, the oak trees love a lot of light, don't they? And these have got quite a lot of light and space around them.   Matt: Yes.   Jules: Ohh, I can see it now. Oh my goodness. What a beast. How fantastic. So it does, so it's the Bradgate Park's oldest oak, isn't it, so does it have a name, another name beyond that?  Matt: I think people people give it various names but it's just ‘the oldest tree in the park' *laughs*  Jules: Yeah, yeah.  Matt: Trying, I suppose for many years we've tried to keep it a bit bit sort of secret. That's probably for the benefit of the tree and certainly, the fact that it's within a spinney, people aren't walking up to it, and that's helped the tree. I feel that it's in a, it's obviously found some good growing conditions and despite the general habitat of the park being poor, upland soil, shallow, it's found some incredible growing conditions here it's been sheltered so that it's not being exposed to too much, too much wind force. And also it's it's nice and open so as the, as you know sort of from midday to right through into the evening, it's gonna get plenty of light as well. So there's I think there's been a number of factors that have certainly helped to prolong the life of the tree.  Jules: Yes, absolutely. Wow, it is a stunner. So just to try and describe this tree, it it's immensely tall. It's probably about the size of a, what about the height of a house would you say?   Matt: Yeah it's a good, good 45 feet.  Jules: Yeah. And it's got a very gnarly bole. I call it a bole rather than a trunk because it's really big, broad, and it's kind of split into two, kind of more than two. And it's got some dead branches coming out the middle. It's got one gorgeous, great, long, twisted limb reaching out. And it's that that's they're they're propped up, but it's kind of snaking, isn't it, ooh, it's elephantine that's what it is! Yeah, let's use our favourite word of the day.  Matt: I'd I'd say it's definitely elephantine *both laugh*  Jules: Yeah. And you can see kind of, it looks like there's faces everywhere, aren't there? It's like in that they've dead bit of branch there, you can see like a sort of twisted sort of face and a great long nose. And ohh it's, what a beautiful beast. So Matt, could you tell us a bit about its cultural connection to human beings?  Matt: Well, it certainly, it it was aged back in 2014 by a tree consultancy called Bosky and we we obtained a grant funding to tag and map many, many trees across the estate of this, being one of them, and it was it was aged at 818 back then, which puts us at around about the 830 mark now. In terms of relations to humans, it predates the Magna Carta and one of the most notable former residents of Bradgate Park obviously being Lady Jane, when she was a child living on the park, the tree would have already been quite a mighty oak of about 300 years.  Jules: Gosh, so, so Lady Jane Grey would have known this tree.   Matt: Yes, yeah.  Jules: She would probably sat underneath it.  Matt: Which is somewhat remarkable.  Jules: Yeah. Maybe had a little picnic under here. *Matt laughs* That's what I would have done. Fantastic. And it's wonderful that you're protecting it and actually, despite this sort of really craggy bole, it's it's looking in pretty good health, isn't it, it's got loads of leaves all around. Are you feeling sort of confident about its its future given given how it is?  Matt: Well, certainly, yeah you you've you've pointed out the props and these props have been in place supporting certainly this this limb. If we walk around the other side of the tree, you can you can get a bit more of an impression as to what the props are actually achieving for the tree and in due course, and I believe we'll we'll probably upgrade these props, which are basically telegraph posts with Land Rover tyres that have been cut, which is certainly an effective way of doing things, but we have evolved the propping techniques that are now, you can see the tree in the distance over there by the compound that's called the Pheasant Garden. And there's a there's an oak tree there that supported by a prop and that is manufactured using metal, sort of steel work and then there's a cup section that's manufactured and then that that's a more sympathetic way of actually supporting that bough.  Jules: Yeah, yes.  Matt: Regarding, you know the actual cover of the foliage, like you say, totally agree that it's it's still got reasonable foliage cover, certainly certain things that we do have to watch out for is shade. And that is partly why we've cut the tops off the trees around it. But also you can see where we've got a bit of interference here with this Scots pine at the back.  Jules: Oh yes, it's actually actually touching I think, almost touching.  Matt: So that is something that we would look to keep keep in check. So this Scots pine, as as lovely as it is, that Scots pine is more like 70 years old, and we wouldn't want that to be shading out so that's something we'll we'll probably climb up there and just cut that, cut the limb off off the Scots pine and stop that, because you can see if we just leave that doing what it's doing, it's going to start shading out and it's really important that we keep the living mass of this tree, so there's a balance there between the living mass and the dead mass of the tree, the static mass. And it's that balance as a ratio for the tree, you know, if you, if you look at a younger tree there, you can say that almost almost 100% of of the of the crown of that tree is alive. Whereas you look at this tree and you start thinking maybe 50%. So the closer that ratio between the living mass and the dead mass is, the closer that gets more like to a one to one, then the the tree will will then gradually just just just be going into decline. So you know, the tree will not live forever but I'm pretty confident it's going to outlive us guys *laughs*  Jules: Yes. It's an amazing thought, isn't it? And it's obviously very loved and and and I think the importance is is not just about the tree itself, is it? So really ancient oaks like this, they support enormous numbers of species, some of which only live on ancient oaks. So that's why we need to protect this tree as much as we possibly can and also bring on those veteran oaks of the future that you you, you're, you're that you're you're doing just that, aren't you, here in the park. Absolutely vital.   Matt: Yeah, very much so, very much so. As we've driven across the park, we've seen various planting that's been supported by the Tree Council. And like you say, that has, that certainly has been planting more oak trees, but then also other nectar bearing species, rowan, blackthorn, hawthorn, gorse. And these are all important, like you say for the deadwood insects that, that, that live within the ancient oak tree and and then as the tree gets older it then develops more veteran features and those crags, holes are very important roosting habitats for, certainly for owls and bats.  Jules: Yeah. And so oak trees in the UK collectively support more than 2,300 species, some of which are completely reliant on oak trees. They couldn't survive without oak trees, and one of the things we were talking about earlier as we drove up was the fact that there are, you know, some, some beetles, for example, some longhorn beetles, for example, they spend their lives as larvae living in deadwood. But then the adults, they need nectar when they grow up, so again, it's really important to have those nectar sources nearby isn't it?  Matt: Yeah. So very, very much is. Yeah. And that's what we're looking to do on the park we are we are planting those, those supporting plants.  Jules: Fantastic. Wonderful. This incredible tree that we're standing in front of is one of the ten contenders in this year's Tree of the Year competition and the theme of this year's competition is culture and the the the the history and culture associated with trees in our world. Ancient oaks are absolutely threaded in our culture. I'm particularly interested in them, I wrote a book about about oak trees called Oaklore, and one of the things that I talked about was the way that the oak tree intertwines with our lives with with lots of different species, but also with human lives and with our culture. There were so many stories associated with the oak tree. One of my favourites is the story of Charles II and the Boscobel Oak. So before Charles II was, became king he was fighting the parliamentarians and he took a terrible drubbing at a battle. And he needed to escape. And he escaped to Boscobel House. And he was with this soldier called Colonel Careless, and this soldier suggested that they hide in the oak tree overnight rather than the house. And they did. And even though the parliamentarian troops were were wandering nearby, they didn't find the king and his soldiers, and they escaped. And eventually they returned and that led to the restoration of the monarchy. The thing I like about this story is the cultural links then go on and on. Because at that point, a day of national celebration was declared throughout the land, and that was 29 May and that became Oak Apple Day and everybody would party and if the best people at the party, the coolest people at the party, they waved oak branches and wore oak leaves and and if you were super cool, you had lots of oak apples on your, so little galls on your oak branches. And if you didn't have little symbols of oaks, then others were apparently within their rights to take a bunch of nettles and and and attacked you with nettles, which wasn't so nice. So it was also called Nettle Day. It was also known as Pinch Bum Day and Maids Ruin Day. The story goes on, but the other sort of fun cultural connection to that is it also came, it also brought about lots of pubs called the Royal Oak, and the last time I looked there were about 400 oak trees, 400 sorry pubs called the Royal Oak throughout the land, so the cultural tales just go on and on. And that's just the oak tree. But all of our native trees have some fantastic stories associated with them in. In fact every old tree has a story to tell. It's like us, like every older person, we've all got a story, a history to tell. Yeah. OK.  Matt: So yeah, we're just walking back from the oldest tree now, and we're just sort of musing over just that connection that human, humans have got to trees. I think it's the fact that an oak tree can sort of live centuries and really, that puts our lifetimes somewhat in perspective. And the fact that an oak tree can just go from the tiniest of acorns to a huge mass of of timber and that is just really fantastic, how you could you could cut open a tree and see all those different tree rings, those years of growth and then just sort of put that in context, what was happening was, was it Dick Whittington that was the Lord Mayor of London for the last time, was it was it the Battle of Agincourt, was it the Magna Carta? And and it's for people like you that actually write books about it, Jules, that can say it a lot better than me *both laugh*  Jules: No that was brilliant and we're not gonna cut this one in half though are we, Matt?   Matt: No, we're certainly not. And the fact that it's hollow, we just can't see those rings anymore.  Jules: No. Thank you. Brilliant. Right. This is our final leg on our walk and we're now in a polytunnel and it's really warm because the sun's beating down outside and it smells gorgeous and and we are surrounded by lots of little trees. Matt, can you tell us a little bit about these?  Matt: So the polytunnel was funded by the Tree Council and it's just very important that we're growing on oaks for the future from acorns that have been collected on site. So they've got the genetic continuity of the long-lived oak trees and hopefully they'll grow and carry on into long into the future.  Jules: And are they, is it a a mix of acorns from all different trees in in here or is it, or is, are you, are you taking them from specific trees?  Matt: It's yeah, it's a bit of a mix. Sometimes, you know, where where we can and where they're viable, if we if we get to the acorns from a veteran tree before the deer, then that's certainly something that we we're looking to grow on. So generally that's what we're that's that's where we'll try and harvest them from that, we've put a frame down before with a bit of a grill, so we can collect the acorns, but then they don't get eaten and that's certainly quite a good technique. And and then we we we grow on from the old trees where we can, yes.  Jules: They're really lovely. So we've got really tiny little trees with, some of them have got like, you know, about 5 or 6 leaves. And then they go up to sort of above our just above our heads. And I think what always strikes me is the, the the diversity in in leaf shape and colour that you that you see all around you. So even the same place within within oak trees, it's incredible, the different shapes and sizes you get, isn't it?  Matt: Yeah, it really is. And you know, look, looking some of the some of the oaks have been collected from Swithland Woods as well. And and where you've got a stalked leaf, that is a sessile oak.   Jules: Ah yes.  Matt: And and where you've got a a leaf that's coming off that isn't stalked, that is an English oak, but but that will have a stalked acorn.  Jules: Yes. So that's the the key way to tell the difference isn't. Yeah, brilliant. Thank you. I love it. The Bradgate Park oak is one of ten iconic trees across the UK in the running for the Tree of the Year competition. Other examples include the Tree of Peace and Unity in County Antrim. That's an iconic lime tree, I say a lime tree, it's actually two lime trees which are fused together so that the trunk has become bound as one and it's, they've become inseparable and as such they've become a symbol of harmony and hope. So newly married couples sit beneath that tree for a blessing and it became a particular symbol of peace and reconciliation when Tony Blair, David Trimble and John Hume met here in 1998 at the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Another example is the Argyle Street Ash in Glasgow. This tree is growing right next to some historic flats and it's seen as a symbol of local resilience. It has survived all kinds of things, including Victorian industry, the Clydeside Blitz, recent development and so far, ash dieback. One of its cultural connections is that it was featured in a 1935 book by James Cowan. The book was called From Glasgow's Treasure Chest and in it he describes the tree as ‘quite the most graceful ash I have seen'. Well, that's enough of me. Meanwhile, thank you so much to Matt and Natasha. It's been great fun talking trees with you.  Thank you for listening to the Woodland Trust Woodland Walks. Don't forget to subscribe to the series on iTunes or wherever you're listening to us and do give us a review and a rating. And why not send us a recording of your favourite woodland walk to be included in a future podcast? Keep it to a maximum of five minutes and please tell us what makes your woodland walk special or send us an e-mail with details of your favourite walk and what makes it special to you. Send any audio files to podcast@woodlandtrust.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you. 

The smooth Tudor–Stuart handover? One of history's biggest lies..In this fiery live episode of History Rage, Paul Bavill is joined by Tracy Borman, chief historian of Historic Royal Palaces, to tear apart the enduring myth of a smooth Tudor–Stuart succession. With her explosive new book Stolen Crown about to be released, Tracy reveals how one of the most famous “peaceful handovers” in English history was anything but. Behind the curtain lay conspiracy, forgery, rival claimants — and a king desperate enough to rewrite history itself.You'll hear how:The myth of a smooth transition was a fabrication — James VI had no legal right under Henry VIII's laws, and Elizabeth never named him heir.Conspiracies brewed in secret as Robert Cecil and Elizabeth's councillors struck clandestine deals with James to secure his crown.Rival claimants circled — from Arbella Stuart (who fatally offended Elizabeth by copying her dress and flirting with Essex) to the Infanta of Spain with her navy poised to strike.Drama unfolded like a thriller: Robert Carey's desperate, bleeding ride to Scotland to deliver news of Elizabeth's death; the Valentine Thomas scandal that linked James to a plot to assassinate Elizabeth.The dark legacy of James I — witch hunts, brutal persecution of Catholics, and the Gunpowder Plot — showed how costly that stolen crown would become.History itself was rewritten when James forced William Camden to alter Elizabeth's biography, fabricating her supposed deathbed blessing of the “King of Scots.”This is not the story of a smooth succession, but of a stolen crown and the dangerous lies that cemented a dynasty.

We're back to discuss last Thursday's conclusion to the Europa and Conference League final qualifying round (as well as a little Champions League)! It was a week of firsts, including Hamrun Spartans becoming the first Maltese club to qualify for a European group stage. Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano also survived to earn their inaugural shot at Thursday night football. The other Conference League big boys survived by the skin of their teeth – both Mainz and Strabourg got huge bounce-back wins after disappointing 1st leg performances, and Fiorentina overcame a dreadful 78 minutes to eventually see off Polissya. Elsewhere, Poland, Greece, and Cyprus continued their excellent campaigns, while the Turks and Scots had a nightmarish week, including embarrassing Champions League defeats for both Celtic and Rangers. Cheers Giacomo Modica!

Stravaigin roon Cullen an Portknockie. In ess new episode, poet Jim Mackintosh jines Frieda Morrison tae wanner aroon the fishin villages o Cullen an Portknockie, on the East coast o Scotland in Aiberdeenshire.  Enjoy the stravaig an hear aboot the hidden stories. There's mair than Cullen Skink tae this area. With thanks tae the team […]

Welcome back to Seasoned Sessions! This week, we talk about Notting Hill Carnival, the discourse around Black Scots, the social isolation of the digital age, and more. Get in touch with us at @seasonedsessionspod, @adaenechi, and @its_hanifahh. Have a great week!

The Royal Scots Club in Edinborough, is an amazing tribute to the veterans of Worls War I. It serves as a club house, a military museum, a great spot for social events and a b it of liv ing history.  And if you stay there you can help fund the program geared toward veterans, their families and educating the public on their significance in history.   Hear all ab out it in this episode of Erin's Isle.

From his early years marked by an assassination attempt on his father that coincided with Edward's conception, to his brutal campaigns against the Welsh and Scots, Edward I's reign is completely thrilling.Matt Lewis and Dr. Andrew Spencer delve into the life and legacy of this medieval warrior, reformer and conqueror, who threw himself into a Crusade, survived an assassin's blade and poison and transformed English governance.More:Henry IIIOrigins of Scottish IndependenceGone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. It was edited by Amy Haddow, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rich and powerful Guise family was one of the most treacherous and bloodthirsty in sixteenth-century France. They whipped up religious bigotry, overthrowing the king. They ruled Scotland for nearly 20 years through Mary Queen of Scots, plotting to invade England and overthrow Elizabeth I. And they unleashed the bloody Wars of Religion, playing a crucial role in the murder of 4,000 Protestants in the infamous Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre.In this final episode for Not Just the Tudors' Tudor True Crime month, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Stuart Carroll - author of Martyrs and Murderers: The Guise Family and the Making of Europe - about this cultivated, charismatic and violent dynasty.MORE:Catherine d'Medici: Serpent Queen >Mary Queen of Scots' Lost Letters Decoded >Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. Edited by Stuart Beckwith and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The wait is over—Highland Park Scots football is back! On the eve of the season opener at Highlander Stadium, captains Stuart Allday, Cannon Bozman, Thomas Cook, and Beau Jones join Martha in the Bubble Lounge to give fans an insider's look at the heart and hustle behind this year's team.From bouncing back after last year's championship heartbreak to embracing this season's motto, “Built on Brotherhood,” the captains share how a bond forged since kindergarten fuels their drive to dominate the gridiron. You'll hear behind-the-scenes stories fans rarely get to witness—from surprise phone calls to their moms when named captains, to Coach Allen's legendary YMCA victory dance, to quirky pre-game rituals involving Jimmy John's and avocado toast.This episode is packed with energy, tradition, and pure Scots pride. The captains open up about what it means to play in front of a packed stadium with fired up fans, highlight teammates to watch this season, and explain why community support—especially through the upcoming Caniac Supper & Auction—is vital to the program's success.It's football season in Highland Park—download, share with friends, and get ready for Friday Night Lights!To learn more about the Highland Park Football auction click hereTo purchase tickets to Caniac supper, Beat Jesuit t-shirts & to check out the auction click here  This episode is sponsored by: Cambridge Caregivers Kathy L Wall State Farm Agency | Mother Modern Plumbing | SA Oral Surgeons | Please show your support for the show by visiting our amazing sponsors.

Bomani Jones is joined by Roy Wood Jr., formerly of "The Daily Show" and currently the host of Have I Got News for You on CNN. They discuss the unintentional consequences of squatting and the strange media beefs of 2025. Later, they talk about Roy's adventures in Scotland and whatever is going on with Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do Scotland already have one foot in the World Cup quarter-finals? Fran McGhie's hat-trick inspired the Scots to a record win over Wales in their World Cup opener, despite all the uncertainty around player contracts. Where did it all go wrong for Wales and why are they still not clicking under head coach Sean Lynn? Ugo, Sara, and Katy Daley-McLean discuss all this and more as they dissect the opening weekend for the home nations. Did the Red Roses justify their favourites tag after scoring 11 tries against the United States? Ireland also opened with an impressive bonus-point win with one player in particular catching the eye.

This week I'm joined by historian Wendell Schollander to discuss his new book The British Empire's Regulars 1880–1914. We dive into the lives of the men who fought and marched across the globe in Britain's name – English, Sikhs, Scots, Gurkhas, Ibos, Zulus and many more – showing how these diverse soldiers were anything but anonymous pawns. Wendell brings their stories to life, explaining the unique contributions of each group and why their service was vital to the empire's survival. Wendell's book is available here - https://amzn.to/3HON0ME  Special thanks to Chris Brice for stepping in with hosting today. His books can be found here - https://www.helion.co.uk/people/christopher-brice.php 

They are the soundtrack to weddings, funerals, Burns night celebrations and more. Bagpipes have earned their places as the national instrument of Scotland and holds a special place in the heart of many Scots and the global diaspora. Today, Jackie discovers the history and cultural significance of the Great Highland bagpipes, which are one of hundreds of types of bagpipes played around the world. She's joined by Richard McLauchlan, piper and author of The Bagpipes: A Cultural History. Together, they discuss the role of bagpipes in Scottish history, what makes the Great Highland bagpipes so special, and the surprising identity of the first person ever described as a bagpiper. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

In CI News this week: A grandmother will face no further legal action after being arrested for offering to speak with expectant mums inside a Scottish abortion censorship zone, the Culture Secretary's endorsement of a pro-trans slogan provokes a strong backlash, and a Christian millionaire businessman speaks to the Institute about faith in the retail industry. You can download the video via this link. Featured stories No prosecution for grandmother over ‘here to talk' sign in Scots abortion censorhip zone Lisa Nandy under fire for wearing controversial ‘protect the dolls' slogan Dad celebrates five years since ‘months to live' cancer diagnosis EXCLUSIVE: Toyshop millionaire speaks to CI about being salt and light in business

Chris Paterson joins Tom and Andy for a lookback on the Scots' performances on the recent Lions tour and a look forward to Scotland v Wales in the Women's Rugby World Cup plus we hear from Scotland Women's flanker Alex Stewart ahead of her first World Cup

Not every Tudor story ends in scandal, downfall, or execution. Some are about loyalty, courage, and quiet strength. On this day in Tudor history, 20th August 1580, Sir George Bowes—a loyal soldier, administrator, and one of Elizabeth I's most dependable northern men—died peacefully at his home in Streatlam, County Durham. Bowes may not be a household name, but his story is one of unshakeable service during some of Elizabeth's most turbulent years. In this video, I'll share how Bowes: - Held Barnard Castle under siege for two weeks during the 1569 Rising of the North - Escorted Mary, Queen of Scots into captivity after her flight from Scotland - Served as Marshal of Berwick, Justice of the Peace, Sheriff, and member of the Council of the North - Raised 15 children across two marriages, while balancing duty and family - Became one of the quiet but essential figures holding Elizabeth's kingdom together Unlike many Tudor figures, Bowes died of natural causes at the age of 53 and was laid to rest in Barnard Castle Church.  If you enjoyed this story, please like the video, subscribe to my channel for more Tudor history, and tap the bell so you don't miss my next Tudor tale. For even more exclusive Tudor content—like a monthly magazine, printable resources, and live Zoom calls—click the Join button and become part of my Tudor Court here on YouTube.

This is a special podcast about Scotland's culture and its tenacity over centuries of denial, marginalisation and nae seemin posh enough.Lesley heard these two in action at an Independence Forum Scotland event in Perth and thought the craic was so good it deserved this wider audience.So Stuart McHardy a writer, occasional broadcaster, and storyteller who has been Director of the Scots Language Resource Centre in Perth and President of the Pictish Arts Society is in conversation with Roger Emmerson, a distinguished architect who surprised many in his own profession by running the first Scottish architecture course in the 1990s.We discuss the irrelevance of ‘clown characters' like Neil Oliver and David Starkey, delve into the Scots embrace of contradiction and the ability to (happily) be in twa minds and ponder the success of Department Q. Amongst many other fascinating cultural themes. Stuart McHardy books include The Quest for Arthur, On the Trail of Scotland's Myths and Legends, Tales of the Picts, Strange Secrets of Ancient Scotland, Tales of Whisky and Smuggling, The Wild Haggis an The Greetin-faced Nyaff.View Stuart's books at Luath PressForthcoming Edin Book Festival gig Weds 13th August about book at printers now Scotland's Sacred Goddess (and if new book link appears then slot in here)    Roger Emmerson books includeScotland in 100 buildingsLand of Stone – a journey through Modern Architecture in ScotlandView Roger's books at Luath Press  ★ Support this podcast ★

In 1568, Mary, Queen of Scots escaped her island prison at Lochleven Castle with the help of loyal supporters. Within days she was leading an army, but defeat at Langside forced her to flee into England where her freedom ended for good. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text Krysti leads off with the tale of Clipperton Island. This island is now the home to poisonous crabs and that's about it. This island was “owned” by many countries by the end of its saga. This island was the source of mass amounts of guano which was in high demand for fertilizer. There were fights between countries over this itty bitty island. This led to Mexico claiming the island and leaving a contingent of folks to guard it. These settlers get stuck due to things like WWI and the Mexican Revolution. This also prevented the supply ships from coming. All the things proceed to go wrong and bat shit crazy is a term for a reason. This island is now a French island. Tori takes us to Edinburgh Castle. This castle has been in use since AD 638. This castle has been a source of conflict between the English and the Scottish. The Scots did retain it and is home to the Lia Fail and the Honours of Scotland. This castle has been the home to kings, queens, sheriffs, and soldiers. The castle itself is made of limestone, we've talked about limestone and stone tape theory before. And guess what? This sucker is haunted with many ghosts. Our Sources: historydefined.net, damninteresting.com, historicmysteries.com, historic-uk.com, edinburghcastle.scot, great-castles.com, thelittlehouseofhorrors.com, mercattours.comOur theme music:   Camille Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre - Busy Strings by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Support the show

fWotD Episode 3026: Battle of Preston (1648) Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Sunday, 17 August 2025, is Battle of Preston (1648).The battle of Preston was fought on 17 August 1648 during the Second English Civil War. A Parliamentarian army commanded by Lieutenant General Oliver Cromwell attacked a considerably larger force of Royalists under James Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton, near the Lancashire town of Preston; the Royalists were defeated with heavy losses.The First English Civil War between Royalist supporters of Charles I and an alliance of Parliamentarian and Scottish forces ended in 1646 with Charles defeated and imprisoned. He continued to negotiate with several factions among his opponents and this sparked the Second English Civil War in 1648. It began with a series of mutinies and Royalist uprisings in England and Wales. Meanwhile, a political struggle in Scotland led to a faction which supported Charles, known as the Engagers, gaining power. The Scots raised an army which crossed into England at Carlisle on 8 July to support the uprisings. Combining with English Royalists they marched south along the west coast road some 24,000 strong. Much smaller Parliamentarian forces fell back in front of them. Cromwell was suppressing uprisings in south Wales with 5,000 men during May and June; he captured the last Royalist stronghold on 11 July and was marching east within a week.Cromwell concentrated 9,000 men in north Yorkshire and crossed the Pennines to fall on the flank of the much larger Royalist army at Preston. Not contemplating that Cromwell would act so recklessly, Hamilton was caught with his army on the march and with large detachments too far away to intervene. A blocking force of about 3,000 English Royalist infantry, many ill-armed and inadequately trained, proved no match for the Parliamentarians, most of whom were well-trained veterans from the New Model Army. After a ferocious hour-long fight these Royalists were outflanked on both sides, which caused them to break. The largest part of the Royalist army, predominately Scottish, was marching south immediately to the rear of this fighting. Most had crossed a bridge over the Ribble, a major river just south of Preston; those still to the north of it were swept away by the Parliamentarian cavalry and either killed or taken prisoner. A second round of prolonged infantry hand-to-hand fighting took place for control of the bridge; the Parliamentarians were again victorious, fighting their way across as night fell.Most of the survivors, nearly all Scottish, were to the south of Preston. Although still at least as strong as the whole Parliamentarian army they fled towards Wigan in a night march. They were hotly pursued and on 19 August were caught and defeated again at the battle of Winwick. Most of the surviving Scots surrendered: their infantry either at Winwick or nearby Warrington, their cavalry on 24 August at Uttoxeter. In the aftermath of the war Charles was beheaded on 30 January 1649 and England became a republic on 19 May.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:50 UTC on Sunday, 17 August 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Battle of Preston (1648) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Ruth.

“Today we're heading to the desert — where saguaros stand guard, the sun bakes the earth, and whiskey takes on a flavor you can't find anywhere else. I'm sitting down with Mark from Whiskey Del Bac, the Arizona distillery turning mesquite smoke, bold ideas, and Southwestern grit into some of the most distinctive American single malts out there. We'll talk about the magic of desert aging, the art of mesquite malting, and how Whiskey Del Bac is carving its own trail in the whiskey world. So pour a glass, kick back, and join me for a taste of the Southwest — one sip at a time.”Badmotivatorbarrels.com/shop/?aff=3Patreon.com/the_whiskeyshamanhttps://www.instagram.com/zsmithwhiskeyandmixology?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MWZ4dGp2MzlucjVvdw==Whiskeydelbac.comThe Story ofLike many great ideas, it came about while drinking Scotch...It was one of those cool desert nights in 2006 where Elaine and Stephen Paul sat outside on their patio, barbecuing over a mesquite fire and enjoying a glass of Scotch. Elaine had an idea — “What if you made single malt whiskey with ‘mesquited' malt instead of peated malt?”‍Stephen couldn't shake the concept. After all, he knew mesquite well. He and Elaine owned a furniture design company that specialized in mesquite. Well-known for the flavor it imparts to food that is cooked over it, mesquite is a beautifully grained wood native to the desert Southwest.Stephen began learning everything he could about how the Scots make their whiskies. While learning how to floor-malt barley, he began with the recipe for Classic, modeled after the unpeated style of Speyside Scotches. If he could nail down a clean-finishing American Single Malt Whiskey that rivaled Scotland's finest, then he could take the recipe and put a Southwest spin on it — which is how our mesquited (not peated) Dorado was born.Stephen's Great Aunt, Nina Paul, working in the desert.When daughter Amanda Paul (Stephen and Elaine's daughter) got wind that her dad was making whiskey, she moved back home to Tucson from New York City in 2011 to make Whiskey Del Bac a business with Stephen. They founded Hamilton Distillers Group and launched the Whiskey Del Bac brand under it. Named after Tucson's 17th century Spanish mission San Xavier del Bac, Whiskey Del Bac is a combination of English, Spanish and the native Tohono O'Odham tongue meaning “Whiskey of the Place Where the River Reappears in the Sand.” While it may be tempting to call it Del Bac Whiskey, it is Whiskey Del Bac.Amanda helped get the licensing, build the Whiskey Del Bac brand, and together with Stephen they officially launched the whiskeys to a warm reception in the Old Pueblo. As a family, the Pauls set out to define what an American Single Malt Whiskey from the great American Southwest could be. The idea of terroir in whiskey has been much debated, but Whiskey Del Bac has established a flavor profile that is firmly rooted in the desert. Amanda and Stephen inherited a profound love for the desert, which began in their family over a century ago when Stephen's great grandfather pioneered the date farming industry in Coachella, California. Stephen's great aunt Nina was a role model for him in how to perceive and appreciate the desert.$120.00Our annual Distiller's Cuts are ways to explore the seasonality and complexity of American Single Malt Whiskey.The Summer 2025 Distiller‘s Cut features a lightly smoked blend of Sauternes, second-use Whiskey Del Bac, and rhum agricole.

Immortalised by Shakespeare, Scottish king Macbeth was killed in battle near Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire on 15th August 1057; a demise that brought significant changes to Scotland's monarchy. But the real Macbeth, contrary to his portrayal in the play, ruled for 17 relatively peaceful years and displayed generosity toward the church. That said, his relationship with the real Lady Macbeth - Gruogh, widow of Gilear, the previous king - was, let's agree, rather complicated.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why witches were included in the script to satisfy King James I; offer a pragmatic explanation for the superstition that actors must never speak the name "Macbeth" in a theatre; and reveal the, er, creative way the Danish minister for finance once escaped responsibility for a nasty shipwreck… Further Reading: • ‘The Real Macbeth: King of Scots, 1040-1054' (History Today, 1957): https://www.historytoday.com/archive/real-macbeth-king-scots-1040-1054 • ‘Macbeth (r. 1040-1057)' (The Royal Family): https://www.royal.uk/macbeth-r-1040-1057 • ‘Who Was The Real King MacBeth?' (Timeline, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq75Cl_osxk This episode first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Daniel Stables is an acclaimed travel writer who has written guides for DK Travel and Lonely Planet. He's also contributed to BBC Travel and National Geographic. He shares festival tales from his new book "Fiesta: A Journey Through Festivity." There's Scots dressing as Vikings, a crazy vegetarian festival that's anything but mellow, and a ball game that sounds like The Purge. Let's party! [Ep 350] Show Notes: Destination Eat Drink foodie travel guides on Buy Me a Coffee Daniel Stables travel writer Fiesta: A Journey Through Festivity on Icon Books

Scottish Ballet's new production Mary, Queen of Scots is a punk inspired production which tells the story of the ill-fated queen through the imagination and memories of her cousin, Elizabeth I, who authorised her execution. And a Fringe production Mary Queen of Rock portrays Mary as a rock star in a world in which rock and roll is banned. We discuss why her story continues to inspire so many productions today. Eva Victor, star of Sorry, Baby, the opening film of this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival, talks about her darkly comic treatment of the aftermath of a sexual assault. Theatre critics Fergus Morgan and Neil Cooper talk us through some of the highlights of this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe - from Eat the Rich (But Maybe Not Me Mates X), a one-woman show by Liverpudlian actor and director Jade Franks in which she tells the story of being a misfit at Cambridge University to Lost Lear, a retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear told through the eyes of a woman with dementia. Plus a live performance from musician Hamish Hawk, who is paying tribute to the late great poet and eccentric Ivor Cutler at this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival, complete with Cutler's own harmonium.

Creator and host Andy Bargh welcomes the BBC's Thomas Mackintosh & Barry Anderson from the Edinburgh Evening News to chat about the Scots who'll be playing for new clubs this season and how that might affect their Scotland credentials. Lennon Miller's off to Udinese, Ryan Porteous at LA, Angus Gunn's at Forest and Hibs have Hanley. We also discuss the forms of Bowie, Cameron and McCowan at the start of the domestic campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're officially back for the 2025-26 Europa & Conference League campaigns, and as always, we're kicking things off with the 3rd qualifying rounds. The 1st legs were full of action, and we discuss some major upsets from old friends (Celje, Víkingur Reykjavík, AEK Larnaca), and new (Hibs, Shelbourne). Then we explore Cyrpus' remarkable European successes of late, why the Irish league is on the rise, if this is a breakout season for Scottish clubs, and speculate whether Malta is the next country to pop their cherry and qualify a team for European group stages for the very first time. We're also introduced to some clubs previously unfamiliar to us, including FC Polissya Zhytomyr, whose name we hopefully did not butchered to unreasonable degree. It feels good to be back – come hang! Cheers Joey O'Brien!

From its origins as a Bronze Age settlement, to a battleground for Robert the Bruce's men during the Wars of Independence, and a refuge for Mary, Queen of Scots, this castle has stood witness to thousands of years of Scottish history.Dan joins Senior Guide Mhairi Summers at Edinburgh Castle to tell the tales of the kings, queens, rebels, and prisoners who have passed through its gates over the centuries, revealing how the castle shaped and was shaped by Scottish history.This is part of Dan's 'Guide to Europe' travel series.Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal PatmoreYou can find out more about visiting Edinburgh Castle here: https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/Join Dan and the team for a special LIVE recording of Dan Snow's History Hit on Friday, 12th September 2025! To celebrate 10 years of the podcast, Dan is putting on a special show of signature storytelling, never-before-heard anecdotes from his often stranger-than-fiction career, as well as answering the burning questions you've always wanted to ask!Get tickets here, before they sell out: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/dan-snows-history-hit/.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Following the murder of her husband, Lord Darnley, how did Mary Queen of Scots - thought to have conspired for his death - navigate the most precarious situation of her young life so far? Would she marry again, and if so whom? Why was she forced to flee her enemies dressed as a man, and would she escape the threat of imprisonment? Could she look to her fellow cousin, Elizabeth I, for aid, or face the Virgin Queen's condemnation? And, would she come out from these tumultuous events a queen and unscathed, or dethroned, and traumatised for life? Join Tom and Dominic as they reach the dramatic climax of their journey through the reign of Mary Queen of Scots, as steps into the hands of Elizabeth I and her spymasters. Would this most brave and belligerent, but now beleaguered of women, survive the most perilous period of her life? The Rest Is History Club: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to full series and live show tickets, ad-free listening, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members' chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestishistory.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestishistory. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

hey sailed to France as children with Mary, Queen of Scots, four noble girls, all named Mary.Mary Beaton, Seton, Fleming, and Livingston became her closest companions, and they stayed with her through marriages, murders, imprisonment, and rebellion.This is the story of the Four Marys, the women behind the Queen.Englandcast.com/TudorconFromHome for your Tudorcon From Home tickets, and to join the Privy Council! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Murray Cook is an archaeologist, author, co-founder and co-director of a field school, and Honorable Research Fellow at Stirling University. His research focuses on the area around Stirling, Scotland and its expansive history.There are Neolithic stone circles, Bronze Age burials, late Iron Age sites that offer a glimpse of life just before the Romans arrived, and artifacts that mark the Roman presence itself.Stirling Castle, built in the 12th century, became the most used royal residence in Scotland for centuries. It is the site where William Wallace defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, and where Robert the Bruce claimed victory at the Battle of Bannockburn during the First War of Scottish Independence. The royals of the House of Stewart lived here for generations, including Mary, Queen of Scots. Nearby lie medieval and historic cemeteries with burials of both the famous and the infamous.In this episode, Dr. Cook discusses his research that spans all of Stirling's history, the benefits of slowing archaeological research down to focus on a single area, the importance of telling the stories of humanity's shared past, and the vital role of public outreach in securing the future of archaeology.TranscriptsFor transcripts of this episode head over to: https://archpodnet.com/tpm/19LinksStirling Archaeology SubstackMurray Cook's Author Bio and Links to BooksRampart Scotland Field School - Open to All!See photos related to episode topics on InstagramLoving the macabre lore? Treat your host to a coffee!ArchPodNetAPN Website: https://www.archpodnet.comAPN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnetAPN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnetAPN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnetAPN ShopAffiliatesMotion

How and why was Mary Queen of Scots' traitorous husband, Lord Darnley, murdered, and by whom…? Was Mary complicit? Why was his death one of the greatest mysteries in all British history? And, with Mary's situation growing increasingly precarious, and allies few and far between, to whom would Mary turn next? Join Tom and Dominic as they unravel, tantalisingly, the build up to and enactment of Lord Darnley's mysterious murder, in the next stage of the tumultuous life of Mary Queen of Scots. Were her hands red and dripping with the blood of her murdered husband? Go to https://surfshark.com/trih or use code TRIH at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! The Rest Is History Club: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to full series and live show tickets, ad-free listening, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members' chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestishistory.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestishistory. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stravaigin Aroon Dunkeld – Episode 1 In this new series, Frieda Morrison and poet Jim Mackintosh stravaig aroon pairts o Scotland spikkin aboot the hidden stories o the area. In this first episode they're enjoyin the fascinatin  history o Dunkeld. Wi thanks for the support fae Creative Scotland an Hands Up For Trad.

Why did Mary Queen of Scots' second marriage to the volatile Lord Darnley threaten to send Scotland into civil war? In what way did she essentially declare war upon her powerful cousin, Elizabeth I? Who was the hotheaded James Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell, and why would he come to play such a devastating role in Mary's life? Could Mary survive unburnt if the religious tensions smouldering at the heart of Scotland, erupted into a bonfire of destruction? Why did she personally lead a Scottish army into battle, pistols in hand? And, who in her inner circle was brutally murdered before her very eyes? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the climax of Mary Queen of Scots' dysfunctional marriage, her efforts to seize power in both Scotland and England, and the birth of her heir, whose very existence threatened the reign of England's Virgin Queen? The Rest Is History Club: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to full series and live show tickets, ad-free listening, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members' chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestishistory.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestishistory. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, David Waldman and Greg Dworkin return to distract you from the real problem, whatever that might be. Another RIP goes out, this time to Tom Lehrer. Some of you know his math, and a few of you might know his cryptography, but many of you know many of his songs, and you owe it to yourself to know many more. Hopefully, this will be an opportunity for some sort of collaboration with Ozzy Osborne. Scotland welcomes Donald K. Trump. They say that the K stands for Knuckle-brained fart lozenge.  We say they're welcome to him. Inexplicably, the Scots keep letting him in.  Donald saves on strokes by aiming for his caddy's back pocket. Independents dislike Trump even more than they dislike Biden. Voters hate what Trump does and hate Democrats for letting him do it. That darn Epstein! Out there, stealing Trump's glory and/or distracting from his crimes. Trump opens the borders to violent criminals and mass murderers. It isn't only that MAGA likes rapists and murderers, but it's how much they like to rape and murder that makes them so deplorable.

Following the death of her husband, the King of France, was the glamorous Mary welcomed back to Scotland, her kingdom since infancy, with open arms or deep suspicion? Did she handle the precarious situation in which she found herself well, or recklessly? Did the majority of Scottish nobles side with Mary, or plot to usurp her in the shadows? When her eye turned on the crown of her wealthier neighbour, England, how did its reigning queen, Elizabeth I, react? And, who was the man that Mary choose to take as her second husband…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss Mary Queen of Scots' polarising return to her native land of Scotland, riven by religious factionalism and political disquiet, and the terrible dangers of being a Scottish queen in more than name alone. The Rest Is History Club: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to full series and live show tickets, ad-free listening, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members' chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestishistory.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestishistory. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The mystery of the Loch Ness Monster is far from settled. This episode dives deep into the legends and firsthand accounts of strange beings not only in Loch Ness but in surrounding bodies of water—creatures described as black-skinned beasts, spectral water horses, and other mythic entities that seem deeply tied to the land itself. Are these guardians of the landscape? Spirits of place? We revisit the curious investigations of Ted Holiday, whose search for the monster led him into a tangled web of high strangeness and encounters with dark, paranormal forces. Then, for our Plus+ members, we follow the remarkable journey of T.C. Lethbridge and his evolving research into the hidden energies of the Earth. After a powerful induction experience, Lethbridge claimed to glimpse what lies behind the veil—an invisible world that shapes ghost sightings, psychic phenomena, and even physical boundaries. His exploration of a haunted landscape led him to an invisible force field that defied logic and deepened the mystery of what truly haunts our world. Loch Ness Monster: Nessie spotters not swayed by postcard depictions, says Scots university Loch Ness: Well known misinformation, little known truths Significance of the Loch Ness “monsters” (Nessies) --- Some morals of the story The case for the Loch Ness ''Monster'': The scientific evidence Tim Dinsdale. Loch Ness. The Enigma of Loch Ness: Making Sense of a Mystery Serpents of the Sky, Dragons of the Earth The Goblin Universe The dragon and the disc: An investigation into the totally fantastic Glen County Galway Ballynahinch Castle Dragons West of Loch Ness: Tales of dragons roaming the hills and forests near Scotland's infamous loch Nessie! : Exploring the Supernatural Origins of the Loch Ness Monster The essential T. C. Lethbridge T C Lethbridge: The Man Who Saw the Future The Haunted Universe by D. Scott Rogo Straight Track, Crooked Road: Ley's, Spirit Paths and Shamanism Ghost and Ghoul - An Archaeologist's Account of His Personal Experiences with the Supernatural Extrasensory Perception: Beyond Time and Distance Ghosts and the Weird World of the Stone Tape Theory LinksPlus+ ExtensionThe extension of the show is EXCLUSIVE to Plus+ Members. To join, click HERE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A team of paranormal investigators will gather in the Scottish woods where aliens allegedly mugged a man's trousers in 1979, hoping to summon UFOs through meditation and what can only be described as intergalactic mood music.READ or LISTEN to this #MindOfMarlar article:https://weirddarkness.com/mm-scots-summon-aliens-meditation-dechmont-woodsMindOfMarlar™, WeirdDarkness®, Copyright ©2025NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.#ScotlandUFO #DechmontWoods #AliensScotland #UFOMeditation #CE5Protocol #MalcolmRobinson #BobTaylorUFO #BonnyBridgeUFO #FalkirkTriangle #ScottishAliens #AlienContact #UFOSummoning #StevenGreer #ParanormalScotland #LivingstonUFO #TelepathicContact #ExtraterrestrialScotland #UFOSightingUK #ScottishUfologist #AlienEncounter #FlyingSaucerScotland #CloseEncountersFifthKind #UFO2025 #ScotlandParanormal #UFOHunters #AlienMeditation #ScottishXFiles

What was life like in the glittering French court, for the young and newly married Mary Queen of Scots? What momentous destiny was her formidable mother, Mary of Guise, planning for her? How did Mary become, in 1559, not only the queen of Scotland, but also of France, and - according to her Catholic French supporters - the queen of England? What would Mary do when unexpectedly widowed in a distant court of vipers? And, what did her cousin, the famous Protestant English Queen, Elizabeth I, make of this young, charming, Scottish pretender to her throne...? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss Mary Queen of Scots; her rise to the throne of France, and her burgeoning rivalry with Elizabeth I. The Rest Is History Club: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to full series and live show tickets, ad-free listening, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members' chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestishistory.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestishistory. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Where was Mary Queen of Scots - Elizabeth I's most famous rival - born, and who were her parents? What was the nature of the turbulent politically and religiously divided world she was born into? How did she become a queen at only one week old, and betrothed to a French Prince at five? Why was it so dangerous to be a Scottish monarch in the 16th century? And, was she really the rightful heir to the English throne….? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the early life of one of history's most famous women: the brave, charming, famously glamorous but also tragic; Mary Queen of Scots.  The Rest Is History Club: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to full series and live show tickets, ad-free listening, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members' chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestishistory.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestishistory. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude  Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dan, James, Anna, and Andy discuss feline ads, Egyptian irons and the Hammer of the Scots. Visit nosuchthingasafish.com for news about live shows, merchandise and more episodes.  Join Club Fish for ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content at apple.co/nosuchthingasafish or nosuchthingasafish.com/patreon

Every Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners.   The question for this episode: What movie traumatized you as a kid?   Links for this episode:   Costco figs: https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/sunny-fruit-organic-sun-dried-figs%2C-40-oz.product.100362726.html   Blade Runner: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/   The Billings murders in Pensacola: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Byrd_and_Melanie_Billings   Gulf Coast Confidential podcast with Mollye Barrows: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gulf-coast-confidential-with-mollye-barrows/id1648822523   The Wizard of Oz movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/   Return to Oz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_to_Oz   The Exorcist: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/   Andrew Gold documentary about witnessing an “exorcism” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l78hW8qVIWI   Mary Queen of Scots: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2328900/   Hannibal: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212985/   Arachnophobia: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099052/   Scott's recommendation: https://netflix-codes.com   Meredith's garlic peeler: https://www.amazon.com/Remover-Twister-Silicone-Odorfree-Internal/dp/B07WNPT8GD?th=1   Meredith's podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious Introvert: https://MeredithForReal.com   To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.     Sponsor deals: If you're 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod   Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.   Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!   Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices