Thistle Do Nicely

A Scottish Podcast About Scotland! Are you afraid of weird horses that hang about rivers and lochs in Scotland?  If not, you should be! This week we talk about the Scottish legendary mythical creature the Kelpie. We get into how to find and defend yourself against this shifty water spirit.  You'll also hear about the other shapeshifting monsters that lie in wait in the wilds of Scotland to ea...

A Scottish Podcast About Scotland! This week we talk about the ancient Scottish sport of shinty!  We discuss how and where you play it, the history of the sport and it's status in modern Scotland.  We are very pleased to have input from Aarron Duncan-MacLeod, the Marketing & Communications Officer of the Camanachd Association, he takes the time to tell us all about the sport and how you c...

A Scottish Podcast About Scotland! Here is the full interview with Aarron Duncan-MacLeod, the Marketing & Communications Officer of the Camanachd Association - check out his work at https://www.shinty.com/ Sláinte Instagram: thistledopod Twitter: @thistledopod Facebook: www.facebook.com/thistledopod Email: thistledonicelypod@gmail.com website & sources: https://www.thistledonicelypod.com/

From Sparta to space, Gerard Butler is a true hero! Charming, handsome, suave and amicable - he is the everyman action star who gets everyone's adrenaline pumping.  This week we talk about the man from Paisley who has brought iconic characters to life, such as;  King Leonidas, The Phantom of the Opera,  Tullus Aufidius, Egyptian God Set and Leading Seaman. We talk through the life, upbringing...

This week we take our first step into true crime with our discussion on the Glasgow Ice Cream Wars.  We talk about the background to this period of time in Glasgow, the brutal murder of the Doyle Family, and the aftermath.  We also spend a bit of time at the beginning debating a potential new format to the show.  The episode is a wee bit shorter than usual this week due to some technical difficult...

This week we are joined by our old friend from home, the illustrious and handsome Jamie Crook. He joins us to impart his incomparable knowledge on all things Scottish Rugby, he will be dropping knowledge nuggets on; the game's history in Scotland, the invention of Rugby Sevens and our never ending rivalry with England.  We also discuss the current and rising stars of the team and how they wil...

This week we invite you to join us at our audio Burns Supper.  We celebrate the anniversary of Scotland's most celebrated bard Robert Burns, AKA Rabbie Burns.  We tell stories, recite poems, sing songs and drink a lot of whisky. Pull up a chair, grab yourself some haggis, neeps and tatties, and pour yourself a dram, as you enjoy Burns Supper with the Thistle Do Nicely Clan.  Instagram: thistl...

This week we discuss one of the biggest bands to come out of Scotland: The Proclaimers.  We discuss the life of the be-speckled twins Craig and Charlie Reid, their upbringing, first few albums and some of their biggest hits, including:  I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)  Letter From America I'm on My Way Sunshine on Leith The three of us came out with a new favourite band, hopefully you will as w...

This week we talk about Stripping the Willow with a Dashing White Sergeant at a Canadian Barn Dance.  We are talking the ins and outs, the round and rounds and the pas de basque of Ceilidhs. We discuss the history of the Scottish social events, the bands, the music, the dancing and the embarrassment of learning to dance at school.  Unfortunately we had some wee issues with the audio on this episod...

This week Chris and Rory (alas, no Jonny again this week) talk about some of the Scottish traditions that take place around the country at the beginning of the year.  We discuss and marvel at all of the below:  The Loony Dook (cure your hangover in the North Sea) Kirkwall Ba (it's a sport apparently)  Burning of the Clavie (lots of fire) Up Helly Aa (even more fire, plus some Viking stuff) Sp...

Happy New Year everyone! It's time to pop open the bubbly, grab the left over mince pies and shortbread and get out first footing your neighbours.  This week we are celebrating New Year's Eve, or as we call it Hogmanay.  We talk a wee bit about the history, the traditions  & superstitions surrounding the celebration in Scotland, our personal experiences and Jonny does a turn.   Also,...

HO! HO! HO! Merry Christmas from the Thistle Do Nicely boys.  This week we get together to talk about Christmas in Scotland and our somewhat checkered past with the holiday.  We exchange gifts, upset Chris' mum, talk family traditions and Jonny offends everyone's ears.  Sit back, light the fire, pour yourself a hot toddy, grab a mince pie and enjoy Christmas (or Yule) with us.  Happy Yul...

This episode Chris and Rory look at some of the biggest and hardest hitting stories from Scotland this year.  We talk wildlife, politics, food, art and treasure chest mysteries.  Jonny unfortunately couldn't be on this one and so without our moral compass, it's a bit bawdy - for that we apologise. 

We have finally got to our Sean Connery in memorandum episode.  He was 90 years old when he died and lived a hell of a life, so we have gone a bit long this week.  We talk about his life, his work, his many dalliances and marvel at his painted buttocks.  Obviously there are numerous terrible impressions as well. 

Today we talk about the annual Scottish celebration of St Andrew's Day. Each year we celebrate our patron saint on the 30th of November with food, drink and merriment - well, not really, but he was an interesting fellow with some interesting connections to Scotland.  We discuss the man himself, how he became the Patron Saint of Scotland, the history of our Saint's day and suggest how you...

" Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cozy, doesn't try it on." - Billy Connolly This week we are talking about Scotland's most beloved comedian, all round renaissance man and "Greatest Glaswegian" Billy Connolly.  We discuss his life, his work, his troubles and his many achievements.  Since we are talking about the Big Yin there will be a lot...

A continuation of last week's proof that Scotland invented the world! We are talk Scottish inventions again and almost make it all the way to Z. No singing this week, but we do take a brief rummage in the Sporran.  

This week we back up what we have been saying all along - Scotland invented the world! We are talking about Scottish inventions. There are just so many of them we are doing a truncated A-Z of some of our best intellectual gifts to the world. Rory "sings" at the beginning - but not for too long , thankfully.  We have also had to split this episode into 2 parts - come back next week for pa...

This week we are talking about the humble Scottish origins of the wildly popular video game franchises Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto.  Both games were originally designed and released by the Dundonian company DMA Design (now Rockstar North) who obviously had a penchant for death, destruction and blowing things up. 

Today we are talking about spooky Scotland. We are joined by Owen Innes from the Scottish History Podcast, bringing with him a little bit of history and a little bit of mystery.  The first half of this episode is on his stream - so jump over there to hear how Scotland invented Halloween (obviously) and to hear Rory's creepy story about the Bean Nighe - like a Scottish banshee but weirder.  We...

This week we talk kilts! We discuss their history, their origin, what it's like to wear one and the mystery of what Scotsmen really keep under their kilts.  We also lay waste to the vicious rumour that an Englishman invented the modern kilt.  Special mention also goes to Cilla Black, a British national treasure & legendary entertainer who hosted Blind Date from 1985 to 2003. 

This week Rory is back, but we are missing the delights of Chris, so we just have a Wee Sode for you.  Jonny and Rory discuss 3 of their favourite "Scottish" films: Dog Soldiers, The Wicker Man (the good one) and Local Hero. 

Jonny and Chris host an episode on their own for the first time. But rather than crumble under the pressure, they debate over what is the best Scottish biscuit/cookie. They keep it civil and don't get short(bread) with one another, so which one takes the (tea)cake?

The boys nearly come to blows this week when Rory attempts to describe how haggis came to be and reveals his research is largely a sham. Jonny reveals he may have seen a haggis in a museum when he was a young lad, while Chris believes he may have been that very haggis owing to a childhood mishap. Ultimately, they want the world to learn to embrace haggis and Scotland's national dish as oppose...

This week we explore our second example of Scotland's trinity of tourist attractions: the ancient and loved sport of Golf. We look at the history of the game as well, make some suggestions for how we can help more people enjoy it and, of course, how to best look after your balls.