1 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:08,880 Speaker 1: Monster House Presents. 2 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 2: It's actually quite unlike anything we've ever seen before. 3 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:23,600 Speaker 3: A giant, hairy creature party parts. 4 00:00:24,719 --> 00:00:27,719 Speaker 1: In Luckness, a twenty four a mile long bottomless lake 5 00:00:27,719 --> 00:00:30,320 in the Highlands of Scotland. It's a creature known as 6 00:00:30,359 --> 00:00:31,399 the Luckness Monster. 7 00:00:53,719 --> 00:00:54,719 Speaker 2: Monster Talk. 8 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 4: Welcome to Monster Talk, the science show about monsters. I'm 9 00:01:00,079 --> 00:01:01,320 Blake Smith and. 10 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: I'm Karen Stolsner. 11 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 3: Hey, they're Monster Talkers and welcome to a special, somewhat 12 00:01:05,079 --> 00:01:08,439 spontaneous episode. While I'm putting the finishing touches on my 13 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,840 van meter visitor writing, we had the perfect opportunity to 14 00:01:11,879 --> 00:01:14,000 switch gears for a bit. Karen and Matt had just 15 00:01:14,079 --> 00:01:17,359 returned from the UK trip, where Karen's promoting her fantastic 16 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,799 new book bit The Journey of a Word. With the 17 00:01:20,879 --> 00:01:23,680 memories of their adventures still fresh, we decided to jump 18 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:25,799 on a call and capture it all. And it was 19 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,519 meant to be a quick light chat, but as you'll 20 00:01:28,519 --> 00:01:30,799 see by the episode's length, we had way too much 21 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,319 fun to keep it short. But a quick heads up 22 00:01:34,359 --> 00:01:38,239 about the audio, the mischievous Grimlins of technology decided to 23 00:01:38,239 --> 00:01:41,400 play little prank on us. Despite my fancy podcasting microphone 24 00:01:41,439 --> 00:01:46,040 being ready to go. Our conferencing software, in its infinite 25 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,599 digital wisdom, decided to use my webcam's tiny built in 26 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,760 microphone for the entire call, and the result, Karen and 27 00:01:53,799 --> 00:01:57,079 Matt sound wonderful and clear, while I sound like I'm 28 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,480 broadcasting from my pirate radio numbers station miles across the 29 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,959 border and several decades in the past. So I made 30 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,640 an executive decision rather than re recorder conversation that had 31 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,800 come across is so natural and fun, or to subject 32 00:02:10,879 --> 00:02:13,800 you to my subpar efforts at trying to re record 33 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,240 just my bits, I decided to edit myself almost completely 34 00:02:17,319 --> 00:02:21,080 out of this discussion. Think of it as an uninterrupted 35 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,719 feature presentation. Started Karen and Matt, and I'm just sort 36 00:02:24,719 --> 00:02:27,240 of there. I don't know. In parts it works out 37 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,000 perfectly well because they are seasoned pros telling a great 38 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,560 story and with all the context you'll need. So this 39 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,120 episode is all about their journey, and I'm happy to 40 00:02:36,199 --> 00:02:39,439 let them take the front and center stage. So don't worry. 41 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:41,719 The van meter visitor rite up is still on the way, 42 00:02:41,879 --> 00:02:44,599 and we have even more tales from their trip across 43 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,800 the Pond coming as well, But for now, please enjoy 44 00:02:47,879 --> 00:02:50,159 what I think is a wonderful conversation with Karen and 45 00:02:50,159 --> 00:02:55,840 Matt more obstrutal. Hey there, Monster Talkers and you guys. 46 00:02:56,080 --> 00:03:00,120 We're gonna be actually picking up our conversation with that 47 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:04,319 and Karen or Karen in that who recently just got 48 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,479 back to the United States from their trip to the UK. 49 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,800 We will pick up the research I've been doing on 50 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,319 I do want to talk about the van Meter monster. 51 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:16,240 That is such a classic. 52 00:03:17,479 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: Sort. 53 00:03:18,039 --> 00:03:20,479 Speaker 3: I'm not even sure if it qualifies exactly as a cryptid, 54 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,800 but it sort of fits into that whole our terrosaur 55 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:26,840 is still alive thing, although I think that's the stretch 56 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,240 when you actually look at what's in the story. It's good. 57 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:30,479 It'll be a fun discussion. 58 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 1: So yeah, I'm looking forward to it. And we just 59 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,960 thought we better get back to the sequel of our 60 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,919 trip while we're still jet lagged and before we forget everything. 61 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,080 So as a quick recap, last time, we talked about 62 00:03:43,759 --> 00:03:46,360 Enfield and the Black Monk, and we talked a little 63 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,680 bit about Bully Rectory, a little bit about Cambridge, and 64 00:03:49,719 --> 00:03:52,800 a bit about Liverpool and certainly the further north. We 65 00:03:52,919 --> 00:03:59,240 went beautiful, rich accent and but just different enough that 66 00:03:59,319 --> 00:04:01,919 it was a little tricky for use, Yeah. 67 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 2: But a lot of fun too. It was just listening 68 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,439 to these different accents over such a short distance. Was 69 00:04:07,439 --> 00:04:10,840 was it was beautiful, It really was. But on top 70 00:04:10,879 --> 00:04:15,000 of that, it put you in, you know that the 71 00:04:15,159 --> 00:04:20,160 area so deeply. Yeah, and it's like, just like Karen 72 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,360 was saying, you can't walk very far without stumbling over history. 73 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,000 The accents I think really helped place you there as well, and. 74 00:04:28,399 --> 00:04:30,600 Speaker 1: Certainly had a lot of people from all around the world. 75 00:04:30,639 --> 00:04:32,160 And I was just thinking about how we're going to 76 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,079 be talking about Scotland for this episode and how we 77 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:39,360 met up with Adrian Shine and obviously an Englishman who's 78 00:04:39,399 --> 00:04:43,079 in Scotland. But you really had a lot of different accents. 79 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,800 A lot of times we'd hear the American accent too, 80 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:47,759 lots of American tourists. 81 00:04:48,079 --> 00:04:50,439 Speaker 2: Oh, I think we heard every accent. And that's one 82 00:04:50,439 --> 00:04:55,240 of the big things is tourism is it's a huge, 83 00:04:55,399 --> 00:04:58,519 you know, source of revenue for all these places, but 84 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:03,879 it's also in hacking people's way of life because there's 85 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:09,360 such an influx of tourism that it's difficult to move 86 00:05:09,399 --> 00:05:13,240 around Cambridge. Oh boy, I was driving down a street 87 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,439 that I wasn't sure if it was a street that 88 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,920 I should be driving down because of the mass of 89 00:05:19,079 --> 00:05:22,920 people walking down the middle of the street and they 90 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,399 were looking at me like I was wrong for being there. 91 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: I asked about that as soon as you dropped us 92 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,319 off at Cambridge University Press Bookstore, I said, is this 93 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,959 a street that we can drive down? Absolutely, but the passengers, 94 00:05:34,399 --> 00:05:37,279 the tourists there and the pedestrians will make you feel 95 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:41,480 like it's not. That's all it was. I mean, cobblestone 96 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,959 streets absolutely exquisite, but difficult to navigate with all of 97 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:48,680 the tourists. But then even being out in the middle 98 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:53,199 of nowhere, somewhere like Baalley Rectory in the town of Balley, 99 00:05:53,519 --> 00:05:56,480 which is just in rural England, kind of on the 100 00:05:56,519 --> 00:06:02,959 border of Essex and Suffolk, and it was still just 101 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,839 full of tourists everywhere you go, and a lot of 102 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,040 people who should be listening to Monster talk to because 103 00:06:09,079 --> 00:06:11,199 wherever we went, we're going to be talking about again 104 00:06:11,319 --> 00:06:15,839 Scotland and in Veness, so many Lockness Monster fans and 105 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:20,519 going out to Burlescan to so many fans of Aleister Crowley. 106 00:06:21,879 --> 00:06:23,600 Really they should all be listening to our show. 107 00:06:24,439 --> 00:06:26,319 Speaker 2: Absolutely absolutely No. 108 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:29,639 Speaker 3: Neither of you had been to like Ness before. 109 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:34,639 Speaker 1: Ray No, No, I've been to England quite some time ago, 110 00:06:34,639 --> 00:06:36,720 a couple of decades ago, but I had not made 111 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:39,959 it up to Scotland, so it was my first time 112 00:06:40,079 --> 00:06:42,720 being there. And I have to say, I'm sorry to 113 00:06:42,759 --> 00:06:45,360 all our English listeners, but i think Scotland was my 114 00:06:45,439 --> 00:06:49,920 favorite country of the two in Great Britain because it 115 00:06:50,079 --> 00:06:54,959 was just so beautiful and green and wild. In parts 116 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,279 it was just full of history. I mean, obviously England 117 00:06:59,399 --> 00:07:02,959 is too, but it was just some areas were a 118 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:08,439 little bit more untouched and a fewer people, and just 119 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:12,160 remote and beautiful and green and rainy and perfect. You 120 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,519 would not think that it was summer. I would have thought, 121 00:07:15,079 --> 00:07:16,759 not knowing, I would have thought it was winter. It 122 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:18,279 was that cold and rainy. 123 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:22,319 Speaker 3: Yeah, my niece lives there in Edinburgh and I'm hoping 124 00:07:22,399 --> 00:07:25,560 to go couch serve my way into that region. But 125 00:07:25,839 --> 00:07:28,959 I just want to say congratulations, achievement and locked. 126 00:07:29,319 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 2: So that's not well, you know for many of us. 127 00:07:33,839 --> 00:07:38,040 You know, you've got movies like Highlander, which one, as 128 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,360 we know, the Academy Award for the Greatest Film of 129 00:07:40,399 --> 00:07:41,560 All Time, No. 130 00:07:41,879 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 3: It didn't make a sequel to Highlander, but they're finally 131 00:07:44,319 --> 00:07:45,800 rebooting it with Henry Cavell. 132 00:07:45,959 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 2: I love how you paved over that well, the Scottish, Egyptian, Chinese. 133 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, Sean Connery's. 134 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:03,439 Speaker 2: Really yeah, such a great character. But yeah, all of 135 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:06,759 you know, just being there, you know, because I grew 136 00:08:06,839 --> 00:08:12,079 up with Highlander and loved the movie. I love and movies. 137 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,279 I admit the sequels were rough times at times. 138 00:08:14,959 --> 00:08:17,399 Speaker 3: But I don't know what you're talking about. 139 00:08:17,199 --> 00:08:20,879 Speaker 2: So right, right, and then the TV show I was 140 00:08:20,879 --> 00:08:23,800 a huge fan of as well, So so I'm excited 141 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:25,800 to see what Henry Cavill does. But it was great 142 00:08:25,839 --> 00:08:28,079 being there. It was so great being there. You see, the. 143 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:33,799 Speaker 3: Extended European cut of Highlander has an extra scene where 144 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,799 it involves fighting Nazis. Have you seen that part? No, 145 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:40,679 so good, Well that you know they had the Queens song. 146 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:46,320 It's a kind of magic and right, actually the scene 147 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:49,320 explains that, you know, I don't know if you watch 148 00:08:49,399 --> 00:08:52,799 the movie in the American cut, the woman who's working 149 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:55,320 with him at the antique shop, you I got the 150 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:59,080 impression she was a former lover whose age doubt, right, 151 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,480 So he's now he's more interested in this, you know, 152 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:09,519 younger antiquities expert, right, And no, that's like his daughter. 153 00:09:10,639 --> 00:09:13,480 He rescues during World War two and they live to 154 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:17,039 get like he it's his daughter. That is completely unclear 155 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:20,759 in the American cut, so very cool scene and they 156 00:09:20,799 --> 00:09:23,399 actually used the line it's a kind of magic and 157 00:09:23,799 --> 00:09:24,840 it's really cool. 158 00:09:25,799 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: Well, when you said that Queen song, I was thinking 159 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,720 of God saved the queen. But now I know what 160 00:09:32,759 --> 00:09:34,039 you mean. But I want to say to you, I 161 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:38,759 don't know the other the other queen, the less important one. 162 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:43,519 But I don't know if Matt that you missed Blake's 163 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:47,320 pun or you deliberately overlooked it when he referenced the 164 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:51,120 achievement unlocked and I just wanted to note the photograph. 165 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:53,600 I believe he sent him a picture of this when 166 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:57,679 we went to Inverness and along the lock you had 167 00:09:57,759 --> 00:10:02,440 this beautiful bridge and there were locks, all. 168 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:06,639 Speaker 3: The Scottish locks to the lot, right exactly. 169 00:10:06,759 --> 00:10:11,159 Speaker 1: That's yeah, all along the fencing and the bridge, just everywhere. 170 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:14,039 So there are lots of people like you out there, like. 171 00:10:18,399 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 3: That's true. 172 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:24,559 Speaker 2: Where there are people like me, it makes me nervous 173 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:29,399 need but I do hope they're out there. So I 174 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:30,840 just really want to say. One of the things that 175 00:10:30,919 --> 00:10:35,159 was amazing were all the cemeteries, and it's it's interesting, 176 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:39,120 you know that you see headstones that dated back before 177 00:10:39,159 --> 00:10:42,759 the American Revolutionary War, and a lot of these headstones 178 00:10:42,799 --> 00:10:46,120 had skulls on them and which you just don't see. 179 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: Uh. 180 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 2: Well, it turns out that the attitudes toward death at 181 00:10:49,399 --> 00:10:52,240 that time in British history were focused more on memento 182 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,000 more and remember you will die. And then over the 183 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,120 like the next century, it started to turn more to 184 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,919 angels and cherubs to kind of be in favor of 185 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:05,600 resurrection and hope. So when you see those ones with 186 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:08,000 the skulls, it doesn't mean that they were a pirate 187 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,840 or something or there was something evil go on. It 188 00:11:10,879 --> 00:11:12,840 was just a reminder that we are all mortal. 189 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,279 Speaker 1: That was very big during the Victorian era, but certainly 190 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:19,159 for me as an Australian. You go to a cemetery 191 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:22,039 and you see these graves that date back to the 192 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:25,039 eighteen eighties or the eighteen nineties and you think, wow, 193 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:29,480 in terms of white settlement or invasion, that is so old. 194 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:33,919 But to come to America, cemeteries are even older. But 195 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:36,240 to go to England, I mean sometimes we're going back 196 00:11:36,639 --> 00:11:40,200 hundreds of years and it really is incredible. And there 197 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:46,799 were just cemeteries everywhere and all equally ornate and beautiful 198 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:47,720 and just very old. 199 00:11:47,799 --> 00:11:51,799 Speaker 3: It's so funny because I know so many single archaeologists 200 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:53,919 despite the fact that they're always dating. 201 00:11:54,279 --> 00:12:00,399 Speaker 2: So ow no, I We'll say one place she would 202 00:12:00,399 --> 00:12:05,320 have loved was Dunblane. It was packed with such important 203 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:10,759 history that the cathedral was amazing, the museum was astonishing. 204 00:12:10,919 --> 00:12:14,360 The age of the stuff that they had in this little, tiny, 205 00:12:14,759 --> 00:12:19,720 cute museum was so impactful. And then the library. 206 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:22,519 Speaker 3: Wow. 207 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 2: You know, I'll include some photos, but what can you 208 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:29,519 say about the library, Karen. 209 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:33,159 Speaker 1: There are multiple libraries there, and but the one that 210 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:38,720 we're specific specifically talking about was a collection of books 211 00:12:39,159 --> 00:12:42,320 collected by Robert Layton. He was the Bishop of Dunblane 212 00:12:42,519 --> 00:12:45,879 back in the seventeenth century. So this is Scotland's oldest, 213 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:50,279 not oldest library, which is actually nearby too. There's another 214 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:53,399 beautiful library that we didn't make it to this trip, 215 00:12:53,399 --> 00:12:57,600 but this is the oldest purpose built independent library. So 216 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:02,279 this was this guy's collection and we went in there. 217 00:13:02,399 --> 00:13:06,799 It was absolutely fascinating, and the curators of the library 218 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,039 were just so giving their time. It's so excited to 219 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,399 have people there. One of them was having a very 220 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,919 lengthy chat with Blade about trains, and the other one 221 00:13:17,039 --> 00:13:20,080 was helping me to find a number of books. So 222 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:24,840 I found a copy of Samuel Johnson's second edition of 223 00:13:24,919 --> 00:13:28,279 his Dictionary of the English Language, so that was published 224 00:13:28,279 --> 00:13:30,919 when he was still alive, and I had to go 225 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:32,600 and look up a particular word. 226 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 3: Kar what word is that? 227 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 1: Bitch? So I looked that up because I mean, obviously 228 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:42,519 I've written about it. I wanted to see this firsthand. 229 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:46,360 And so he did have some I think Matt sending 230 00:13:46,399 --> 00:13:52,440 through a picture of the entry. Let me just have 231 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:54,600 a look at it. So it's very interesting. 232 00:13:54,840 --> 00:14:01,799 Speaker 3: The wording there was probably incuraging, so. 233 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:06,039 Speaker 1: It was it was funny because the the curator was 234 00:14:06,039 --> 00:14:07,759 standing over me and saw me doing it and he 235 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:14,320 had a bit of a chuckles. Yeah. But the book 236 00:14:14,519 --> 00:14:18,159 was massive, I mean truly heavy with the weight of knowledge, 237 00:14:18,399 --> 00:14:21,240 and they I didn't have to wear gloves or anything. 238 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,320 They had a pillow that you could rest the books on. 239 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:26,799 But it was just cool to find this and to 240 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:32,320 see too, just the early publishing with the the s's 241 00:14:32,399 --> 00:14:36,799 depicted as it's like, there are some rude words in 242 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:42,159 there if you look, but really interesting, so older versions 243 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,879 of the definition and how it's shifted over time, and 244 00:14:46,159 --> 00:14:48,799 even then it's got the definition of a name of 245 00:14:48,919 --> 00:14:53,320 reproach for a woman. But yeah, that was really cool 246 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,840 to see. And yeah, we looked looked also at because 247 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,039 we were able to take anything out that we wanted. 248 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:02,320 Everything was available for us to leave through. And I 249 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,960 had to look at a copy of a Bible too 250 00:15:05,159 --> 00:15:09,080 that was translated into six different languages, and that was 251 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:10,000 really cool. 252 00:15:10,159 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 3: So we're all researchers, and there is wonderfully convenient that 253 00:15:18,799 --> 00:15:25,919 so much of this archival material is available digitally. It's indexed, 254 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,159 you can search it, you can do all this stuff online. 255 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:36,039 But there's something so amazing about the experience of touching antiquity, 256 00:15:36,159 --> 00:15:37,159 to be able. 257 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: To smelling the bulk and feeling it. 258 00:15:40,039 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 3: People of the past held this material like this was 259 00:15:43,679 --> 00:15:49,240 you know, it was hot new intelligence material for the 260 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,480 period of time from which it came. But for us 261 00:15:52,679 --> 00:15:56,799 it also bears that sort of the collective weight of antiquity. 262 00:15:56,960 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 1: You know, it's well, all of things had been so 263 00:16:01,559 --> 00:16:05,960 Matt's sending more pictures through. There's a picture of a 264 00:16:06,039 --> 00:16:10,480 page from a book of poetry by I think it's 265 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,600 an ode to a Haggis Robert Burns. So you can't 266 00:16:13,639 --> 00:16:17,480 go to Scotland and not read some Robert Burns and 267 00:16:17,559 --> 00:16:23,279 places them. Yeah. Yeah, But all of these books had 268 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,200 been read by the owner of the collection and he 269 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:30,960 had actually gone in there and signed the date that 270 00:16:31,159 --> 00:16:34,480 he had acquired these books, so they're all being held 271 00:16:34,559 --> 00:16:37,960 by him. And just the history contained in this place, 272 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:42,559 and it was just very overwhelming. You feel feel very 273 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,360 emotional in there, like you can cry seeing some of 274 00:16:45,399 --> 00:16:49,320 these books and and just how beloved they were by 275 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:52,720 the owner and used. You know, they didn't just sit 276 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:58,759 there to look pretty. They were read and loved and 277 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,200 so it was a very movie experience to be there. 278 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:03,919 I would highly recommend Dunblane and Sterling where there's a 279 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:07,680 castle that is even locals will say is better than 280 00:17:07,799 --> 00:17:11,920 Edinburgh Castle Sterling Castle to visit, and it is a 281 00:17:12,039 --> 00:17:15,799 more affordable option compared to Glasgow or Edinburgh which are 282 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:20,240 very expensive. And during summer too, so many festivals were 283 00:17:20,279 --> 00:17:23,960 taking place. It was very packed for of tourists and 284 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,119 very expensive to be there. But this town had some 285 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:30,599 wonderful coffee shops and hubs. I mean that's something I 286 00:17:30,599 --> 00:17:34,839 certainly take away from our visit was just how fantastic 287 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:36,759 the pubs are there. It's a really great culture. 288 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 2: You know, I don't drink as a kind of a rule, 289 00:17:41,559 --> 00:17:45,799 Ta Tiller, but while I was in Scotland, I drank. 290 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:52,759 That's all I can say. I was totally in the 291 00:17:52,799 --> 00:17:58,119 culture and carrying kept going don't you want like half 292 00:17:58,200 --> 00:17:58,720 that amount? 293 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:02,599 Speaker 1: And I'm like, yeah, well I take the pint. Yeah, 294 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:05,400 I guess we should move on because we're only still 295 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:08,279 in kind of southern Scotland. Let's move further up. 296 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 2: Well, we went to Inverness next, and it was it 297 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:19,000 was pretty amazing. You know, there was so much Nassy 298 00:18:19,759 --> 00:18:26,119 uh you know, representation everywhere and all absolutely they live 299 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:29,759 off that we needed to first take an excursion to 300 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,160 Bleskin House and the cemetery. 301 00:18:32,519 --> 00:18:35,839 Speaker 3: We did a two parter season three episodes nineteen and 302 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:39,319 twenty on House of the Unholy, which is all about 303 00:18:39,319 --> 00:18:40,440 Bileskin House and als. 304 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,359 Speaker 1: Oh love that name and that was a ton of 305 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:49,759 mine for once. Yay, So yeah, bucket list stuff to 306 00:18:50,319 --> 00:18:52,359 get there, But yeah, we didn't know what the hell 307 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:52,920 we were doing. 308 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:55,440 Speaker 2: Did we met We just turned up, No, we did, 309 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:59,319 and it was like, it's a single lane road with 310 00:18:59,759 --> 00:19:04,359 low goal suggest shooning down the road so fast, and 311 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:06,759 if you see a car coming, you need to stop 312 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:09,519 and figure out where you're going to pull over because 313 00:19:09,519 --> 00:19:12,759 there's only every once in a while a little nook 314 00:19:12,799 --> 00:19:13,519 to pull over. 315 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:14,759 Speaker 1: In little shoulder. Yeah. 316 00:19:14,759 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 2: Oh, so it was harrowing to say the least, but 317 00:19:17,599 --> 00:19:19,920 we sort of found a spot we could pull the 318 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:21,480 car over. We got out and we looked at the 319 00:19:21,519 --> 00:19:26,240 cemetery first, and the cemetery was gorgeous, and so many 320 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:31,480 of the headstones had the name Fraser on it, and 321 00:19:32,039 --> 00:19:33,799 it was you know, the ones that you could even 322 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,079 read it would say Frasier. But they were so old 323 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:40,640 and so beautiful and right there on the edge of lockness, 324 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:44,079 just gorgeous. And then up on the other side of 325 00:19:44,079 --> 00:19:49,359 the road, completely covered up by foliage was blessed in house, 326 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,119 but you could not see it. Every once in a 327 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:53,960 while you get like an edge of the house or 328 00:19:54,000 --> 00:20:00,480 something nothing recognizable. And there were warning signs everywhere, basically 329 00:20:00,559 --> 00:20:03,559 trying to discur scourage efforts to get a better glimpse, 330 00:20:03,839 --> 00:20:07,240 but one sign. Uh well, once I said warning, this 331 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:10,920 property is protected by anti climb paint. 332 00:20:11,279 --> 00:20:13,519 Speaker 1: And I had never ever heard of that. Yeah. I 333 00:20:13,599 --> 00:20:16,759 was almost tempted to try it just right to find out. 334 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:20,839 Speaker 2: But but it turns out that this anti climb paint 335 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,839 is a thing, and that's it's pretty popular in the UK. 336 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:29,240 It doesn't quite dry completely, so if you try to 337 00:20:29,279 --> 00:20:32,079 climb on it, it's slippery, it will stain. 338 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,920 Speaker 3: Yes, so basically this fence is covered with wet paint. 339 00:20:38,079 --> 00:20:40,480 Go ahead, buddy, you're gonna look stupid. 340 00:20:40,279 --> 00:20:43,000 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, yeah, that's that's kind of what it is. 341 00:20:43,079 --> 00:20:44,720 Speaker 3: So funny we. 342 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:48,400 Speaker 1: Know where and what you were doing exactly. 343 00:20:48,519 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 2: It's because it magically spells out. I was an idiot 344 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:54,400 and tried to get into Bileskin house and all I 345 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:56,240 got was this stain t shirt. 346 00:20:57,519 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 3: That paint unlited. 347 00:21:00,519 --> 00:21:03,279 Speaker 1: No, that was a lens. 348 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:08,039 Speaker 3: Moving on, folks, Immediately you listened to season three episodes 349 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:09,839 nineteen and twenty Monsters. 350 00:21:11,039 --> 00:21:14,279 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, it'll all makes sense. So we hyped up 351 00:21:14,319 --> 00:21:16,920 to the front gate while trying not to get hit 352 00:21:17,079 --> 00:21:21,200 by speeding cars, and we peered through. We peered through 353 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:24,400 the gate and it began opening as if it was 354 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:26,680 welcoming us, and it was just kind of the wrought 355 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,279 iron gate there, and we looked at each other kind 356 00:21:29,279 --> 00:21:32,039 of stunned, and then we realized a contractor's van was 357 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:35,599 rumbling right behind us. 358 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, we were getting the brid compet treatment. 359 00:21:38,279 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 2: No, we weren't. So we moved out of the way, 360 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:42,079 and I noticed they had a ring camera affixed to 361 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:44,480 the gate, so I hit the button and get a 362 00:21:44,559 --> 00:21:47,599 very irritated American voice that answered. 363 00:21:47,599 --> 00:21:49,839 Speaker 3: We're Americans. May wait, please come in. 364 00:21:50,039 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 1: But. 365 00:21:51,599 --> 00:21:55,519 Speaker 2: We're American too, And you know, we chatted for a 366 00:21:55,519 --> 00:21:58,880 few moments, and he was really expressing that a lot 367 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:02,839 of what he called kooks were coming up and trying 368 00:22:02,839 --> 00:22:05,279 to do devil rituals and they were, you know, and 369 00:22:05,599 --> 00:22:08,519 he wanted to focus more on He's like, if you're 370 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,440 you know, media, then you need to make an appointment 371 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:13,119 to do these kind of things, and you have to 372 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:16,000 sign all this documentation, make sure you only talk about 373 00:22:16,079 --> 00:22:20,440 these specific things, and and you know, he was definitely 374 00:22:20,799 --> 00:22:24,160 very guarded, but he wanted more of the Jacobite history 375 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:26,400 and and things like that to be talked about with 376 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:29,519 the House and uh and for some reason, also Jimmy 377 00:22:29,559 --> 00:22:34,160 Page but uh. 378 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:33,880 Speaker 1: More on that in a minute. 379 00:22:34,079 --> 00:22:37,640 Speaker 2: More on that a minute. But but he oddly enough said, okay, 380 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:43,119 I'll tell you what for. If you'll make you know, 381 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:46,160 a donation, you know, for X amount, you can come 382 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:49,480 back at the end of the day and I'll let 383 00:22:49,519 --> 00:22:52,519 you come up and see the house nice. And we 384 00:22:52,559 --> 00:22:57,799 are like, score, this is fantastic. But you know, it 385 00:22:57,839 --> 00:22:59,359 was a big pain for us because then we had 386 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:01,839 to drive back up to Timverness and then wait there 387 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:02,640 for a little while, and then. 388 00:23:02,599 --> 00:23:04,920 Speaker 1: Drive went back down down there and I said, I'll 389 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,559 never do this again. And we were doing it again. 390 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:13,960 Speaker 3: You want to do it? But good lord with a haul, right, 391 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:14,200 you know? 392 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:17,640 Speaker 2: So yeah, yeah, So so we get down we do 393 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:20,599 it is it is. Uh So we got down there, 394 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:24,759 we uh he you know, he was already with the 395 00:23:24,799 --> 00:23:28,440 little thing for us to make the donation payment, you know, 396 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:31,960 with our phones and anything. And we got out and 397 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:34,680 you know, he made it very clear that he cannot 398 00:23:34,759 --> 00:23:37,200 let us in the house because they're doing construction and 399 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:39,599 hard hats and whale laws and all that kind. 400 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:43,799 Speaker 1: Of interject from please. So when you were speaking with him, 401 00:23:43,839 --> 00:23:46,880 he was talking about how he really wanted to distance 402 00:23:47,319 --> 00:23:53,000 the house from Alistair Crowley and from the Devil worshipers, 403 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:56,480 Satan worshippers and from that crowd. And yet when we 404 00:23:56,559 --> 00:23:58,440 turned up there were a few other people if he'd 405 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:02,839 made a suitable donation to the house, and they were 406 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:07,200 kind of dressed, decked out in stuff with all different 407 00:24:07,279 --> 00:24:10,640 kinds of occult symbols, and I'm like, okay, this doesn't 408 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:12,599 add up. And we got chatting with them, and they 409 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:16,480 were a French couple and they were from I can't 410 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,720 remember which organization it was, but it was an association 411 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:23,599 for Alistair Crowley. And so I mean more from a 412 00:24:23,759 --> 00:24:28,240 historical perspective, but I still think practitioners of the occult. 413 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:32,599 But it was just very ironic to me. I thought, Okay, 414 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:36,160 there were very nice people and very passionate, so it 415 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:40,039 was really interesting to get to talk with these people 416 00:24:40,079 --> 00:24:41,319 too that weren't very knowledgeable. 417 00:24:41,839 --> 00:24:43,599 Speaker 2: Yeah. So we walk around the front of the house 418 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:47,519 and it's they have done a beautiful job of restoring 419 00:24:47,559 --> 00:24:51,359 the house. And it's they even replaced and fixed and 420 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:56,160 made look better the door that Alistair Crowley had punched 421 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:57,519 into one. 422 00:24:57,400 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 1: Of the walls for the ritual. 423 00:24:59,559 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, for the ritual. So they redid that and he 424 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,160 even pointed that out even the door of you know, 425 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:07,000 Alistair Curley, and I thought, why are you talking about 426 00:25:07,039 --> 00:25:09,279 Alistair Curling when you don't want to talk about Alistair Curley. 427 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:12,880 But there was a lot of that, yeah, yeah, and 428 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:14,759 then and then you know, we walked around the other 429 00:25:14,839 --> 00:25:18,720 side and it was the side that they were restoring beautifully. 430 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:22,160 That you when you see the picture of Jimmy Page 431 00:25:22,279 --> 00:25:24,519 with the beard and everything kind of standing in front 432 00:25:24,519 --> 00:25:29,119 of the house, it's that shot. And so I made 433 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:31,279 sure and I got, you know, Blade and Karen in 434 00:25:31,279 --> 00:25:33,759 a picture there and thought, you know, I can superimpose 435 00:25:33,839 --> 00:25:35,880 them into the picture with Jimmy Page now. 436 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,079 Speaker 1: That I have this, But I could, but I will 437 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:38,559 not let you. 438 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, Karen didn't think that was as cool as I thought. 439 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:46,119 Speaker 3: I covered this in our special two part coverage of BILESKT. 440 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:51,160 But the I mean Crawley wasn't doing devil worship. He 441 00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:54,519 was actually trying to summon a guardian angel. So it's like, yes, 442 00:25:54,799 --> 00:25:59,279 like so much shallow occultism, like you know, plugged them 443 00:25:59,279 --> 00:26:02,200 from you know, rock music in that scene and sort 444 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:05,160 of you know, the people who were into chaos, magic 445 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:07,559 and that kind of stuff. But he was doing very 446 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:13,240 ritualized work, you know, from the Guacia oricia. So I 447 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,359 don't know. To me, it's like if you bother to 448 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:18,960 get a little bit deeper, what was going on there 449 00:26:19,519 --> 00:26:23,599 was not what the common you know, belief or would 450 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:27,119 have you anyway. So right, it might be they want 451 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:30,319 to get rid of occultism. You would lose a lot 452 00:26:30,319 --> 00:26:33,880 of revenue. But maybe just maybe remind people that it's 453 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:38,279 not the devil. It's not simple binary god versus devil 454 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:42,680 stuff going on. It's a little bit more complicated than that. 455 00:26:41,319 --> 00:26:45,400 Speaker 1: Yes, a bit more too. 456 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, this is real conversation. 457 00:26:53,079 --> 00:26:57,160 Speaker 2: So so you know, remember, you know, we're not allowed 458 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,519 in the house because of the construction. So he opens 459 00:27:00,559 --> 00:27:05,559 the door ands has come on in and we're like, wow, yeah. 460 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:06,200 Speaker 3: It was great. 461 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:09,400 Speaker 2: So and it's ed it is. You're stepping over, you know, 462 00:27:09,519 --> 00:27:10,839 to before's. 463 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:15,599 Speaker 3: And roof again. This is like it had really been damaged. 464 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:20,440 Speaker 5: I guess we really, Oh, the restoration is perfect, and 465 00:27:20,559 --> 00:27:25,359 they're really having to uh straddle a very difficult situation 466 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:29,519 where they're obviously requiring a lot of support because when 467 00:27:29,519 --> 00:27:30,359 they purchased it. 468 00:27:30,279 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 1: They purchased a bunch of ruins. There was after the fires, 469 00:27:33,599 --> 00:27:36,680 there was nothing just part of the facade of the 470 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,880 house really a shell. As you say, there wasn't much there, 471 00:27:40,079 --> 00:27:43,359 and so they have I think, even with all the 472 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:46,000 money that they have backing them, they have needed support 473 00:27:46,039 --> 00:27:49,039 from the Scottish government. So they've really had to kind 474 00:27:49,079 --> 00:27:52,680 of spread themselves thin with their mission. In some regards. 475 00:27:52,759 --> 00:27:57,839 They talk about wanting to conserve the plants in the 476 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:06,039 area and so they've planted a lot of wildflowers are different, yeah, nice, 477 00:28:07,519 --> 00:28:10,759 but also the animals in the area too. They have 478 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:13,799 a number of animals. What were they there? There was 479 00:28:13,839 --> 00:28:14,640 a particular kind. 480 00:28:14,519 --> 00:28:18,160 Speaker 2: Of squirrel and red squirrel, right, and a new spine 481 00:28:18,319 --> 00:28:21,720 something new and right. 482 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,839 Speaker 1: Luckless monster. And so they're really having to I think, 483 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:34,319 turn themselves inside and out to appease various organizations and 484 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:36,480 groups so that they can get funding. And I do 485 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:39,119 understand that, but I really do think they They've done 486 00:28:39,119 --> 00:28:42,039 a lot of research into the history of the house 487 00:28:42,119 --> 00:28:46,160 and they really know what they're doing, and I think 488 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:48,160 it's ultimately going to be a success. I think that's 489 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:50,559 going to continue. And talk a bit more about the 490 00:28:50,599 --> 00:28:52,759 different rooms. It's astonishing. 491 00:28:54,079 --> 00:29:00,279 Speaker 3: Photos you sent me were so positively heartening. I use 492 00:29:00,359 --> 00:29:03,440 that often, but I I just it cheered me up 493 00:29:03,559 --> 00:29:06,440 immensely to see that it was not just a burntout husk. 494 00:29:06,519 --> 00:29:08,279 I was really happy. So I do want to hear 495 00:29:08,319 --> 00:29:11,559 all about oh yeah. 496 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:12,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, and that's the thing is they, you know, 497 00:29:12,759 --> 00:29:16,559 like Karen saying, they're straddling this, this whole thing. So 498 00:29:16,599 --> 00:29:20,119 there's one side of the house is really kind of 499 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:24,559 dedicated to restoring it to its original uh sort of 500 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:29,079 look and and theme, and then the other side of 501 00:29:29,119 --> 00:29:32,240 the house they're sort of restoring a little bit more 502 00:29:32,319 --> 00:29:37,240 toward the Alistair Crowley Egyptian sort of theme. So it 503 00:29:37,319 --> 00:29:40,359 is kind of bizarre that they're wanting to distance themselves 504 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:43,799 but at the same time welcoming that. 505 00:29:43,599 --> 00:29:47,440 Speaker 1: That they need to leverage that to study Afloat. 506 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:54,119 Speaker 2: I agree, yeah, so it's it's a bizarre, bizarre thing. 507 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:56,680 But I don't know, did I send you over the Yeah, 508 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:02,279 I think I did. The picture of from well in inside, 509 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:06,079 I got to look out the same window that both 510 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,799 Alistair Crowley and Jimmy Page would have looked out at Lockness. 511 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:12,279 Oh my god, you know, and that is just really 512 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:14,880 a moment for me to be able to do that. 513 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:21,839 It was it was definitely crazy. But he when we're 514 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:24,400 done going through the place, which is just being restored 515 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:28,599 amazingly beautiful, beautifully, and he was thinking that they were 516 00:30:28,599 --> 00:30:32,519 going to be right around October. Wow, But I don't. 517 00:30:32,359 --> 00:30:36,039 Speaker 1: Know, getting pushed out. It's going to be tough. 518 00:30:36,119 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 2: It's going to be tough. 519 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:40,480 Speaker 1: They got a lot more supposed to be spring twenty 520 00:30:40,599 --> 00:30:42,799 twenty five, and I think that that's getting pushed out. 521 00:30:42,839 --> 00:30:47,359 They aren't starting to post events sort of in their name, 522 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:49,480 in the name of the foundation, but a lot of 523 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:55,799 those are virtual. They had a historian, Andrew Wiseman, who 524 00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:59,559 is academic and did a lot of research into the house, 525 00:30:59,559 --> 00:31:04,279 I mean, particularly into Crowley, but also into the area 526 00:31:04,319 --> 00:31:08,680 because even though you have these associations of Crowley and 527 00:31:10,359 --> 00:31:13,759 Jimmy Page, it's certainly the history goes back to the 528 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:17,960 phrases and goes back to the eighteen hundreds and even earlier. 529 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,359 So they really do seem to have it all covered 530 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:26,680 and there some rooms are dedicated to Jimmy Page and 531 00:31:26,759 --> 00:31:31,440 that era. And this fellow that we spoke with, he 532 00:31:31,559 --> 00:31:34,359 talked about how they had reached out to Jimmy Page 533 00:31:34,519 --> 00:31:36,720 on a number of occasions and that he just had 534 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:39,599 not responded, he hadn't shown any interest in being involved. 535 00:31:40,119 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 3: The projected girls were there, so. 536 00:31:43,119 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 2: Well yeah, really no, I told them we take care 537 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:48,000 of it. We get all of Jimmy, We got a great. 538 00:31:47,799 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 1: Poll and contacts. 539 00:31:50,279 --> 00:31:54,039 Speaker 3: Yeah, no problem. Seemed like one of those things where 540 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:57,640 it seems like they would be doing a reality TV 541 00:31:57,759 --> 00:32:00,359 show or something documentary or some thing. 542 00:32:01,519 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 1: Probably, well they have done. They have done some mini documentaries, 543 00:32:07,039 --> 00:32:10,720 so they have a YouTube channel and they do have 544 00:32:10,799 --> 00:32:14,519 some interviews on there and some talks and events. But 545 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:17,279 they're really setting this up so that it can be 546 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:22,200 I guess, oh, really lots of things within this one building, 547 00:32:22,279 --> 00:32:25,240 so they can to host weddings, yes, and. 548 00:32:27,319 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 3: Events like a fantastic. 549 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:33,079 Speaker 1: They're going to dedicate one wing because the place is 550 00:32:33,119 --> 00:32:36,880 bloody enormous. They're going to dedicate one wing to a 551 00:32:37,039 --> 00:32:39,799 kind of B and B where people can stay there. 552 00:32:40,039 --> 00:32:43,519 I'm sure it will not be cheap, going to be 553 00:32:43,759 --> 00:32:46,400 different areas dedicated to different things. And of course they're 554 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:49,240 going to have a large library, and so they were 555 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:50,839 talking about how, oh, you could just come in and 556 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:53,279 sit here and read. But I don't know exactly how 557 00:32:53,319 --> 00:32:55,279 they're going to do this because it really seems like 558 00:32:55,319 --> 00:32:59,799 they're still formulating who they are and what they're going 559 00:32:59,799 --> 00:33:03,519 to be, because again, there's so many different chunks of 560 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:08,559 history that are encapsulated within this place. It is truly remarkable. 561 00:33:08,759 --> 00:33:12,720 I just I hate town Studio scientific, but just the 562 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,440 energy in the place, just going there and just feeling 563 00:33:16,519 --> 00:33:19,240 all that has happened and being able to see the lock, 564 00:33:20,079 --> 00:33:24,839 the lock in front of you. There's this amazing yard too, 565 00:33:25,119 --> 00:33:27,119 with what would you call it now it's like a. 566 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:30,480 Speaker 2: Pond, Yeah, it's it's you know, they're trying to sort 567 00:33:30,519 --> 00:33:35,359 of revitalize some of the wetland life there, so they 568 00:33:36,559 --> 00:33:40,000 have kind of fixed this pond that was back behind 569 00:33:40,039 --> 00:33:43,279 that was a mess before. I all send over a 570 00:33:43,279 --> 00:33:47,079 photo that. But yeah, it's just incredible. And one of 571 00:33:47,119 --> 00:33:49,440 the pictures I sent you a minute ago kind of 572 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:52,319 showed some of the slate that had just been delivered, 573 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:56,200 and all the shingles are made of this slate because 574 00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:58,680 it was what was originally put on. 575 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 3: There when my father and I were restored. We were 576 00:34:02,519 --> 00:34:06,079 tearing down old houses here in Georgia to sell the 577 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:11,400 material for restorations of other other houses, and slate is 578 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:15,079 such a great roofing material. So we dealt with that 579 00:34:15,159 --> 00:34:19,960 a lot. It's fragile, it's very brittle, but it works 580 00:34:20,119 --> 00:34:22,119 very well for Keith and the Rain. Now, so yeah, 581 00:34:22,159 --> 00:34:26,079 totally familiar with that. The folklore of this is that 582 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:30,840 Crowley was trying to summon his guardian angel, and part 583 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:35,480 of that ritual in the Guecia is to you have 584 00:34:35,519 --> 00:34:38,320 to like bind the lords of Hell and you know, 585 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:42,920 so demons. So it's like, yes, there is a demonic 586 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:45,559 component that it would not be a Satanic ritual. There's 587 00:34:45,559 --> 00:34:47,559 a lot of stuff that happens in demonology. If you 588 00:34:47,639 --> 00:34:50,920 go back to our Witchcraft and Magic series, which has 589 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:54,840 been very sporadic, but this there is a sort of 590 00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:58,280 Judeo Christian framing for a lot of this stuff. So 591 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:00,599 some of the books that you would think might be 592 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:05,000 just straight up demonic turn out to be really about 593 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:08,000 God and Jesus and using the power of God and 594 00:35:08,119 --> 00:35:13,280 Jesus to bind demons as worker agents for you. So 595 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:16,800 let's just say that whatever you might have heard from 596 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:20,840 folklore is probably not exactly accurate. But anyway, the folklore 597 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:25,480 is that that Crawley opened the door to let these 598 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:30,559 demons of Hell, these princes of Hell, be part of 599 00:35:30,599 --> 00:35:33,880 this ritual, and then he left because there were some 600 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:36,480 political things going on with the Golden Dawn, which is 601 00:35:36,519 --> 00:35:41,400 a magical so he leaves and never finishes the ritual, 602 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:45,320 and he never sort of closes the door and rebinds 603 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:49,760 these princes of Hell back to their realm, so they 604 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:53,840 might still be running loose. And I ran a call 605 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:57,519 of Cthulhu One Shot Night Adventure, which is a role 606 00:35:57,519 --> 00:36:00,360 play game based on the works of Ace F. Love Craft, 607 00:36:01,119 --> 00:36:05,239 wherein UH I posited that the monster in the lock 608 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:10,280 was actually not a pleasosaur. It was this entity that 609 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:12,119 had been left out when. 610 00:36:12,079 --> 00:36:15,119 Speaker 1: Crawley pngured up by That was. 611 00:36:15,039 --> 00:36:18,840 Speaker 3: A fun game, but there's probably. 612 00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:21,000 Speaker 2: Some and I I gotta tell you, Adrian Shine had 613 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:21,760 a comment on that. 614 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:26,360 Speaker 3: Really I want to hear as I say, the closing 615 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:33,000 out that ritual performatively on video UH for them as 616 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:36,320 a fundraiser. Right, Honestly, it's like so many people think 617 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:39,519 that that door has been left open. Close it. I mean, 618 00:36:39,679 --> 00:36:42,400 I don't think it's real anyway, but close it. 619 00:36:43,559 --> 00:36:48,719 Speaker 1: That's a genius idea. And so Keith, the this curator, 620 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:52,400 I think a part owner. Uh. He did want a 621 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:56,159 link to any media that would result from our visits. 622 00:36:56,159 --> 00:37:00,599 So yeah, if he hears this, then that's a early idea. 623 00:37:03,559 --> 00:37:06,079 Speaker 2: And Keith was he was amazing. He was so generous 624 00:37:06,119 --> 00:37:10,159 with his time and he was just so full of 625 00:37:10,199 --> 00:37:14,360 information and he was it was astounding, It was really great. 626 00:37:15,519 --> 00:37:16,920 So we definitely appreciate that. 627 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:19,280 Speaker 1: So if you could quickly pause them with the cat 628 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:22,880 in and then we should probably has changed characters. 629 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:26,159 Speaker 3: So we've talked about a Robert, we've talked about plants, 630 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:30,079 when we've talked about pages. Well, this is not the moon. 631 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:34,039 Speaker 1: This is not Keith Blade tagged along with us, obviously, 632 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:36,320 even though I think he would have rather stay at 633 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,719 the place that we were staying in the house and 634 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:42,559 just play roadblocks. But we dragged him along and he 635 00:37:42,559 --> 00:37:46,400 couldn't totally understand at ten the gravity of what we 636 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:48,159 were doing or where we were going. We did explain 637 00:37:48,199 --> 00:37:50,800 it to him, but I think in coming years and 638 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,440 decades he will truly be able to appreciate what he 639 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:56,679 got to see at such a young age. But yeah, 640 00:37:56,719 --> 00:37:58,719 just as we're driving back there again, why are we 641 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:01,440 going here again? And let me get this straight. So 642 00:38:01,559 --> 00:38:07,159 this is the place where Keith Richards lived, and who 643 00:38:07,199 --> 00:38:09,639 did he say that? Keith Richards lived with So the. 644 00:38:09,639 --> 00:38:12,000 Speaker 2: Guy who sings, uh, don't worry be happy. 645 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:17,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, so I don't know he's that together, but that 646 00:38:18,199 --> 00:38:21,360 was his understanding of the events. But I think he 647 00:38:21,480 --> 00:38:25,760 even he did appreciate just the grounds and the lock 648 00:38:26,599 --> 00:38:29,840 and and everything. But we all had a good time 649 00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:30,760 for different reasons. 650 00:38:32,039 --> 00:38:33,360 Speaker 2: Totally, totally well. 651 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:36,280 Speaker 3: The guy that things don't worry, be happy, he has 652 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:41,559 a Scottish name McFerrin, right, so yes, oh yeah, Bobby mcfair. 653 00:38:42,199 --> 00:38:46,320 Speaker 1: I think Barrel Pharrell or whatever. But right, yeah, that's 654 00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:50,119 the other happened Matt seeing the Proclaimers the whole time 655 00:38:50,119 --> 00:38:50,800 we're in Scots. 656 00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:54,280 Speaker 3: Oh my god, my wife loves five hundred miles so much, 657 00:38:54,519 --> 00:38:57,719 so much, so it doesn't matter. 658 00:38:57,719 --> 00:39:02,639 Speaker 2: I would have been a hit. Then we're now leaving 659 00:39:03,519 --> 00:39:07,119 Inverness to uh we were going to go drop into 660 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:11,039 Drumna Drocket, which is the sort of the Lockness monster capital. 661 00:39:11,119 --> 00:39:11,400 Speaker 5: It is. 662 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:13,960 Speaker 3: It is totally yeah, And you know. 663 00:39:14,159 --> 00:39:15,920 Speaker 2: The thing is is we knew we were going to 664 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:19,000 have a cup of coffee there, and we knew that 665 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:21,119 it was going to be overrun with tourists. So we 666 00:39:21,199 --> 00:39:24,559 stop off at this place about twenty minutes outside of 667 00:39:24,639 --> 00:39:27,000 Drum to Drocket, nice little village. I can't remember the 668 00:39:27,079 --> 00:39:29,760 name of it, but we had a cup of coffee 669 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:34,199 there in city something yeah. Yeah. But they had some great, 670 00:39:34,679 --> 00:39:38,480 you know, highland cattle out there that were adorable. 671 00:39:38,519 --> 00:39:40,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, oli, very iconic in the area. 672 00:39:40,719 --> 00:39:40,960 Speaker 4: Yeah. 673 00:39:41,239 --> 00:39:46,880 Speaker 1: They have like a like croton Yeah, okay, yeahs yeah. 674 00:39:46,519 --> 00:39:49,639 Speaker 2: Yeah, they're they're very furry and it's it's it's there 675 00:39:49,719 --> 00:39:53,400 was as many little things that you could buy with 676 00:39:53,519 --> 00:39:57,119 that imagery on it as there was the Lockness Monster. 677 00:39:58,559 --> 00:39:59,559 So it's very interesting. 678 00:40:00,159 --> 00:40:01,239 Speaker 1: Cows and cryptis. 679 00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:05,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, cows and cryptics. There's a title for an episode. 680 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:06,960 Speaker 1: I heard that. 681 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:13,960 Speaker 2: So anyway, so as we're sitting there having our coffee, 682 00:40:14,159 --> 00:40:17,280 Karen gets an email saying, oh, Adrian Shane would love 683 00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:18,159 to meet you for coffee. 684 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:19,480 Speaker 3: That's so fair. 685 00:40:19,639 --> 00:40:23,800 Speaker 1: Well, here's the thing. So when we were planning the trip, 686 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:27,000 he did offer, oh, look, if you're ever in town, 687 00:40:27,119 --> 00:40:29,119 swing by and say hi. I don't think he ever 688 00:40:29,239 --> 00:40:32,679 anticipated that anyone would take him up on it, And 689 00:40:32,719 --> 00:40:36,559 so I got in contact with his lovely wife, who 690 00:40:36,639 --> 00:40:41,159 communicates on his behalf, does all of his pr Marilyn Yeah, 691 00:40:41,159 --> 00:40:44,360 and does some illustrations too for his books. And so 692 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:46,800 I reached out to her and I was astonished when 693 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:49,599 she got right back and said absolutely, and it just 694 00:40:49,719 --> 00:40:53,440 fit in perfectly with our travels and our timing. But 695 00:40:53,639 --> 00:40:56,239 when push came to shove, they were having some car 696 00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:59,320 troubles and had to go to Inverness, and so I thought, Okay, 697 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:01,920 this isn't going to work out. I'm so glad that 698 00:41:01,960 --> 00:41:04,199 the whole Bleskent thing worked out because we won't get 699 00:41:04,239 --> 00:41:06,519 to see him. And then we got a call up 700 00:41:06,679 --> 00:41:09,280 at the last minute and we happened to be about 701 00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:13,800 ten minutes away from Drumna Drocket, so we headed down 702 00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:17,239 there and it was very difficult to find parking. The 703 00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:20,400 place is just jam packed full of people. But we 704 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:23,800 walked into this little coffee shop and there he was, 705 00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:26,760 just sitting in the corner, you like, Schotty Santa Claus 706 00:41:27,119 --> 00:41:28,800 Hive him a mile away. 707 00:41:28,639 --> 00:41:32,320 Speaker 3: And I can't stop thinking of Gandalf when I see him. 708 00:41:32,360 --> 00:41:34,239 It's the Gandalf Oh yeah. 709 00:41:34,119 --> 00:41:39,199 Speaker 1: Yeah, a little yeah with a slightly yellowed beard from smoking. 710 00:41:40,119 --> 00:41:42,920 Speaker 2: Well, it's funny because I'm going to send you over 711 00:41:43,239 --> 00:41:46,840 one of these sort of pieces of imagery that is 712 00:41:47,039 --> 00:41:57,079 everywhere in Drumna drank st nicotine. So yeah, so yeah, 713 00:41:57,119 --> 00:42:00,599 I just sent you over that picture and this is 714 00:42:00,639 --> 00:42:05,239 what you know. He is a rock star there, you know, 715 00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:09,159 because he's so recognizable, and I mean we're being looked 716 00:42:09,159 --> 00:42:12,119 at like who are they because they're like getting to 717 00:42:12,159 --> 00:42:12,920 sit with him. 718 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:16,079 Speaker 1: People were constantly approaching him. So as we're sitting there 719 00:42:16,360 --> 00:42:20,039 having an Equipiti, people were coming over and talking to him. 720 00:42:20,159 --> 00:42:22,840 And when we were outside with him later on, can 721 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:25,599 I get a photograph with you? And just he was. 722 00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:29,639 He's very beloved there. Absolutely, he's associated with the area 723 00:42:29,719 --> 00:42:31,719 and it's part of the lore. 724 00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:36,199 Speaker 2: And his generosity with his time was amazing. He would 725 00:42:36,239 --> 00:42:38,480 have sat with us all day if he could have. 726 00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:42,719 He was great. And you know, he was talking with 727 00:42:42,840 --> 00:42:45,840 Blade back and forth. Now, Blade had brought a book 728 00:42:45,880 --> 00:42:49,239 along with him that he had got from school from 729 00:42:49,239 --> 00:42:51,599 the Is It Real? Series and it's about the Lockness 730 00:42:51,599 --> 00:42:54,320 Monster and you flip it open and there's a picture 731 00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:56,599 of Adrian Shine and he was happy to sign it. 732 00:42:56,679 --> 00:43:01,519 And Blade was that affected. Blade, he was like I 733 00:43:01,639 --> 00:43:02,719 met a true rockstar. 734 00:43:04,199 --> 00:43:04,360 Speaker 6: You know. 735 00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:08,000 Speaker 2: The day before he's in Jimmy Page's house and whatever. 736 00:43:08,159 --> 00:43:15,079 Keith Richards, you know, Bobby McPherrin whoever it was, Yeah, proclaimers. Here, 737 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:19,840 he's he's seeing someone that he recognizes and never thought 738 00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:21,679 he was going to meet much less get a signature 739 00:43:21,679 --> 00:43:26,639 and a photogo with, So very exciting for him. But yeah, 740 00:43:26,679 --> 00:43:29,880 Adrian was interesting because as we were talking, he said 741 00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:34,360 that he absolutely loved being on Talking Monsters, and. 742 00:43:36,519 --> 00:43:41,360 Speaker 1: Well he got a chuckle when I came over with 743 00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:44,159 my cup of tea that I disordered, and I think, Matt, 744 00:43:44,199 --> 00:43:46,760 you were just talking about him and how we kind 745 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:49,639 of came across him and all of that, and I said, yes, 746 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:54,119 that I was enlisted to talk on an episode of 747 00:43:54,159 --> 00:43:59,079 History's Greatest Mysteries for History dot com and the HISTORYTV 748 00:43:59,239 --> 00:44:01,880 and that they had really wanted him instead of me. 749 00:44:02,119 --> 00:44:04,760 I was a poor substitute for him. So he thought 750 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:05,760 that was refly. 751 00:44:07,519 --> 00:44:10,559 Speaker 2: And we did talk about the Lockness Monster a little bit, 752 00:44:11,199 --> 00:44:15,320 but what he really wanted to talk about was linguistics 753 00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:20,360 with Karen, and that was a lot of fun to 754 00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:21,599 just watch his excitement. 755 00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:25,840 Speaker 1: We were talking about swear. So he said, my wife 756 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:29,400 looked you up and I saw that you had written 757 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:31,519 a number of books, and so I knew he was 758 00:44:31,559 --> 00:44:34,400 referring to bitch because that's kind of plastered a little 759 00:44:34,440 --> 00:44:38,119 over my main page at the moment. But we had 760 00:44:38,159 --> 00:44:43,000 a really interesting discussion about language and about discriminatory language 761 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:45,800 and prejudice, and so he had some slightly different ideas 762 00:44:46,119 --> 00:44:49,239 to me at times, but I think he was open 763 00:44:49,239 --> 00:44:53,559 minded and we had a really interesting discussion about linguistics. 764 00:44:53,599 --> 00:44:56,360 But it was surprising because we talked less about the 765 00:44:56,360 --> 00:44:57,159 Locknest Monster. 766 00:44:57,519 --> 00:44:59,920 Speaker 2: Well, you know, I had mentioned about the whole idea 767 00:45:00,079 --> 00:45:02,599 of Aleister Crowley, you know, because we told him, you know, 768 00:45:02,639 --> 00:45:05,400 we were just over at Bileskin House, and he was like, oh, yeah, 769 00:45:05,440 --> 00:45:08,199 you know, yeah, a little bit like I don't know 770 00:45:08,239 --> 00:45:10,199 what to say about that. And then I was like, 771 00:45:10,440 --> 00:45:13,400 you know, what do you think about the idea that 772 00:45:14,199 --> 00:45:17,840 he you know, Olster Curley didn't finish that ritual and 773 00:45:18,599 --> 00:45:21,639 the Lockness Monster is one of the entities that came 774 00:45:21,679 --> 00:45:25,920 in through that really Yeah, And his his very profound 775 00:45:26,159 --> 00:45:29,360 answer was no. 776 00:45:32,039 --> 00:45:36,039 Speaker 1: He got that short. Yeah, but he did find it 777 00:45:36,079 --> 00:45:39,920 amusing too. So he was just a very jolly fellow 778 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:42,519 to talk with. And as Matt said, he really spent 779 00:45:42,559 --> 00:45:44,519 a long time with us and Frida. At the end 780 00:45:44,559 --> 00:45:46,559 he said, is there anything that you want to discuss 781 00:45:46,679 --> 00:45:48,960 or any other questions you have and asked Blade to 782 00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:52,960 He was such a gentleman, and he is working on 783 00:45:53,039 --> 00:45:56,320 a new book but more about the cultural aspects of 784 00:45:56,360 --> 00:45:59,800 the Lockdest Monster. And he said he's very eager to 785 00:46:00,119 --> 00:46:02,039 come back on to Monster talking to talk with us 786 00:46:02,079 --> 00:46:04,320 about that, even before the book comes out. He said 787 00:46:04,920 --> 00:46:06,400 he was at an age where he couldn't wait for 788 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:07,239 the book to come back. 789 00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:11,519 Speaker 3: If it is a real creature, we know now that 790 00:46:11,559 --> 00:46:18,519 it emerged from the plasticcene era. Right bucket list item, 791 00:46:18,599 --> 00:46:20,599 you guys knocks it out of the park. I hope 792 00:46:20,599 --> 00:46:22,039 I get to be over this from there and make 793 00:46:22,159 --> 00:46:24,599 you make those connections myself. It's fantastic. 794 00:46:24,760 --> 00:46:29,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, you will, absolutely, and I'd go back again for sure. 795 00:46:30,519 --> 00:46:34,280 It was interesting to see the lock in person too, 796 00:46:34,400 --> 00:46:38,400 because we know that he talks about weights, but just 797 00:46:38,599 --> 00:46:42,559 to see the currents. The currents were very, very rapid 798 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:45,880 and the water was ice cold, and but the currents 799 00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:48,920 were just moving so fast. And to see them too, 800 00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:53,880 they really had a nesty like kind of wave too. 801 00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:54,960 But didn't they match. 802 00:46:56,880 --> 00:46:59,719 Speaker 3: In our interview that yeah, yeah, there are. 803 00:46:59,639 --> 00:47:04,880 Speaker 1: So many different Lockness monsters in terms of explanations, because yeah, 804 00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:07,360 I was just blade kept spotting them all the time. 805 00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:11,320 There's a lockness monster. There's lots of things that could 806 00:47:11,360 --> 00:47:14,639 be construed that way if you were a believer, and Madam, 807 00:47:14,679 --> 00:47:17,559 you've got the picture of that was a shop front, 808 00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:24,280 lots of stores selling kilts and oh yeah, and all 809 00:47:24,360 --> 00:47:27,039 kinds of memorial the Yes, I'll send that over. 810 00:47:27,079 --> 00:47:29,559 Speaker 2: I was going to send over one other thing because 811 00:47:29,559 --> 00:47:33,280 we had another episode that we had done recently about Bothy's. 812 00:47:33,599 --> 00:47:34,199 Speaker 3: Yeah we did. 813 00:47:34,360 --> 00:47:40,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think we were near the White Laggered by 814 00:47:41,880 --> 00:47:46,280 White Lag, but we didn't make it there because it 815 00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:48,159 is a bit of a trick from there and we 816 00:47:48,280 --> 00:47:51,360 kind of had to stick to our itinerary our schedule. 817 00:47:51,519 --> 00:47:54,119 But we did go to a pub that was a 818 00:47:54,159 --> 00:47:58,880 former Bothy and that was a lot of fun. I 819 00:47:58,880 --> 00:48:02,159 can't say all of the locals are always friendly all 820 00:48:02,159 --> 00:48:04,519 of the time, are they, Matt. I think they didn't 821 00:48:04,559 --> 00:48:06,199 have much patience for tourists there. 822 00:48:07,400 --> 00:48:12,920 Speaker 3: Again, likeness has locks. This is the other kind of 823 00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:16,199 locks they have. They have like canal system that connects. 824 00:48:17,159 --> 00:48:20,199 Speaker 1: Yes, I was going to raise that. In Fort Augustus 825 00:48:20,239 --> 00:48:23,280 there was an amazing canal with these kind of bridges 826 00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:26,000 that would open up to let chips through so predominantly 827 00:48:26,559 --> 00:48:32,360 there it is here but where of my wife, but 828 00:48:32,760 --> 00:48:37,559 nowadays predominantly fishing. Ah and and that's the I think 829 00:48:37,599 --> 00:48:41,960 the main industry around there. But yeah, those channels are 830 00:48:42,159 --> 00:48:49,320 the canals are just amazing, really beautiful, and so you're 831 00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:53,320 not used for military purposes anymore, but everything's have fought 832 00:48:53,360 --> 00:48:56,960 along their fort Augustus fought Williams are there? 833 00:48:58,760 --> 00:49:02,599 Speaker 3: Let me try that again. Are there are still portages available? 834 00:49:02,639 --> 00:49:06,000 Can you take a boat up the lock and come? 835 00:49:06,320 --> 00:49:10,039 Speaker 1: Yes? Oh yes, they're very popular. I mean hordes of 836 00:49:10,119 --> 00:49:18,639 tourists and gifts shops and uh, pipers playing bagpipes. 837 00:49:19,800 --> 00:49:27,840 Speaker 3: Just yeah, don't play amazing grace. Why did you even pick. 838 00:49:30,159 --> 00:49:35,039 Speaker 1: You know what we heard there mull of Kintar Paul McCartney, 839 00:49:35,039 --> 00:49:40,280 and I thought, oh so yeah, there are lots of 840 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:46,519 pipers around, and stores trying to purchase people's bagpipes too, 841 00:49:48,360 --> 00:49:53,079 selling kilts and just hearten everything you can think of. 842 00:49:53,159 --> 00:49:57,079 I saw a beautiful hip flask that had a tartan 843 00:49:57,119 --> 00:49:59,519 around it that looked for the smith. Tartan could not 844 00:49:59,599 --> 00:50:01,159 find it for you, but we've got you some other 845 00:50:01,159 --> 00:50:02,679 goodies that they need to say. 846 00:50:02,760 --> 00:50:05,800 Speaker 3: Family is apparently from at least my dad's side of 847 00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:08,280 the family is from this region. I mean, not literally 848 00:50:08,320 --> 00:50:11,320 from the White Mass but yeah, they're Scottish. 849 00:50:11,800 --> 00:50:15,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh, I'm sure we've got some Scottish blood to 850 00:50:15,719 --> 00:50:19,159 mine's mostly Irish, but a little bit of English, a 851 00:50:19,199 --> 00:50:24,639 bit of Scottish and Matt as well, like a lot 852 00:50:24,639 --> 00:50:26,159 of us Anglos here. 853 00:50:27,400 --> 00:50:30,679 Speaker 3: Yeah, but we told you that she always thought we 854 00:50:30,719 --> 00:50:32,719 were German, but I'm betting on Welsh. 855 00:50:33,039 --> 00:50:38,119 Speaker 1: We've got German too. Yeah, we've got Austrian Austrian. Uh. 856 00:50:38,280 --> 00:50:42,079 But yeah, we went through some incredible museums and everywhere 857 00:50:42,079 --> 00:50:44,519 we would go, Oh, we get so many Aussies coming 858 00:50:44,559 --> 00:50:47,800 through here, and they have their books of their genealogy 859 00:50:48,079 --> 00:50:53,920 and they're traced back to Scottish history and mine's mostly 860 00:50:54,440 --> 00:50:59,119 kind of Western European most of my history. But yeah, 861 00:50:59,119 --> 00:51:00,920 they said a lot of a lot of Australians coming through. 862 00:51:01,079 --> 00:51:03,480 The Australian accent was very prominent, wasn't it, Matt. But 863 00:51:03,559 --> 00:51:07,639 no one until where I'm from. I'm a citizen of 864 00:51:07,679 --> 00:51:10,280 the world. Sometimes they and I had people say things 865 00:51:10,280 --> 00:51:12,199 like sometimes I thought you when I met you, I 866 00:51:12,239 --> 00:51:14,480 thought you were American, And then the more you talked 867 00:51:14,480 --> 00:51:15,400 I thought New. 868 00:51:15,400 --> 00:51:20,079 Speaker 3: Zealand Australia, where if I could pass for America and 869 00:51:20,159 --> 00:51:23,079 if I use my house accent. 870 00:51:25,880 --> 00:51:30,199 Speaker 1: Blade was showing me displaying his Texan accent today. It 871 00:51:30,239 --> 00:51:31,000 was very impressive. 872 00:51:31,039 --> 00:51:35,719 Speaker 3: Oh cool, Yeah, obviously, you know not to make fun 873 00:51:35,760 --> 00:51:39,679 of any region, but it is nifty how you could 874 00:51:39,679 --> 00:51:44,239 be speaking the same language, but your accent can place 875 00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:45,599 you into a physical location. 876 00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:50,599 Speaker 7: I know, speaking They always said Tolkien could take a classroom, 877 00:51:50,760 --> 00:51:53,719 have a have a student speak a sentence or two, 878 00:51:54,119 --> 00:51:56,639 and then you know, within ten or fifteen miles, tell 879 00:51:56,679 --> 00:51:58,960 them where they came from, which is astonishing. 880 00:51:59,840 --> 00:52:05,679 Speaker 1: That's impressive because many years ago, when I was visiting 881 00:52:05,800 --> 00:52:10,760 students and then a visiting scholar at University of California, Berkeley, 882 00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:14,159 I attended an event and was held by a number 883 00:52:14,159 --> 00:52:17,599 of phonologists and when I got chatting with the person 884 00:52:17,639 --> 00:52:19,920 who was heating it, I won't name this person, they're 885 00:52:19,960 --> 00:52:23,840 not working there anymore, but that he introduced me as 886 00:52:23,880 --> 00:52:28,320 coming from the other side of the Atlantic, and I said, oh, 887 00:52:28,360 --> 00:52:32,639 the Pacific. So I thought that was interesting that someone 888 00:52:32,679 --> 00:52:36,360 who was an expert. And again I'm not being fair 889 00:52:36,440 --> 00:52:40,400 because academics are experts in very specific small areas, but 890 00:52:40,639 --> 00:52:43,199 even he had pegged me for being English. 891 00:52:43,400 --> 00:52:49,960 Speaker 3: Well I blame I mean, the rise of broadcast media 892 00:52:50,000 --> 00:52:57,199 has definitely affected how people how accurate that language specification 893 00:52:57,320 --> 00:53:01,880 for origin can be, because I know from my perspective. 894 00:53:01,880 --> 00:53:05,760 We talked about this before. I specifically tried to get 895 00:53:05,840 --> 00:53:10,960 rid of my Southern accent, just because there's a prejudice 896 00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:15,159 against Southern people that they're not as intelligent, which I 897 00:53:15,199 --> 00:53:16,880 think is probably. 898 00:53:16,840 --> 00:53:22,079 Speaker 1: It's unfair, probably stereotyping, but stereotypes. 899 00:53:22,440 --> 00:53:25,559 Speaker 3: You know, I was such a redneck that I think 900 00:53:25,639 --> 00:53:28,760 it diminished my opportunity, so I tried to you know, 901 00:53:28,920 --> 00:53:31,360 I tried to cleanse it for my palate, so I 902 00:53:31,400 --> 00:53:33,599 slipped back into it whenever I talked to my parents. 903 00:53:33,679 --> 00:53:37,199 Speaker 1: But you know, I, well, that's unfortunate because you know, 904 00:53:37,239 --> 00:53:41,480 you break that mold, and it is the accent is stigmatized, 905 00:53:41,559 --> 00:53:43,920 and it is unfair because it's it's not true. It 906 00:53:43,920 --> 00:53:47,239 doesn't apply to everyone I talked. 907 00:53:47,320 --> 00:53:53,199 Speaker 3: He's from Alabama and talks like an absolute NASCAR you know, 908 00:53:53,400 --> 00:54:00,320 cheap seats guy, but he is really really smart, and 909 00:54:00,400 --> 00:54:03,800 you know it's if you lean into those prejudices, you 910 00:54:03,840 --> 00:54:07,079 would never let him do an interview you know, for anything, 911 00:54:09,519 --> 00:54:12,800 judge or it's accent exactly. 912 00:54:13,960 --> 00:54:15,599 Speaker 1: But we should probably wrap things up. I think we're 913 00:54:15,639 --> 00:54:17,159 going well over time, all. 914 00:54:17,199 --> 00:54:21,480 Speaker 2: Right, we'll wrap Blake, I can't remember, and I even 915 00:54:21,480 --> 00:54:23,360 listened to the episode, and I don't remember. Did I 916 00:54:23,679 --> 00:54:27,360 talk extensively about Saint Albans and the Holy Well? 917 00:54:27,880 --> 00:54:31,480 Speaker 3: Or did we just talk about this entirely online? Okay, 918 00:54:31,920 --> 00:54:34,639 which was really cool, by the way, because I was like, 919 00:54:34,679 --> 00:54:40,159 what do you what? What? Holy whale? Sorry, your whale? 920 00:54:40,920 --> 00:54:44,400 Speaker 2: A little bit of my accent there? Well, I can. 921 00:54:44,480 --> 00:54:47,880 I can send over a few photos of that too. 922 00:54:48,480 --> 00:54:50,519 Speaker 3: The funny thing is, if you want to have news 923 00:54:50,519 --> 00:54:54,159 stories for your friends, you've got to go have adventures. 924 00:54:54,199 --> 00:54:56,679 I tell my friendsiness all the time we get together 925 00:54:56,760 --> 00:54:58,880 and we're just telling the same stories over and over again. 926 00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:02,320 Do you want to have you stories? Go do new stuff. 927 00:55:02,760 --> 00:55:04,719 So I really appreciate getting out. 928 00:55:04,559 --> 00:55:05,519 Speaker 1: There see the world. 929 00:55:05,639 --> 00:55:05,960 Speaker 3: Yeah. 930 00:55:06,039 --> 00:55:10,599 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh. We had a fantastic time, and we certainly 931 00:55:10,679 --> 00:55:12,280 want to go back someday. Because I thought, well, this 932 00:55:12,400 --> 00:55:14,280 is the trip of a lifetime, and then I thought, well, 933 00:55:15,119 --> 00:55:17,440 why can't I come back someday. It's not like, oh, 934 00:55:17,440 --> 00:55:19,360 well I've done this now there are lots of other 935 00:55:19,400 --> 00:55:21,400 things I want to do and see, but I would 936 00:55:21,400 --> 00:55:22,079 love to go back. 937 00:55:22,360 --> 00:55:26,639 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm not envious at all. It's just a bucket list. 938 00:55:26,719 --> 00:55:28,760 I'm that I also would like to accomplish. 939 00:55:29,239 --> 00:55:30,079 Speaker 1: Well, your turn. 940 00:55:30,199 --> 00:55:32,239 Speaker 3: Yeah, I need, I need to makes a month in 941 00:55:32,280 --> 00:55:34,480 the UK because there's so many things I want to do. 942 00:55:34,519 --> 00:55:37,519 But I appreciate every one of your photos, every one 943 00:55:37,559 --> 00:55:40,119 of your stories is delightful and I hope the listeners 944 00:55:40,199 --> 00:55:41,039 enjoy them as well. 945 00:55:42,280 --> 00:55:45,599 Speaker 1: Thank you, And yeah, we'll definitely have more episodes as 946 00:55:45,639 --> 00:55:48,639 a result of this, so we can delve into some 947 00:55:48,679 --> 00:55:50,840 of the things that we saw along the way. 948 00:55:50,760 --> 00:55:54,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, we haven't even gotten so that there's there's more 949 00:55:54,320 --> 00:55:54,639 to come. 950 00:55:56,960 --> 00:55:59,800 Speaker 4: You've been listening to Monster Doc, the science show about 951 00:55:59,840 --> 00:56:02,639 my Monsters. I'm Blake Smith. 952 00:56:02,559 --> 00:56:03,719 Speaker 1: And I'm Karen Stolzner. 953 00:56:04,800 --> 00:56:08,119 Speaker 3: You've been listening to Karen and Matt recounting their amazing 954 00:56:08,119 --> 00:56:11,519 trip to Scotland for Karen's book tour promoting Bitch, the 955 00:56:11,639 --> 00:56:13,840 Journey of a Word. I'm so thrilled they got to 956 00:56:13,880 --> 00:56:17,719 go see Lockness, meet the legendary Adrian Shine, and visit 957 00:56:17,800 --> 00:56:21,480 the amazing Buleskin House. And believe me, there's more to come. 958 00:56:22,119 --> 00:56:24,719 My phone was lighting up with these amazing photos the 959 00:56:24,760 --> 00:56:26,880 whole time they were gone, so be sure and check 960 00:56:26,920 --> 00:56:29,000 our show notes and the monster Talk Facebook group to 961 00:56:29,039 --> 00:56:32,679 see those for yourself. We hope you've enjoyed this episode 962 00:56:32,719 --> 00:56:35,800 of Monster Talk. Each episode we strive to bring you 963 00:56:35,840 --> 00:56:38,679 the very best in monster related content, with a focus 964 00:56:38,719 --> 00:56:43,000 on bringing scientific skepticism into the conversation. If you enjoy 965 00:56:43,079 --> 00:56:45,679 Monster Talk, we now have a variety of ways to 966 00:56:45,719 --> 00:56:49,440 support the show, all with convenient links at monster talk 967 00:56:49,480 --> 00:56:53,960 dot org forwarde slash support. That's monster talk dot org 968 00:56:54,360 --> 00:56:58,039 forwarde slash support. We have links there to our Patreon 969 00:56:58,119 --> 00:57:01,440 page as well as a donation button. Another great way 970 00:57:01,480 --> 00:57:03,400 to support the show is to buy books from our 971 00:57:03,440 --> 00:57:07,079 Amazon Monster Talk wish list, which directly helps us. 972 00:57:06,960 --> 00:57:10,079 Speaker 6: With our research. We love used books very much, so 973 00:57:10,079 --> 00:57:12,159 don't feel compelled to buy new ones, and we love 974 00:57:12,239 --> 00:57:14,880 kindles so we could share our digital libraries with each other. 975 00:57:15,239 --> 00:57:18,559 And finally, without spending any money at all, you can 976 00:57:18,599 --> 00:57:21,679 support us by leaving a positive review at iTunes or 977 00:57:21,679 --> 00:57:25,960 wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help keep us 978 00:57:26,079 --> 00:57:28,360 visible in iTunes, which is a great way to help 979 00:57:28,440 --> 00:57:32,320 us find you listeners and Please share our show on 980 00:57:32,400 --> 00:57:34,320 your favorite social media platforms. 981 00:57:35,760 --> 00:57:39,760 Speaker 3: Monster Talks theme music is by the brilliant peach Stealing Monkeys. 982 00:57:40,360 --> 00:57:42,440 Though a few of my world class pawns were the 983 00:57:42,480 --> 00:57:46,079 tragic casualties of this week's microphone snap, you have no fear. 984 00:57:46,880 --> 00:57:50,000 I'll always make more. And whether that's a hopeful promise 985 00:57:50,119 --> 00:57:53,199 or dire threat, I guess depends on your perspective, but 986 00:57:53,360 --> 00:57:56,079 my wife definitely has opinions on that 987 00:58:42,360 --> 00:58:44,760 Speaker 1: This has been a Monster House presentation.