"Here's to long memories and friendship."
Hello everyone!
But when has that ever been a bad thing, am I right?
Our two favourite Scotsmen get themselves into even more trouble and hilarious situations just by existing, and it's one of those things that you really need to watch for yourself to believe.
I mean, sure it's for the show and most of it is scripted, but these two manage to make it look as natural as it comes, which certainly amps up the appeal if you ask me.
I do, however, digress.
Right before the finale, we dived in to have a better look at just what even started this desire to learn more about Scotland and its history - the clans.
Clans & Tartans is up for debate next.
And the links to all previous episodes can of course be found right at the bottom of this page, because naturally there's been other hysteria before we even reached the tartan production in Scotland.
Of course Sam and Graham are once again in the camper van and debating the fact that clan fighting is basically a Scottish sport, something they're rather famously known for, and something that will probably go down in history as one of those 'oh it's Scotland' things, just like you say 'oh it's Canada' when they tell you it's snowing in the middle of June.
And because Sam is hell-bent on reigniting some ancient feud, he arranges a meeting between the MacDonald and MacLeod clan representatives (MacLeod actually being a surname that pops up in historic fiction a lot) about a massacre during which the MacDonalds were first all choked to death in a cave by fire smoke, then they burned down a kirk with MacLeod clansmen in it, and ended up dying by their ships afterwards.
I'm telling you, the actual history of Scotland makes Outlander look TAME.
Nothing is better than McTavish and Heughan on a tandem bike together, though, with McTavish the only one pedaling. Nothing.
Thus through another adventure during which poor Graham had to do most of the work, the boys visit a tartan workshop to learn more about the history of the fabric - and to hear a walking group sing the ancient Gaelic songs while they work the material round and round between them on the table. Outlander-savvy ones will remember this as a scene from season one, too.
And because this is about Scottish history we can't go through it without at least mentioning Rob Roy, Scotland's version of Robin Hood who potentially invented the word blackmail - and who's kind of like some of the pharaohs because no one knows where he's ACTUALLY buried, especially not the MacGregors and MacLarens, the two feuding clans who keep on bickering about the information.
Needing a break from all the in-fighting, the lads then visit the MacTavish family castle - or the ruins of it, anyway, and I think it's pretty majestic, though of course it can't compare to the fully-renovated and Victorian era Fraser castle they stop by at the very end.
After all, the MacTavish one is supposedly the oldest stone castle in Scotland. The Fraser one is an upstart in comparison!
But it provides a backdrop for the feast the two men enjoy at the end of this part of their journey, also describing one from history where two rival clans were dining together, there were knives on the table, and it did not end well, marriage alliances or not.
If this reminds you of a certain Game of Thrones wedding, it should, because the latter was heavily influenced by it.
Not as heavily influenced as Graham and Sam are by the good food and even better drink (definitely Sassenach whiskey!).
Which they will need, because next week for the finale, we're taking a look at Culloden. So hold on to your kilts!
xx
*images and video not mine
No comments:
Post a Comment