The Transcript

Karthika: Welcome Abigail. Thank you so much for joining me on Culturally Ours. I am very, very excited to have you on the podcast. I cannot wait to chat with you, get to know you a little bit better, and get to know your corner of the world.

Abigail: Thank you so much for having me. I’m excited.

Karthika: So before we begin, could you tell us a little bit about sort of who you are, where you’re from just to kind of help set the stage for our chat?

Abigail: Sure. So I’m an archeology graduate who is now doing nothing to do with archeology. I took up photography a couple of years ago. I’m now trying to see how that goes as a self-employed individual. And I’m taking some time to discover my local area and discover the country that I’m from.

Karthika: And in an area that is so gorgeous and a country that is so beautiful and your photography is out of this world. So you’re doing something right.

Abigail: That’s very kind,

Karthika: You talked a little bit about where you are. So tell us a little bit about Edinburgh and Scotland.

Abigail: Yeah. So, I’m currently based in East Lothian, which is a little bit outside of Edinburgh. We live in the middle of the countryside here. But it’s very close to Edinburgh. We kind of have the best of both worlds really, and we’ve got lots of open space, but a really beautiful, unique city nearby. So, I love it here.

Karthika: Your photographs around Edinburgh are so beautiful. Just the tones and I guess, I mean the castle. Oh my God. It’s amazing. Now tell me a little bit about, just with everything going on and, the pandemic and everything. Tell me how has Edinburgh and Scotland sort of handled this and are things reopening if so, like what, what is it like?

Abigail: Yeah. things at the moment certainly feel back to normal and we’ve gone back into Scotland and just gone back into a kind of lockdown where certain things have been restricted again, but real life feels, not too much different from what it did before. There are lots of extra precautions in place wherever you go. But generally, I’ve been into Edinburgh twice since COVID, the outbreak, and there are still people visiting and you still see a lot of the shops are open. Unfortunately, there have been quiet places badly hit and smaller cafes and things have had to close, which is very sad, but people are doing their best to carry on. And, Scotland seems to be in that certainly, the statistics in Scotland are a wee bit better than, down in England. So we have managed it fairly well, I would say.

Karthika: What about masks and social distancing, are they mandated?

Abigail: They are. So, you still have to wear masks indoors at the moment. And social distancing is everywhere. And so although things have kind of gone back to normal, there’s still that feeling of, we are still in a pandemic, which is a good thing because obviously, it’s helping control the spread of the virus. So yes.

Karthika: Now tell me, obviously when you talk about Edinburgh and you talk about Scotland, I can sense the joy and the pride. Tell me a little bit about what you like about living here. What makes it so special for you and, maybe your family, just give me a little bit of insight into Scotland.

Abigail: Yeah, certainly. I didn’t always feel this way about Scotland. When I was younger, I very much wanted to go off and see the rest of the world and be as far away from Scotland as I could. And it was probably in high school. I did some cultural exchanges. There was a Japanese exchange and a German exchange and we had to take our exchange partners, different places in Scotland. And it made me realize what a lovely part of the world we live in, it’s such a unique place. There’s such a mix of things to see and do, the, nature’s amazing, but then we also have these unique cities, which are not like anywhere else I’ve ever been and they have, I’m not even sure I can pinpoint it, but they have something that just feels so uniquely Scottish and warm. And there’s a word, Colsi, which is kind of like cozy or like Danish hygge, and it kind of sums up what Scotland is for me.

Karthika: Awesome. You’re right. There’s a lot of cultures and there’s a lot of history in Scotland and it’s fascinating to hear. And I come from India and India has its history which is thousands of years old. That part of my brain gravitates towards places that have this culture and history, because that’s something to learn and it’s not just, kind of somewhere and checking things off a list and saying, okay, been there, done that.

Abigail: Absolutely. I couldn’t agree with you more

Karthika: Now travel has changed. Life has changed so much, and Scotland and Edinburgh are such tourist places. Do you see a lot of that sort of change, has that impacted life in general? I know you mentioned a lot of cafes shut down, but you are still seeing people out and about, so talk to me a little bit about how the whole travel industry’s sort of doing in Scotland.

Abigail: Yeah, well, certainly the last couple of times I’ve been into the city center, it’s still kind of as busy as it would be, at this time of year. The Fringe festival, which is a massive festival that takes place in August every year in Edinburgh that was canceled this year. So I imagine that’s probably had quite a big impact. A lot of smaller festivals and things have moved online as well, so people can experience things from a distance and they don’t have to physically travel to be here, but it doesn’t seem to have impacted it in terms of numbers of visitors. I don’t think so much now, maybe a couple of months ago it was very different, but, certainly, it was last week that I last went in and it was pretty busy. So things are kind of going back to normal a little bit.

Karthika: Yeah. And people too, I mean, by nature we are so, we’d like to wander, we like to explore. So that it goes against everything deep-rooted internally to just stay put now. So on that note, if, if I or anybody else out there were to plan a trip to Scotland, to Edinburgh, where would you take us? So imagine yourself as our guide, give us a little bit of identity on the sort of where to go, what to do, what to expect.

Abigail: Absolutely. So it would probably be, quite a random selection of places to be honest. There are so many different parts of Scotland that all have something very unique to offer, but I would definitely say that with Edinburgh, the best thing to do is just wander. I would genuinely suggest to spend like a couple of days and just walk. It’s such a compact city center and there’s so much within that space, so if you can just wander, that’s the number one best option. So many little independent shops and coffee and restaurants, and museums and galleries. It’s got so much within such a small area, and then I would also recommend visiting Glasgow because it’s such a friendly city. It kind of doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. The botanics in Glasgow are amazing. Ashton Lane is a very sweet little street with lots of restaurant. And it’s got a little cinema as well, and obviously there is Glasgow green and the people’s palace. Besides the cities, I would say most of what I would recommend is kind of the more wild areas of Scotland. I love the Loch. It’s pretty much what you’d find on a postcard of Scotland. It’s got the lake and there’s a really beautiful church, a castle on the loch and there’s kind of mountains and hills around you. It’s stunning, especially in the winter if there’s sort of snow on the tops of the Hills and things. I also love Orkney, which is good if you want to spend time out on the water, there are lots of sports you can do there in the summer. It’s also just in one of the most beautiful locations ever and just mountains around you. And it has so much to offer. That’s very different from anything you’ll find anywhere else in Scotland. It has a feeling that you can’t quite describe attached to it. So like you were saying earlier about kind of ancient places and history it is just absolutely filled with that. There’s so much in the way of archeology there and the locals are so friendly and it has kind of like a Scandinavian twist because it’s so far North, there’s a lot of Norse influence, and so it’s very different from anything you’ll find anywhere else in Scotland, I would say, so I’m always plugging can be because I just think it’s, it’s such a, an incredible we place

Karthika: And, I love hearing from local people because you’re plugging, it always shows pride. It shows a real love for a certain part of the country or certain land. And it’s just special. I don’t want to read about it from a guidebook, because I don’t get that emotional connection I want to hear from people because that makes me feel like, okay, I’m going there. There’s a reason why I’m going there. All right. So now this sounds like an incredible agenda. I don’t think many of us want to do the whole two days, three days anymore. We want to stay, we want to explore. We want to feel connected. , wherever we go, maybe it’s just me.

Abigail: No, I completely agree with that. People are moving to that kind of slower way of traveling and experiencing other cultures. And it’s great. That’s what I’m here for.

Karthika: Yup. And now, all of these sorts of hyper-localized experiences off the beaten path, it just, there’s just something there. So the next series of questions are going to be your perspective, so Abigail’s perspective. So I want to know your thoughts and I want to know why. So what is your favorite restaurant and why?

Abigail: So I thought quite hard about this recently, especially with not being able to go to restaurants and things, it feels like such a kind of distant thing. But I was thinking about when I stayed in Edinburgh for a while, a few years ago, and, the place, I would always go back to this called 10 to 10 Delhi. And it’s not Scottish food, it’s an Indian restaurant, but the food there was always so delicious and so comforting, and I always just really enjoyed it. And it’s on Nicholson street in Edinburgh. I don’t imagine it’s open at the moment, it’s open for delivery, but I don’t think the restaurant itself is open because it’s kind of set in such a way that you’re quite close. It’s quite intimate and quite close to everyone else who’s eating there, but I just used to go there all the time. It was very tasty, very reasonably priced as well. So it was the best of everything.

Karthika: It’s interesting that you like Indian food. And what is traditional Scottish food? Well, I mean what would be a typical Scottish meal?

Abigail: So I don’t know whether this is typical or maybe stereotypical, but obviously, we have haggis. I would say haggis beets and tatties, which are potatoes. So beets are actually turnips. So it’s a very kind of wholesome, comforting, hearty food, which is perfect for the weather if we have and keeping your cozy, and, vegetarian haggis is one of my favorite things in general to eat. It’s tasty. I would argue tastier than their original, I guess.

Karthika: Awesome. So what is your favorite activity?

Abigail: My favorite thing to do is pretty much always been, my favorite thing to do is, actually wild swimming.There’s a lot of groups around East Lothian that kind of get together and go wild swimming. I tend to do it on my own or with my partner watching because I’m too scared to go on my own and it is quite dangerous being in the sea, but it’s such a wonderful feeling, being in kind of the cold water and especially in the colder months, it’s revitalizing. And, I’ve heard a lot of people say that if they are wild swimming regularly, they don’t get cold. Some things like that are generally quite good for your body. But you have to be very careful because there are a lot of dangers involved, but it’s worth it. And I would certainly recommend getting in touch with groups that do it, and they’re always really welcoming for newcomers and things like that. So, yes, it’s a really fun thing to do.

Karthika: Yeah. That’s quite adventurous.

Abigail: I mean, it’s not fun for everybody, but it’s one of my favorite things to do.

Karthika: Now you talked about Edinburgh, you talked about Scotland having this diverse landscape and just so much with nature and with culture and with history. So talk to me a little bit about maybe some outdoor spaces that are maybe more of a locals hangout, not something that it’s like super popular.

Abigail: Yeah. So, there’s a beautiful beach, and it overlooks bass rock and the castle is just up on the cliff edge behind it, and it’s called Seacliff and it’s getting more and more popular. Maybe people have seen it on Instagram but it’s just such a beautiful space. I couldn’t not mention it. It was one of the first places my partner who is actually from East Lillian took me here. And, I was just absolutely besotted when I first arrived. I was like love heart emojis in my eyes, so blue and so just open and yeah, it’s a special, special place.

Karthika: So talk to me a little bit about perhaps local experiences, I’m thinking like, maybe cooking class or painting, or maybe like a bike tour, something that I wouldn’t necessarily find in sayings like the lonely planet guide to Edinburgh or the lonely planet guide to Scotland, something that is unique.

Abigail: Sure. So actually at Seacliff, which I just mentioned, I have seen they have horses, and you can ride the horses along the beach. You occasionally just see them galloping along. And that seems really nice. It is not something I’ve tried myself yet, but I want to. I also think, wherever you are in Scotland if you can find a local pub that hosts a folk or traditional music night, and that’s one of my favorite things ever. They love it when people join in as well. So if you have a song, you’d like to sing or you bring an instrument along, you can join in. And it’s just a really lovely kind of coming together and just the weather can be horrible, but it’s such a cozy feeling. And so yes, I would recommend finding your nearest folk night when you’re in Scotland.

Karthika: Oh, that sounds fabulous. Now you mentioned weather a couple of times, so has it gotten cold already there?

Abigail: It has actually, this past week has been quite chilly. We’ve had some frosty mornings, but equally, we can kind of expect it to get warmer. Again, the weather in Scotland is incredibly changeable and we do get the four seasons in a day. So I would recommend packing for all weather. If you’re visiting Scotland, you never know what to expect. It’s not very reliable.

Karthika: And are there a lot of winter activities? I’m imagining you guys get snow? Do people still go out and about in the snow do activities in the snow?

Abigail: The snow, like heavy snow, is quite localized to sort of, the Highlands. There is a lot of skiing up there, but we don’t get nearly as much snow as I would, like here maybe two or three times a year, and it’s usually quite late and disappears quite quickly and goes quite slushy in gray. I’m always dreaming of a white Christmas. It’s not a very common occurrence, unfortunately, but there is, if, if you’re interested in skiing, there is, more localized areas that risk heavy snowfall and are kind of nice for the winter months.

Karthika: Yeah. I’ve, I’ve lived now in Chicago for 20 years. And I know initially, it was like, Oh, White Christmas? Yay. But now I’m like just, no, just I’m so tired of this cold. Now tell me, where have you gone recently or, maybe discovered a new local gem that perhaps you didn’t know about, even though you’re from the area.

Abigail: So, there’s a lot of history in this area, but a place that I don’t think is very well known is Yester castle and it’s situated not very far from us at all. It’s about a 50 minute drive and it’s spooky. And so there’s a big hole in the bottom of the castle, and it’s known as goblins. It’s creepy. Supposedly there was this warlock who had goblins build a space for him too, do all kinds of very creepy magic things. It’s quite tricky to find it amongst some trees, and across a lot of muddy paths, but it’s really well worth a visit if you can find it. And, it does feel spooky. I’ve been twice now, and the first time was with my dog, and my dog didn’t like it, so it was spooky and I’m such a wuss when it comes to things like that. I get so frightened, but it’s cool to see the kind of ruins in the trees. It’s a really interesting place and not a place I would have known about before I moved here. Yeah.

Karthika: I’m right there with you. I don’t like scary things. I can’t watch horror movies. It’s just something that just freaks me out. So maybe go to this place in bright sunshine.

Abigail: Absolutely. And maybe have like some people go with you. Well, don’t go alone. That’s not a good idea

Karthika: Now, Abby, this might be a tricky question. There are no right or wrong answers. So it’s just whatever you feel. And I want to get your perspective because the more we learn about automobiles, I kind of hear different perspectives, the more educated we tend to get, so whatever you’re comfortable sharing. I know it’s a broad question. Where do you think travel is headed in the future?

Abigail: Oh! thats such an interesting question. I mentioned earlier, I do think people are starting to be more kind of considerate about the way they travel. I hope that people are starting to maybe consider exploring, kind of their local areas a little bit more and especially with recent events. It’s nice to think that people are maybe exploring their own countries and seeing what places nearby have to offer. But also I hope that when people are visiting new places, they’re doing it in a more kind of considerate way, for the environment, for the locals,  for small businesses. I hope that that’s where it’s going. And I do see a lot of that kind of movement happening certainly within Instagram too. There are a lot of people with quite a heavy focus on traveling slowly and experiencing culture rather than just, as you mentioned, ticking things off a list. I’m very hopeful that that is kind of going to be the future of travel.

Karthika: I agree. And just if you look at it purely from a tactical standpoint with quarantine. Gone are the days when you perhaps where you fly in and fly out. Now you have to fly in and you have to quarantine yourself. And that maybe that’s a good thing because we tend to go so fast in life otherwise. Constantly asking ourselves ‘what’s next, what’s next? what’s next.’ And now maybe it’s a good thing to slow down and just smell the fresh air.

Abigail: Definitely. Funnily enough, it was because I used to be a very kind of fast-paced person. And even in the way I traveled, I was very much, where I can go to next and not take things off a list as such because I liked to experience the culture but I want to see as much as possible and fit in as many places as possible when realistically that’s not sustainable. And moving to Orkney helped me with that. Just slowing down because the pace of life on an island is very different and it just made me kind of step back and kind of appreciate things around me a lot more. And yeah, it’s a funny thing.

Karthika: No, I know. I love it. And sometimes it’s these quote-unquote forced experiences that teach us thing. I mean, I’m not saying that it was forced. You have more choice and you would tell yourself like, okay, I’m going to make the best of it. And I’m going to make it fit into my lifestyle, not knowing that sometimes we change and we change for the better. So, I’m glad that that was something that you got to experience and it sort of, changed your perspective a little. Now going to the best question, if and when travel opens. what are your travel plans? Where would you like to go next?

Abigail: There are quite a few places still on my list after saying, after saying what I just said. There are still lots of places I would love to see. India is very high up on the list. I want to see more of Scandinavia also. But the first place that I will visit again will be in Scotland. I want to see more of the Western Isles, here in Scotland, because everybody always says it’s really beautiful, and I’ve still not been. And I feel like I’m not properly Scottish and visited and gone for a dip in the sea, in the Western Isles. So, our next trip will probably be a bit closer to home, but there are a lot of places on the list for years to come,

Karthika: No, I agree. Scotland is such a beautiful country, so much going on that I can’t imagine ever being bored.

Abigail: Definitely.

Karthika: Well, Abby, thank you so much. This was amazing. I’ve always loved Scotland, and speaking to you and hearing you describe it has just solidified that relationship in my mind. So I hope I get to visit.

Abigail: Well, thank you so much for having me. It’s been so lovely.