S3E7 Writer AJ Merron on falling in love with Scotland (Edinburgh, Inverclyde, Loch Fleet, South Rona, Harris)

Welcome to Our Scotland, the podcast where we take 24 hours in Scotland, add in teleportation, time travel and anything else we please to conjure up the day of our dreams.  My name is Alison Fraser and I love all things Scotland, the people, the food, the music and the places and my guests are people just like me. In this episode I’m joined by writer James Merron, aka AJ Merron. James lives in Edinburgh but is originally from Lancashire.  James describes himself as a hopeless romantic at heart who tends to live in a fantasy world of his own making.  He writes poetry, has a YouTube channel of video essays delivered like letters of the romantics era, and a podcast where arts, media and philosophy collide.  He’s currently working on plans for a creative retreat in a Highlands castle and researching the history of female monsters and demons for a fictionals book. James’s links: Threads: https://www.threads.net/@ajmerron_writes  Instagram: instragram.com/ajmerron_writes Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ajmerron_writes  Website: ajmerron.co.uk  Places James took us:   Edinburgh Waverley Station https://www.networkrail.co.uk/who-we-are/our-history/iconic-infrastructure/the-history-of-edinburgh-waverly-station/  Greenock, Gourock, Inverclyde https://discoverinverclyde.com/  Loch Fleet https://www.nature.scot/enjoying-outdoors/visit-our-nature-reserves/loch-fleet-national-nature-reserve  South Rona https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Rona  Shiant Isles https://www.shiantisles.net/  North Harris Eagle Observatory https://www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/see-and-do/north-harris-eagle-observatory-p530121  Huisinis https://www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/see-and-do/huisinis-beach-p523511  Food and drink: The Cove, Gourock https://thecovegourock.co.uk/  Eteaket https://www.eteaket.co.uk  Music: Nina Nesbitt: https://ninanesbittmusic.com/ Seals singing: https://youtu.be/WYlLPyIeapg?si=MtFDUinWQOFGMW49  Machair Machair is a Gaelic word meaning fertile low lying grassy plain. This is the name given to one of the rarest habitats in Europe which only occurs on exposed western coasts of Scotland and Ireland. There are Machair habitats on the western shores throughout the islands. Here sand, largely made up of crushed shells, is regularly blown ashore by Atlantic gales.  Over time the calcium