S3E11 Literary traveller Constance Ray (Lewis, Cruden Bay, Slains Castle and Bram Stoker's Dracula, Edinburgh's literary connections)

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 literary travel writer Constance Ray.

Constance is from the US but is living in Germany. She did undergraduate studies in English literature and had the opportunity to study in London for a semester. 

She’s currently based in Europe where she started her literary travel blog. She says she believes literature is one of the best ways to have an authentic cultural experience of places. 

Literary travel is a trip to places given value by a literary figure or a literary work and events centered around literature.

Constance’s links:

https://www.awellreadwanderer.com/

https://awellreadwanderer.ck.page/signup 

Places Constance took us:

Isle of Lewis https://www.isle-of-lewis.com/ 

Hebridean Way https://www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/hebrideanway 

Calanais Stones https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/calanais-standing-stones/ 

Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/cruden-bay-p2564811 

Slains Castle https://www.visitabdn.com/listing/slains-castle 

Greyfriars Kirkyard https://greyfriarskirk.com/visit/kirkyard/ 

Arthurs Seat https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/holyrood-park-and-arthurs-seat-p914341 

Literary Pub Crawl https://www.edinburghliterarypubtour.co.uk/ 

Food and drink:

Kilmarnock Arms https://www.kilmarnockarms.com/ 

Afternoon Tea https://everythingedinburgh.com/afternoon-tea-in-edinburgh/ 

Haggis https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/edinburgh/articles/top-10-places-to-have-haggis-in-edinburgh 

Books:

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 

Sunset Song by Louis Grassic Gibbon

Robert Burns poetry

Robert Louis Stevenson’s poetry

Music:

Franz Ferdinand https://franzferdinand.com/ 

The View https://www.theviewofficial.com/ 

Skippinish https://www.skipinnish.com/ 

Paulo Nutini New Shoes https://youtu.be/hmbUNF1Q4R8?si=CeQLC7wnH3KrElPK 

If you want to share your ideal 24 hours in Scotland with me, or suggest a future guest, please do get in touch. 

You can email alison@alisonfraser.co or DM me at https://www.instagram.com/ourscotlandpodcast/