My Scottish Love Affair

From the time I was diapered and powdered, I've had a love and fascination for all things Scottish. Perhaps it arises from my name or maybe it's because I was born and reared in Nova Scotia. It might be my love of castles or my high school best friend's mother who had the most enchanting brogue I'd ever heard. Like the rest of the world I'm not immune to the heightened romance of the region or the downright stereotypes.

Doctor Who has a long history of Scottish flirtations, in front and behind the camera: Jamie and the Highlanders, Innes Lloyd, Sylvester McCoy, David Tennant, Amy Pond, Steven Moffat and Tooth and the Claw. I could go on and on.

And of course there was Terror of Zygons. A story stuffed to the gills with every sort of Scottish cliche from Haggis to Ben Nevis, and the Loch Ness Monster to a games-keeper nicknamed "The Caber". A story with mostly English actors playing Scots and shot in West Sussex!

But as a 15 year old I still loved it to bits. It was eerie, and action-packed, with an almost effective UNIT (they look cooler than they did in Robot, even if they don't actually do a lot). It didn't really matter that it wasn't actually Scotland--West Sussex was exotic enough.

Call me a sensualist, but I can't get enough of John Woodnutt's silky voice. He simply purrs each and every line. Okay, his utterances as Broton the Zygon are somewhat distracted by the hiss-y "treatment" they received.

All the creepy little touches still do it for me too, like the uber eerie nurse/Zygon and games-keeper/Zygon. And the Harry/Zygon doppelganger charging Sarah with a pitchfork is among the most chilling in the series' history.

Of course the story is still saddled with a threadbare plot (alien menace looking for new home planet develops vague, overly-elaborate plan to subjugate Earth), and the ending is just plane lacklustre--Broton meets the mortal coil by being shot like a dog by the Brigadier, while the Loch Ness Monster (Skarasen) eats its leash and toddles off home.

I eventually made it to Scotland in 2003 (25 years after watching the story) and I must say my love only grew. It really is a fascinating blend of mythological stereotype and modern UK reality. I was treated to odd variations on the Police Box design (double banked and red!), region 2 Doctor Who DVDs at the Virgin superstores, kilts and castles, Scotch Whisky and the Big Issue. And alas a BBC devoid of my favorite Time Lord (at the time).

Alas, it's time to say goodbye to Harry. Yes, I know he'll show up again in for a final swansong, but this is the end of a really nice continuous journey of the Doctor, Sarah & Harry. Perhaps it feels a bit more bittersweet, having just watched The Death of the Doctor episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures. It was nice to get a call-out for him at the end of those episodes--there was real affection in Liz Sladen's voice. Farewell, old friend, it's been nice spending time with you again. Such is the magic of "time travel".


First viewed: October 8 or 15, 1983. Probably the latter.

Spirit: Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch whisky. Yes, I know, If I'd wanted to be completely authentic to the story, I would have gone for a blended whisky distilled in England, but then I'd have to drink it...

Music: "In a Big Country" by Big Country.