A new addition to the ABC’s screening schedule that might have slipped by you is the series Miriam & Alan: Lost in Scotland. It features two of our favourite people Miriam Margolyes and Alan Cumming having adventures in the Highlands.
Alan Cumming grew up in Scotland before making it big in Hollywood, while Miriam Margolyes also has Scottish roots with her father hailing from Glasgow. In this delightful three part series they head off in a campervan for some adventures.
The first episode sees them begin their journey in Glasgow, visiting the area that the Margolyes family lived 120 years ago, before heading off to visit a Tartan mill. Cumming shares his passion for modern interpretations of the woven cloth and the pair dive into learning about warps and wefts.
The duo explore Cawdor Castle, an estate where Cummings ancestors worked, and is also the setting of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
As they travel around the mountains and glens the two queer thespians share some hilarious banter, while also including heaps of information about history and culture. It’s also filled with emotion as they revisit the Panmure Estate near Carnoustie where Cumming endured a traumatic childhood.
In the later episodes they explore singing in Gaelic, conquering mountains, discovering witchcraft, taste vegan white pudding and kosher haggis, play a few rounds of golf, and visit some truly amazing historical buildings.
Along the way they have deep discussions about ageing, relationships and sexuality, but mostly the pair have a lot of laughs.
You can catch up on Miriam & Alan: Lost in Scotland on the ABC’s iView, and catch new episodes on Thursdays at 8.30pm.
OUTinPerth chatted to Alan Cumming in 2021 and 2017, and we caught up with Miriam Margolyes in 2015.
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