Program 492: Scotland 2017; Atlas Obscura Europe

Two Scottish tour guides discuss share tips for planning a great Scottish getaway, with specifics on tracking down scenes from the "Outlander" and "Harry Potter" series and where best to explore the ancient haunts of the Celts and Vikings. Then folks from Atlas Obscura, the fascinating online almanac of unusual places, chat with Rick about their favorite quirky spots in Europe.

• Liz Lister and Colin Mairs, tour guides from Scotland
• Dylan Thuras, co-founder and Ella Morton, chief editor at Atlas Obscura

• Liz Lister's website includes information for contacting her to schedule a custom tour of Scotland.  
• Colin Mairs' website features his tour guiding excursions across Scotland and New Zealand.
• There is a free walking tour of the "Harry Potter Trail" in the old town of Edinburgh.  
• The Visit Scotland website explores the Scottish Borders region, Dark Sky parks and nighttime skygazing locales, and 69 different locations for viewing, or participating in, Scottish Highland Games.
• The Culloden Battlefield is maintained by the National Trust for Scotland. 
• Guides to the Shetland Islands and the Orkney Islands.
• Information about the Glenfinnan railroad viaduct, Fingal's Cave in Scotland, and the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.
• Atlas Obscura lists thousands of curious places and experiences from around the world on its website, and welcomes recommendations from the public. Dylan Thuras is a co-founder of Atlas Obscura, and Ella Morton is the chief editor for their best-selling book, which is published by Workman Publishing. 
• Atlas Obscura has a Facebook page.
• Dylan Thuras spoke with the Los Angeles Times about the ossuaries and medical museums he's visited. 
• Mother Jones magazine explores the story behind Atlas Obscura.  
• Some of the small, unusual museums discussed today include Micropia in Amsterdam, the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, and the Third Man Museum in Vienna. 
• A list of heritage railways you can visit in the U.K. and Ireland. 
• The Spanish town of Llivia is located just over the border with France.
• Additional sites covered in the Atlas Obscura guide include the Maunsell Army Sea Forts off the English coast of Kent, the principality of Sealand, the historical ruins of the village of Oradour-sur-Glane in central France, the abandoned Buzludzha Monument in Bulgaria, the Merry Cemetery in Romania, and the mummified remains of Saint Catherine of Bologna, and St. Michan's Church in Dublin.
• In Florence, you can view Galileo's Middle Finger at the History of Science Museum, and La Specola history museum's wax anatomical models.