David Tennant uncovers his Highland roots!

[@Speckledlillie]

I adore listening to him speak with his Scottish accent.

[@MayTennantCobainTomney]

same

[@prinzesschendasnicht]

"How macabre!" *proceeds to jump into the ditch and pick up a skull with bare hands* I love this man 😂❤

[@NinJa-lr9of]

Such a doctor thing to do….

[@gentleeyes]

Is it just me or is it David Tennant adorable?

[@callmeneutrino7136]

I suspect it might not be just you…

[@snakey319]

just you? he's very well loved by fans.

[@kimholcomb6943]

No, it's not just you. I am scottish by heritage and descent, and I love handsome scottish men. Especially in a kilt.

[@paulaisomura4894]

It’s not just you. 😊

[@happygirl864]

Yes

[@voniarichardson7945]

When he’s interviewed you can hear his Scottish accent. But when he’s Scotland, oh boy does it come out stronger..

[@daftirishmarej1827]

I love how he describes the weather as being 'Scottish' 👏

[@loreebrew38]

So cute how excited he got when he discovered his ancestor in the book at the church.

[@fugithegreat]

David Tennant is always such a delight!

[@codswallop321]

His accent goes extra Scottish when he's talking to another Scot!

[@DonnaBarrHerself]

As a Washington State native, I automatically imitate accents. It helps with understanding. So when I was in Edinburgh....

[@CelesteL]

Ditto. I end up having a dynamic mix on my own mother tongue language

[@CharlesHapsburg]

@@DonnaBarrHerselfNo one cares

[@CaroB055]

We all do that - we have to water it down, and leave out Scots words when speaking to the English or they can’t understand us. My husband always complains when we go home to my family that he’s only getting one word in five!

[@richardbradley5217]

​@CaroB055 People in the North of England understand Scottish very easily. Its more the south of England that will struggle. In fact I'm a geordie and the number of times people in London or the South have called me Scottish is unbelievable

[@lucybliss2014]

“There’s people’s heeds” that made me laugh so much

[@sarahlangdon1965]

He listens and he understands. He is truly humble.

[@garymcatear822]

The irony of the highland clearances is the people evicted went to Australia and became sheep farmers and sold the wool to the UK at a cheaper rate and put their old landlords who evicted them out of business.

[@herstoryswitness]

And the US too!

[@britters220]

Not so much Irony as poetic justice

[@hectorsmommy1717]

The first phase of the Highland Clearances, after Culloden in 1745, sent Highlanders to the North American Colonies (Cook hadn't "discovered" Australia yet)) where a lot settled in Appalachia. Those Highlanders were the foundation of country and bluegrass music that spread all over the country 150 years later.

[@garymcatear822]

@@britters220 Aye poetic justice, that's more fitting mate.

[@garymcatear822]

@@hectorsmommy1717 Yer totally right mate but i was specifically referring to the sheep farmer period of the 19th century.

[@walkingorchid]

Oh so he’s just literally The Doctor. The way he just unhesitatingly picked up the skull 😂

[@Nekotaku_TV]

Literally not.

[@fernandacecilia4098]

Yes 🤣

[@Andrea17.04]

and drank the water haha nothing more like the doctor XD

[@eicrusade6161]

It may be only me, but I keep wanting David Tennant to do another Highlander movie/series after seeing him here.

[@angelicagaldos]

There can be only one. Let it be David Tennant of The Clan Tennant

[@EvelynBaron]

@@Hollandsemum2 Oh well, I let stuff go make my own mistakes ... just coming out of my own annus horribilus and David Tennant a definite breath of fresh air always. Just enjoying an unusually good days; happy dog, great conversation with a friend ... and wishing you well.

[@lhuras.]

​​@@Hollandsemum22) it's not anymore. As he had to change his Stage Name for Real to keep it (thanks to some US laws) he officially changed his Name at the time of his Wedding with Georgia to Tennant

[@chupz1665]

I believe I read somewhere that he chose Tennant after Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys.

[@lhuras.]

@@chupz1665 yes, that's right. He was sitting in a waiting room to come up with a stage name. And there were also some music magazines. And one of them had a Cover with the Pet Shop Boys. He said,He tried their family names with his and kinda liked the Sound of David Tennant. Fun fact: there is a US american actor/artist with exactly the same Name (David Tennant) and to be able to keep his by then already well known Stage name his agents learned that he would have to accept this name as his "real" name. As there is a law in the US, that Artists don't have to change their names, if they are their real names. And the other David Tennant was/is not that well known to the public that this would make things to complicated. (Like it was with for example with Michael Douglas and Michael Keaton )

[@ScottishWoman24]

I loved hearing David's natural voice. I just ❤ the Scottish brouge.

[@RobRoss]

David Tennant is an amazing actor. I of course loved his Doctor. But I just discovered “Good Omens” recently. He was phenomenal in that as well!

[@linshanhsiang]

Be sure to watch "Staged"!

[@playnicechannel]

It seems strange after finding skulls during renovations they were simply left open and unprotected. I guess the remote location helps, but you’d think there would be some investigation into their origin / timeframe. I just love the stories revealed in these programs. Simply fascinating. 👍👍👍

[@EvelynBaron]

@@Hollandsemum2 tx the internet sometimes a strange place. You provided some sanity!

[@kaythegardener]

Send in Sir Tony Richardson & the Time Team of excavators!!

[@LauraRose2000]

Totally agree, but it’s so commonplace to find archeological stuff in Europe that finding something doesn’t mean it goes to the top of the pile, because unlike elsewhere, there actually is always a pile 😂

[@EmilyGilbeywilbey]

I love how his accent changes when around other Scottish people! Mine changes when im in the pub in my village back to the local accent 😂

[@outmywritemind1739]

Thats his regular voice dude

[@bennyboogenheimer4553]

Helpfull hint of the day: When someone went missing anywhere. A notice was posted at every church. In the spring, along with the rains, came the disembodied heads/skulls that would roll to the lowest point in the valley, They were often collected by children playing. If the family of the missing person, didn't recognize the skull's or it's smile. The Skull would be kept at the church, and used as bookends, or door stops. The old expression, Heads will Roll. Comes from a failed mission, or hunt.

[@molybdomancer195]

I think you’ll find “heads will roll” is a threat of severe punishment as it alludes to people being (hopefully figuratively) beheaded. The phrase seems to date from post 1930 after a certain dictator said something similar to threaten opponents

[@brigidspencer5123]

How do you know this?

[@bennyboogenheimer4553]

@@brigidspencer5123 In my misspent youth, I took a historical walk/hike of Britain Wales, and Scotland back in the early 1980's. I slept in a lot of small working , or abandoned Churches. I asked one of Ministers why there were so many skulls, just sitting around? Then he showed me his stash of over 500 years of skulls.164 of them.. So as he told me all about them, he told me the story behind, Heads Will Roll. I understand it still happens in the Rockies of the US, and Canada.

[@ginalowe1924]

Wow

[@XemeraldXD]

That is so incredibly interesting, i always thought "heads will roll" was related to guillotines! Thank you so much for sharing, thats very fascinating!

[@billswifejo]

Back in the 1960s my brother trained as a dentist and he had to have a skull. It was beautiful and had little brass catches. It sat on our television (one of those great big ones) and we called him Fred and was part of our family. Back then, there was a lot of talk about donating your bodies to science and it didn’t seem odd at all.

[@oscarramage95]

‘Have I just drunk out of a stream that lots of sheep have peed in, is that what you’re telling me?’ ‘Yes’ ‘Nice!’

[@DonnaLang42rockglobally]

I'm interested in seeing the rest of this story.

[@davetdowell]

You were probably holding the skull of a priest, it wasn't as unusual as you think for priests to be buried inside their church near (or under) the Altar. At one time. And if you think that sounds weird, just imagine how weird they'd think we all are for how we live today. I just knew David Tennant would turn out to be 'the highlander' of the clan Macleod. Just look at his face, he has the right look for the role.

[@joanhoffman3702]

In NYC at St. Patrick’s cathedral, when the cardinal dies, his body placed in the crypt beneath the cathedral.

[@lindas.1751]

My goodness. I've been a fan of Tennant for some years, but this is a little happy shock. I have MacKinnon and McCloud ancestors I believe from Mull via PEI. This is the most information I've ever gotten about that part of my ancestry :-)

[@melmitchell09]

Hi MacKinnon cousin, also via PEI.

[@obcl8569]

That does sound like a very lovely realisation! Happy for you ☺️

[@theanniebannie]

MacLeod

[@youruncleolaf4694]

if you get the ancestry app you can make a family tree, put in all the names you know, and it'll give you possible relatives it finds from others trees and online. you can also spit in a tube and get some solid certain answers. it's all very useful and interesting

[@alking7655]

Yes, well, Tennant isn't his birth surname. He changed it when going into acting, as many do. If you look into the title of his father, being a parish preacher, is Reverend McDonald.

[@cellis1066]

Such a boy with that skull. He's adorable.

[@victoriaguerin2851]

So he's related to Connor and Duncan MacLeod - why am I not surprised? We knew the Doctor was immortal!

[@williammackenzie6115]

There can only be one.

[@victoriaguerin2851]

@@williammackenzie6115 ""There can be only one" - and isn't he the only remaining Time Lord?

[@pjmoseley243]

he is a unique person no matter what anyone says he is, because you can only trace back so far simples.

[@kohakkanuva3224]

I love how he picks up a real human skull and is not one bit disturbed by it lmao

[@74aamer]

Beautiful

[@alanatolstad4824]

I did read the book on the clearances...tough read.

[@EvelynBaron]

Are you referring to the English clearance not just of Ireland but Scotland? Yes with dire consequences. I live in Canada and although my parents from different parts of Europe wow the people looking for new homes in that aftermath a chapter I did not read about in school. Good point!

[@KathrynTanner-t8f]

Interesting history and landscape. Don't know why people got in such a twist about a bone.

[@EvelynBaron]

My late husband had roots in the highlands ; I've only been to the Isle of Skye and the air and sky were extraordinary. Loved my step mum ;they're both gone and very much appreciated this journey on the part of a brillaint and as far as I know thoroughly good man.

[@owenanderson8503]

I love his story.

[@sabrinaevans8746]

The best Dr. As far as I’m concerned

[@kidsgrove-spider8405]

Love him in good omens

[@gillbaldwin712]

There's people's heads fantastic

[@clotildefhns2204]

Honestly, I wouldn’t mind having David Tennant pickup my skull if it was me. I’d be standing there as ghost along with all the other ghosts going: “ha! would you look at that, the handsome gangly lad chose my skull over yours!” and all the other ghosts would be super jealous of me. Mind, I’m Danish so I’m not quite sure why I would be buried in Scotland, but maybe I went over there to settle or something.

[@linshanhsiang]

Uh, the Danes did come to Britain, dear. Ever heard of the Vikings?

[@clotildefhns2204]

@@linshanhsiangwell yeah, for some reason I just pictured myself as slightly more recent ghost😂 but suuuure, I’ll take it! Viking me it is😁 I might have some British genes somewhere anyway, since I’ve got red hair - might as well be Scottish

[@CharredFibers]

Ah David. Ya disappointed me. I expected "alas, poor Urich. I knew him, Horatio." LOL love watching stories like this.

[@victoriaguerin2851]

Yorick

[@unikkorns]

Seems like such a Doctor thing (to me) to just jump in and touch things and be so casual about it. 😂 The unbridled excitement of discovering something.

[@70schild420]

I could listen to David talk all day.his accent is delicious ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@EvelynBaron]

Am I wrong or when David did his brilliant Hamlet he was holding a skull donated posthumously (you know what I mean) by an extraordinary character? Must look up. Happened upon this when I woke up what a lovely thoughtful way to begin the day. My late husband's mum was from the Isle of Skye an extraordinary place and of course David Tennant incontrovertably one of the good guys. Best wishes to all!

[@snakey319]

saw his Hamlet and when he picked up the skull expected some lines from the play.

[@EvelynBaron]

@@snakey319 Yes!!! Such a brilliant good guy. You know comparisons are odious and I am also a great admirer of Kenneth Branagh whose Hamlet 1997 was a watershed moment ... but conceived as a cinematic experience. I loved Tenant's filmed live off the cuff because of its quiet intensity both were great. ... And tx for reply! Taking my dog over to a friend for frolicking on their part and glad of a lovely day and wishing you the same.

[@samcroft7084]

Yes, Andre Tchaikowsky, he was a composer and he donated his skull to the Royal Shakespeare Company. It wasn't used for many years, but was used by David Tennant for Hamlet and the "Alas poor Yorrick, I knew him well..." speech.

[@EvelynBaron]

@@samcroft7084 thank you!

[@scarletpanther2513]

That skull before David touched it 💀 That skull after David touched it 😳

[@MayTennantCobainTomney]

HAHAHAHHA REAL.

[@sandywhite4042]

I so want to go there and find where my families lived. I know one ended up in PEI Canada, great, great parents. They had alot of children and one of their,daughters had 13 kids. The farm life never left them. So need to find out more on that,side. But,all is gone now and the history too. As a kid, who didn't think about, that stuff until it was to late to ask questions. My Nana had so many stories of her family . I wish I remembered some of them. Go up to Heaven ,sit down with all. Ask questions of long ago.

[@mahlbacher2]

Take an Ancestry dna test. Trace back to your ancestors on Mull, as I did. Ours were McGilvray, McGillivray people who went from Mull to Glasgow.

[@maybetomorrow6423]

Why are y'all so pressed about a skull lmao. It's not that he killed that person or something, that person probably died over a century ago. It really isn't that deep

[@JorbyTinky]

I love how David holds the skull, like he's making eye contact with it

[@kris_kreations]

This is great!

[@KajiRider1997]

I honestly expected David to go: I should buy that house as revenge.

[@anakinskywalker6666]

It's weird hearing David tenant speak in his native tongue after watching him in doctor who speak with an English accent

[@anakinskywalker6666]

@@Hollandsemum2 I don't Believe I've ever heard him speak with that accent

[@TheBioExplorer]

His Doctor Who accent still sounds a wee bit Scots.... but nothing near his actual accents.

[@anakinskywalker6666]

@@TheBioExplorer yeah but his doctor who accent so sounds slightly more British than Scottish

[@ginalowe1924]

Yes he really is a great actor.

[@malahammer]

actually he is speaking in his native tongue all the time...English.

[@danielwilliamson6180]

1:23 David's voice LOL

[@RexYoung206]

Gloomy weather and rising rents? Sounds like my hometown of Seattle! 🙂

[@cynthiabeverforden5257]

So with the clearances the indigenous people were shipped to other countries and became the Sottish diaspora. My Ross and McCulloch ancestors left because of problems with the English. And then they served in the American Revolutionary War.

[@justforfunsies5000]

😂😂😂 He’s a riot!

[@herstoryswitness]

Och, aye! My cousin David and Ive been to Mull.

[@pinklady4772]

This dude is funny. I hope he didnt get sick.😮

[@LauraRose2000]

No idea if he did get sick, but he’s fine now 🤷‍♀️

[@gutsbiker]

Europe has such a long history, It's not unusual to find bones in and around churches.

[@kimholcomb6943]

@gutsbiker usually you'll find grave sites in the church yards. And you can find them buried in the church walls and floors of churches too.

[@rivermistfae]

Haha I love Meg! 💙💙

[@__dane__]

“Let’s go shelter in the house.” And then all that’s remains is a few feet of walls 😂

[@gingerhipszky228]

My McAlisters were from the Isle of Mull,Tarbert they went to County Antrim, Northern Ireland

[@Tawadeb]

The Clearances were horrendous

[@briandawson8701]

His father was Moderator of the Church of Scotland Sister a Teacher in Paisley Brother in Oxford a big wig in the Mudic industry Interesting family !

[@EzioAuditoreDaFirenze99]

Yes, David is still a practicing Christian to this day.

[@andrewpolson5669]

Never seen someone so chilled about touching a human skull

[@mathadawnharris7315]

Most Scotsmen are curious about their surroundings and wanting to know if they are related. I would do that.. Wish we knew where all of our clan was located. Isle of Harris and Lewis is the main spot.

[@brookandroad]

Oops! There goes historical skull records! 😅😂😅

[@brigidspencer5123]

One of my colleagues is a McLeod from the Maritimes who is a very proud Scotsman. He celebrates Tartan Day every year and gives us a piece of tartan in memory. However he is also Catholic not Presbyterian.

[@lhuras.]

I'm sure by that time he picked up the Skull there were already a lot of other People picking up the Skull. If you as an owner of this Building would find something like that you would not keep quit, would you? They probably called police and other officials for this topic to get clear out of it. And as it looks for me this state of construction must be like that for some time now. That on the other hand must have got talked about in this area to many people and awoke some interest in it for some archeologists who probably already touched the Skulls (and even more) long before David did this. You people who blame him for touching some Skulls probably never experienced something like finding old graves, have you? In Europe, parts of Africa and Asia every new Construction has a possibility to find old graveyards or even randomly whole villages hidden beyond layers of earth, mud and who knows, what else. And many skills got touched and moved with no content. To touch and move Skulls does not mean to show no respect. And at least he put it back in the end without harm. /rant

[@Emily.R.W]

Haven’t actually seen any comments criticising David for that, and I’ve scrolled down a fair way. They probably got too many dislikes for YT to bother showing them now (3 weeks later). It seems most people actually have common sense. And, if the ‘Heads will Roll’ thing others have mentioned is to be believed, then they will have been handled plenty of times by highlanders before being left beneath the floor and the rest of their bones are somewhere in the highlands above the village. And considering the way they were just left there, the people to replace the floor in the last couple hundreds of years may have touched them or thought nothing of it.

[@cryalot378]

David grabs a skull **Hamlet moment intensifies**

[@Hinoema01]

"She spent a lot of time being pregnant." Don't talk about Georgia like that. XD

[@CelesteL]

I'd love doing my own research as well some day

[@fanfandoming8225]

I am one of ten children so the comment about ten being a big big family made me laugh a lot🤣🤣

[@jeanieschrag5378]

My grandmother was a MacLoud and my grandfather was a MacDonald.

[@avalondreaming1433]

Wasn't Trump's mother a McLoud?

[@EvelynBaron]

That's a big clan and a lot of history!!!! Best best wishes.

[@kalinystazvoruna8702]

@@avalondreaming1433 Trump's mother was "Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, an immigrant from Scotland". Wikipedia is your friend.

[@williammackenzie6115]

@@avalondreaming1433 Yes a MacLeod from the same island as my family.

[@TheMacqo]

A properly trained Shakespearean actor would never pass a chance to hold a skull in his hand.

[@cwdforgood]

So handsome, his family must have been beautiful.

[@pauljones1350]

They burnt the high roof away that’s why building a wee bit low !where did that lovely family go!😮

[@carolinnanl9899]

David McLeod from the clan McLeod? That is explains a lot 😂

[@1401minstrel]

Actually, he's David McDonald.

[@mandalorianbodafettgirl4642]

I would like to do this and walk in the foot steps of my ancestors cause I'm half Scottish 😊

[@Fullmetal1291985]

🤔 was wondering where linus sebastian got his idea for his look 🤣

[@samuelhaverghast2442]

I swear one of my friends is a distant relative of this guy, they look almost identical

[@johngrey5143]

Me: ah good old doctor who Hears the name mcloud me: their can be only one!!!

[@StrawberrySue777]

My ancestors are Macleods as well. Highlanders.

[@missybarbour6885]

"Alas, poor Yorick..."

[@tsundereyoongi]

I think David's trying to recreate that large family 😂 only five more to go, I think?

[@resourcedragon]

To the narrator: the Scots do not call their Celtic language "gaylic", Gaelic is pronounced "Gallic". (Strictly speaking, the Irish don't call their language "gaylic" either, they've given up on getting Sassenachs to pronounce the name correctly and just call it Irish.)

[@LarryjB53]

Alas poor Vinnie!

[@leeyaferguson9019]

Sad😢.

[@Allegro11Maestoso]

A thought he was gonnae start wi Alas, poor Yorick, a nu him well!

[@maritzadillingham4008]

Humans can be so cruel ! To burn those people ‘s homes so they would not come back . All because the lord wanted more money .

[@kalinystazvoruna8702]

Nowadays we have cities that are barring the homeless from living on the streets but do nothing to change zoning laws to create more affordable housing.

[@Robertarcher2035]

Unlikely the landlord was titled nor English. Most likely a Scottish landlord making the most of his assets . It’s all in in the history waiting to be discovered . Meanwhile “ Man’s inhumanity to man …. “

[@marksadventures3889]

So is DT one of my relies? If he's a Macleod

[@deeblack9393]

How long till we see a tie in combining the 10th Doctor to Duncan McCloud of the Highlander?

[@lde-m8688]

So...he's a McCloud of the clan McCloud? There can be only one?

[@bonniea8189]

*MacLeod not McCloud

[@lde-m8688]

@bonniea8189 my pardon, i wasn't paying attention to the autocorrect.

[@bonniea8189]

@@lde-m8688 heh heh you're forgiven 😉

[@Thornus_______]

He has highland Ancestry and Karen Gillan is from Inverness

[@TheBioExplorer]

The way ancestral lands were just given to English nobles was horrible... though I know it was just a fact of life that the stronger conquering group took whatever. It would be nice if they had a program now where those that want to return to their family land.

[@ednareid1022]

When we get independence we can start the process of land reclamation

[@erp1293]

I think usually in Scotland the land owners were Scots such of Neil Malcolm of Poltalloch or the Dukes of Argyll who were Campbells (two of the land owners in Mull who cleared the land). Admittedly at the level of the nobles, they were probably quite Anglicized in education if not in male lineage.

[@Robertarcher2035]

It was Scots who evicted Scots in the past . Same as Africans selling Africans . Greed and inhumanity is within all nations . True history shows it . Let’s do our best to neither forget nor repeat .

[@is_a_verb]

Think the "program" is called Free Palestine

[@RebekkaHay]

Can you stop putting the middle bits at the beginning? This could not be more frustrating.

[@enckidoofalling2883]

Alas poor Yorick!

[@MIGBMWLOVER]

so he is a MCloud a Highlander like the film?

[@daniellebrena5585]

"bring tardis"

[@skipmage]

Look out, it's Duncan McLeod from the clan McLeod. Shout out if you know.

[@milkypeanutsonafriday]

Honestly thought this was a Broadchurch related video from the thumbnail

[@RobMacKendrick]

Not the only Scottish house with bodies buried under it.

[@TheAmtwhite]

10 is a big family? Not for that time. My own grandmother had 11, and those are the ones that survived through child birth. She had her children in Canada in the 30’s/40’s. My maternal great grandmother was the same way.

[@snakey319]

a womans life was pure pain and drudgery, sad.

[@fireflights1977]

You do realize it was large for as far back as they were. Where infancy mortality was extremely high.

[@alayadeluce]

Same here. They all had 10 -15 children from ages 20ish to early 40s, usually 1 to 3 died. They were basically baby machines for 20 years.

[@calicomist9213]

Agree! My 9th great grandmother (nee MacDuff) MacIntosh had 20.

[@starryxblue]

@@calicomist9213 wow. poor woman

[@Fatherofheroesandheroines]

The second most Scottishy actor ever has Highland ancestors? Color me not surprised at all lol.

[@gerryhatrick6678]

My MacGillivray Great Great grandmother was part of the clearances in 1849 from Iona....she was nine. She came with her parents Donald and Anne (MacDonald) and siblings to Canada. Donald took up the offer of 200 acres of land if he cleared it. Instead he got special permission to build a saw mill and use the timber on his land to supply lumber to the other homesteaders....he ended up being wealthy. Donald's youngest brother Malcolm went to Australia. Donald and Malcolm's parents died of exposure the first winter after the clearances and the other six siblings who remained behind died as paupers.

[@williammitchell4417]

Doctor... You might want to put the skull back and get your Sonic Screwdriver out!!