TV tourists get under skin of the region

A PAIR of stand-up comedians are battling it out to be the region’s “best tourist” on a TV show.

John Tothill and Fatiha El-Ghorri have been visiting sites across Dumfries and Galloway as part of the Channel 4 series, ‘Where to Next?’, in which they get tips from the public of what to see and do in an area.

They take part in challenges at each destination, which locally included Highland cow grooming and ghostly storytelling.

Destinations which feature in the Where to Next? episode include: Kitchen Coos and Ewes, near Newton Stewart, where John is crowned a ‘coo whisperer extraordinaire’ and Fatiha calls it ‘the best experience of my life’.

Neale McQuistin, co-owner of Kitchen Coos and Ewes, said: “We had such great fun with Fatiha and John when they came to visit Kitchen Coos and Ewes; they were both so easy to get on with.

“It’s not unusual for some of our visitors to get a bit dewy eyed when they meet our coos, so we could tell right away that Fatiha was loving the experience.

“We also found out that John has hidden talents. Not everyone has the legendary coo whispering gene, so it was such a joy to discover that John has it imprinted in his DNA.”

Other destinations that feature in the episode include The Open Book in Wigtown, Crichton Memorial Church and Caerlaverock Castle, which Fatiha describes as ‘possibly the coolest castle’ in Scotland.

Commenting on the series, Thomas Pullen, from Channel 4, said: “There’s no better way to experience a country than through the fresh perspective of two first-time visitors, especially when they’re comedians.

“Where to Next? is filled with warm conversations, funny interactions, and stunning scenery.”

Where to Next? Scotland is available to watch on the Channel 4 YouTube channel.