What we learned from Scotcast's interviews with party leaders
BBCThe BBC’s Scotcast podcast interviewed the leaders of the six main political parties ahead of next month’s election.
There were some unexpected revelations when the conversation with presenter Martin Geissler veered away from politics.
Here's some things we learned from the interviews, which you can listen to here.
SNP leader Swinney's soup Sundays
ReutersSNP leader and First Minister John Swinney told the programme his Sunday afternoons are spent meal prepping for the week ahead in his Perthshire country kitchen.
Each week he makes "a big pot of soup", which he portions up and freezes so his wife Elizabeth has a "hearty lunch" to eat.
Elizabeth has multiple sclerosis, which affects her mobility.
Swinney said her condition was currently "challenging but stable", and his soup was made "to a particular recipe that is beneficial to [his] wife's health and wellbeing".
He also loves to listen to Scottish music. He is especially fond of Amy MacDonald, but also namechecks Skerryvore, Skipinnish and Mànran.
He says that visiting the Tiree music festival every summer to listen to his favourite music is a highlight.
Conservative Findlay's acid attack
Russell Findlay told the podcast that, although he is the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, he doesn't really think of himself as a politician.
His career in politics follows 30 years as a journalist, during which he spent a lot of time reporting on organised crime.
He described the incident in 2015 when he was attacked by a man disguised as a postman who threw sulphuric acid in his face.
His 10-year-old daughter, who had been in bed, ran to get help. Neighbours doused him in water to wash away the acid.
Findlay said it wasn't until police arrived and he saw a knife which the attacker had dropped that "the red mist came down" as he thought about what could have happened to him. Findlay made a full recovery and his attacker was jailed.
He also shared that he is a true Scotsman when wearing the kilt, saying: "The underpants stay in the drawer."
Labour's Sarwar: My dad never tells me he loves me
PA MediaPolitics is the family business for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. His father, Mohammad Sarwar, was Britain's first Muslim MP and has also served as governor of the Punjab.
Anas told Scotcast that his father had never told him that he loved him.
Anas said that after one of his own children had said this was unfair, Mohammad had promised to respond in kind next time his son told him he loved him.
The next time the boy told his grandfather he loved him, Mohammad replied: "I love you too."
Anas said: "I thought, this is my chance, my moment. I said, 'I love you, Dad'. And he turned around and said: 'Thank you'."
But he said his father shows affection in other ways and that he has never doubted that his dad loves him.
Anas also revealed that he is secretly a massive wrestling fan, and loves to watch it with his children.
Lib Dems' Cole-Hamilton's Quaker beliefs
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton shared his Quaker faith, and described it as a very relaxed, almost Zen-like form of Christianity.
He told the podcast that speaking in a Quaker meeting was very different to public speaking as a politician.
"The spirit takes you and you stand up and have an almost out-of-body experience, finding yourself saying things you didn't imagine you would say," he said.
He said it was more of a spiritual experience for him than a religious one.
Cole-Hamilton also shared that his Saturday treat breakfast is a rather unusual combination: a piece of toast with vegetarian haggis, jalapeños, melted mature cheddar and Edinburgh chippy sauce.
Reform leader Offord's appetite for Scotch pies
PA MediaReform's leader in Scotland, Malcolm Offord, told of his appetite for Scotch pies.
He has one "most days", including making a pit stop for a pie on the way to record his Scotcast interview.
The obsession started when he got his first job, working at the Aulds bakery in Greenock.
"I did the night shift and developed an insatiable appetite for Scotch pies," he said.
As a student at Edinburgh University, he "basically lived on" Scotch pies with baked beans on top.
He also said Dignity by Deacon Blue was his favourite song, and that in his 50s he got into yachting and is now an accomplished sailor - even competing against world-leading yachtsmen and giving them a run for their money.
Scottish Greens' Mackay suffered 'extreme' bullying
PA MediaGillian Mackay, the Scottish Greens co-leader, told Scotcast about some of the "pretty extreme" bullying she suffered at school.
She said there had been serious incidents, including one assault on the walk home from school which had led to her being hospitalised with a concussion.
But now she has forgiven her bullies and moved on.
She and her longtime friend Ross Greer have been co-leaders of the Scottish Greens since last summer - a role she took up when her son was just eight weeks old.
Without the party's co-leadership model, Mackay said she wouldn't have gone for the position.
She said she didn't think she'd have been able to keep up with the pace of her job while also being there for her young son without Greer to share the burden.
