Scots are watching the Catalan controversy with more than a passing interest. As Madrid and Barcelona slug it out over the region's future status, more than a few people in Scotland are seeking parallels with the UK.

Scots writer, author and broadcaster Rachel McCormack lived in Catalunya for several years, and also set up a Catalan cooking school in London. She has just returned from Barcelona, where she struck up old friendships and took the temperature of the Catalan debate, just as Spanish authorities strengthened their grip.

She visited Newsnet to tell podcast host Derek Bateman and producer Maurice Smith her impressions from the Catalan front.