This episode of The Amazing Race starts at 12:00am, with Bethany & Adam learning that they will be traveling to Shetland, Scotland. Teams have to take a train to Aberdeen, then drive aboard a ferry to the Shetland Islands. Once on the island, they need to drive to the Royal National Lifeboat Institute and find a puffin to receive their next clue. The teams discover that the next train is at 6am, so they will all be caught up. On the way to the train station, Scott falls and twists his ankle, which could potentially slow the firefighters down this leg. Kym & Alli dub the other teams as boring, since they are just sitting outside the train station. The cyclists decide to kill the next several hours in a pub. On the train, Scott shows the other teams his ankle, which is swollen and a startling shade of purple. The other teams voice concern for him, but Scott declares that he will be fine, it’s just a flesh wound. Once teams arrive in Shetland and get their next clue, they are off to 
Scalloway, where they will need to find a clue in the castle. Keith and Whitney are first to get their clue, which is a detour. Pony Up requires teams to carry 50 blocks of peat from a peat bank with a special tool, then load a Shetland pony with two loads of dry peat and deliver it to a farmer’s house. Light My Fire requires teams to properly build a viking torch to the specifications of the viking judge. Tim & Te Jay get very lost on the way to the castle, but a local gives them directions and they eventually find the next clue. Somehow Misti and Jim manage to go from 5th to 1st by arriving at the detour first. About half of the teams chose Pony Up, although the scientists can’t even lift a single peat out of the peat bank. Eventually they learn how to use the tool properly, instead of just relying on brute strength.
Meanwhile, the wrestlers accidentally find the Light My Fire detour, so they decide to do that instead of Pony Up. Five teams chose this detour, which consists of three steps, each having to be approved before you can move on. Team country says that it’s a difficult detour, but to me, it looked easier than the other side. Misti & Jim load up their pony, then discover that they have to head all the way up the hill to deliver the peat. They have to do this twice, which I’m sure must have been incredibly exhausting. The firefighters say that they are firemen vikings and they’ll show the vikings how to put the fire out, because it’s much easier than making the torch. All of the teams have finished the first step of Light My Fire except the wrestlers, who are really struggling. Meanwhile, on the second trip up the hill, Misti & Jim’s pony revolts and starts braying and resisting Jim’s guidance. The dentists finally get their pony to cooperate, finish the detour, and are off to Berry Farm. Team Country is on the final step of the detour, which consists of them applying cement to the torch. Whitney keeps calling it “sea-meant,” because apparently she’s never heard of the word cement before. The cyclists are on fire (so punny), as they blow past the 
other teams to finish building the torch first. However, they get confused when they have to look for the dock to light the torch. As the four other teams finish the third task, the wrestlers are stuck on the second step, since they can’t figure out how to bend a nail. The firefighters remark how stupid this is, seeing as you typically bend a nail on accident. The viking watches in disbelief as Robbie & Brooke try to bend the nail on the table, against the hammer, and eventually the proper way – while it is in the wood. Tim & Te Jay (can I just call them Double T?) find the dock first, and receive their next clue. Apparently the other challenge was much easier, because all the teams that chose Pony Up have finished, leaving Double T in 5th place.
The dentists arrive at the next task – Get Your Sheep Together – in which teams must corral a flock of sheep through a course and into a pen, much like sheep dogs do. Back at Light My Fire, the firemen complete the detour, followed by the cyclists and Team Country. The wrestlers eventually manage to complete the third task, and they head off in search of the vikings. When team mother/daughter arrive at this challenge, they say it’ll be easy and fun. I sincerely hope this was meant sarcastically, because true fans of TAR should know that challenges in which you have to direct animals never go as planned. Misti & Jim finish this task; they are given a token and told to go to the place where it is found, which is St. Ninian’s Isle. The dentists go to a museum to find out where the pit stop is, and then they are on their way to St. Ninian’s Isle. At the pit stop, the dentists are greeted by a giant puffin and Phil, who tells them that they are in first place and have won a trip to Dubai. The scientists finish the challenge next, followed by the surfers. The scientists ask some construction workers where the medallion is found, and they are incorrectly advised to go to Scalloway Castle. Bethany & Adam stopped at the museum as well, and they make it to the pit stop second. Team Country finishes the task 4th, team mother/daughter finishes 5th, and the cyclists are the sixth team to complete the task. Keith & Whitney are the 3rd team to check in at the pit stop, and Phil tries to create some drama by asking what the other teams might think about the way they talk to each other, and whether they should change their tone towards each other. Whitney says that it’s no one’s business, and it works for them so they don’t need to change anything about their relationship.
Tim & Te Jay try a new method – open the cage more, but tie a rope with their clothes to keep the sheep in. Shockingly, this 
doesn’t work, as the sheep just jump over the clothes. Scott falls while trying to herd the sheep, and Michael tells him to sit down and let him herd the sheep on his own. Scott says that they should just take the four hour penalty, because he’s got a broken paw. Michael insists that he can do this challenge on his own, and that taking the penalty would get them eliminated from the race. The firefighters manage to keep it together long enough to finish the task before Tim & Te Jay. However, they stop in a bar to ask where the token is found, and they are misdirected to Weisdale. Tim & Te Jay finally herd all the sheep into the corral, and they have a chance to beat the firefighters if they find out where the pit stop actually is first. Team mother/daughter are 4th, the scientists are 5th, the wrestlers are 6th, and the cyclists are 7th. Once the firefighters make it to Weisdale, they stop at a jewelry store and are told that they need to backtrack and go to St. Ninian’s Isle. Tim & Te Jay stop at a museum and get correct directions, causing them to get to the pit stop before the firefighters and become team number 8. As the firefighters run to the pit stop, sad music plays, dashing my hopes of it being a non elimination leg. Phil tells Michael & Scott that they have been eliminated from the race, and although they are disappointed, they handle it gracefully.
What did you think of this episode of The Amazing Race? I’ve wanted to go to Scotland for a while, and this episode just makes me want to go even more! The views, especially at the pit stop, were just breathtaking. Are you glad Tim & Te Jay managed to make it to the pit stop before Michael & Scott? I like Double T, but I’m always disappointed when a team gets eliminated because of bad directions or getting lost rather than because of poor performance on a challenge. Although the firefighters should have asked a more reputable person for directions, I still think it’s unfair that they were eliminated, because they had such great teamwork this leg! Who do you think will be eliminated next? A non elimination round should be coming up soon, possibly even on the next leg of the race. Let me know who you want to win in the comments below!
