PODCAST

Scotland Outdoors

BBC Radio Scotland

A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.

science nature

All Episodes

82:19

A Kitchen Garden, The Trossachs Explorer and 200...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/09/27

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors.

22:48

Life, Death and the Outdoors with Juliet Robertson

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/09/24

'Upsetting content warning' - Juliet talks very openly about her terminal illness which some people may find upsetting.

83:45

Trees, Trains and Spiders

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/09/20

Leslie Heritage Group in Fife came up with an ambitious project designed to unearth more information about the ancient village’s history and raised money for an archaeological dig. Rachel went along to day one of the excavation to learn more from Group members Bill Carr and Bill Fiet and archaeologist Philip Karsgaard.Woodland Trust Scotland has developed a database which maps social depravation against canopy cover and gives each neighbourhood a ‘tree equity score.’ Kevin Keane meets the Trust’s

27:56

RRS Discovery

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/09/17

Mark Stephen visits Dundee to hear how a consignment of teak which was salvaged from a sunken steamer ship in the Irish Sea is now being used as part of the RRS Discovery restoration project

81:48

Counting Butterflies, Carriage Driving and Nature...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/09/13

The North East Open Studios allows people to meet artists and makers, often in their own workspaces. Rachel is welcomed by Marguerite Fleming from Westfield Croft in Aberdeenshire who has a rare breed fibre flock which she uses to create hand woven rugs and yarns.Around this time last year, Mark visited Scott Campbell on his farm at Kinellar in Aberdeenshire when the rain that had played havoc with his crops. Mark catches up with Scott to find out how the barley has fared this year.The results of

20:59

The Beauty of Moths

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/09/10

Mark Stephen visits Insh Marshes near Aviemore in the early hours to meet a couple of moth enthusiasts and discover the contents of the moth trap they had set the night before

81:34

Rooks, Disc Golf and Autumnal Activities

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/09/06

The University of St Andrews is using ancient rocks from Torridon to test instruments that will be used on the Mars Rover to look for evidence of life. Mark meets Dr Claire Cousins in the lab.Rod and Niccy Angus opened the Scottish Owl Centre in West Lothian in 2012 and are now looking for new people to take over the attraction. It’s the largest collection of owls in the world and Rachel hears how the origins of the venture can be traced back to one species.Phil Sime takes a trip to Inverness

26:48

Scottish Owl Centre - End of an Era

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/09/03

Rachel Stewart meets the owners of the Scottish Owl Centre as they prepare for retirement

82:15

Coal Carrying Championships, Life on St Kilda and...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/08/30

The Bikery in Huntly, Aberdeenshire aims to repair and resell old bikes to stop them ending up in landfill. Rachel chats to team members Stuart Pow and Laura McNeil about the Bikery’s mission, before heading to the workshop to learn how the project teaches mechanical skills.Josh Donaldson from Arbroath became an internet sensation after posting videos clearing up litter from his local forests, beaches and streets. In an excerpt from our midweek podcast, Mark joins Josh to find out how he is

21:19

Josh Donaldson - Litter Picking

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/08/27

Mark Stephen speaks to Josh Donaldson from Arbroath who became a Tick Tock sensation after posting videos of him clearing up litter from his local forests, beaches and streets. As well as coming across the usual litter such as plastic bottles, cans and crisp packets, he’s even found a grenade. Now with a following of 1.5 million fans as far as the USA and Vietnam, Josh is motivating thousands to do the same.

84:21

Rivers, Fossils and Hot Air Balloons

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/08/23

Mark is back with Heritage Engagement Manager Ingrid Shearer on the banks of the River Clyde to discuss one of Scotland’s first access rights success stories, the case of Harvie’s Dyke.Also on the Clyde, Helen Needham takes a wander with author Louise Welsh and architect Jude Barber, who are asking for recognition of the legal personhood status of the river.Helen and Mark are joined by Chris Romer-Lee who co-founded Swimmable Cities to discuss how we can swim in our urban waterways once more and the

31:12

Rivers with Robert Macfarlane

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/08/20

Helen Needham discusses the 'aliveness' of rivers with writer Robert Macfarlane

81:10

Moose, Cranes and the Wolf of Badenoch

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/08/16

Mark is in Aberdeenshire with RSPB’s Hywel Maggs to try to catch a glimpse of the Common crane and to find out why numbers of the birds are increasing in North East Scotland.Naturalist and Educator Dan Puplett reads the Scottish landscape to track wildlife. Jenny Graham meets him Rafford, near Forres to search for evidence of local species.‘Clouds’, a new book by Dr Edward Graham explores cloud formations, the science behind them and even the famous artists who have painted them. Mark meets author

24:42

Eddy Graham - Clouds

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/08/13

Mark Stephen meets Eddy Graham, a lecturer/researcher in atmospheric science.

82:43

Rowing on the River Clyde, Stonehaven's Land Train...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/08/09

Comedian Dion Owen is at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to combine his two passions, cycling and stand-up. Mark meets Dion before his show to find out more about his free bike programme for Fringe artists.Gardening expert Julie-Ann Henderson is trying to encourage more young people to consider horticulture as a career. She established the first North of Scotland garden show this year and Rachel catches up with her at her home near Keith.Ingrid Shearer is co-author of the A-Z of Rowing on the Clyde,

39:25

The Whithorn Way - Part 6 - Girvan to St Ninian's Cave

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/08/06

The Whithorn Way follows an ancient pilgrim route from Glasgow to Whithorn in Dumfries and Galloway. In this final episode, Mark and Rachel walk some of the Ayrshire Coastal Path south of Girvan. Then Mark takes to his bike for the final section to Whithorn. They reach Whithorn Priory where the relics of St Ninian were kept, and the place where pilgrims would seek atonement. Their final destination is the beach next to St Ninian's cave where he is said to have spent a considerable amount of time in

83:29

A Herring Queen, Art on a Bus and a Very Small Ferry

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/08/02

Since 1978 the Travelling Gallery has been bringing exhibitions to communities throughout Scotland by putting art inside a bus. Mark steps on board with curator Louise Briggs in Callendar Park, Falkirk, to explore the latest exhibition, Seedlings: Diasporic Imaginaries. Phil Sime speaks to blind farmer Mike Duxbury about Scotland’s first inclusive farm, a place where people with disabilities can gain the confidence, skills, and opportunities to pursue a career in agriculture.BBC’s Farmwatch is back

28:49

Scotland's First Inclusive Farm

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/07/30

Phil Sime visits a farm near Aboyne, Aberdeenshire to speak to blind farmer Mike Duxbury and his partner Ness Shillitto about creating Scotland’s first inclusive farm. This is a place where people with disabilities will gain the confidence, skills and opportunity to pursue a career in agriculture.

80:18

An Orkney Shipwreck, A Rare Moth and Aspen Trees

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/07/26

The rare Dark Bordered Beauty moth is found in only two sites in Scotland and one in England. Mark joins Dark Bordered Beauty Moth Champion Pete Moore at RSPB Insh Marshes nature reserve to find out more about attempts to reintroduce the moth to other areas in Scotland. Dark Bordered Beauty moths in Scotland are reliant on aspen suckers - shoots that sprout from the roots of an aspen tree, acting as a form of vegetative reproduction. Mark catches up with Conservation Manager Shaila Rao at Mar Lodge

29:36

The Whithorn Way - Part 5 - Ayr to Girvan

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/07/23

The Whithorn Way follows an ancient pilgrim route from Glasgow to Whithorn in Dumfries and Galloway. In this episode, Mark and Rachel begin at Crossraguel Abbey at Maybole, once a significant stopping off point for pilgrims. Then it's off to the once very popular holiday destination of Girvan to learn about a new community led tourism initiative. And they are given the grand tour of the town ending at the jail.

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