PODCAST

Scotland Outdoors

BBC Radio Scotland

A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.

science nature

All Episodes

82:37

The Skipinnish Oak, Laggan Wolftrax and Fair Isle

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/11/09

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors

32:39

Kidnapped and the Stevenson Way - Part 1

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/11/06

We've dug into our archive to bring you a programme originally broadcast in 2012 when Mark Stephen followed the route taken by protagonist David Balfour in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, 'Kidnapped'.In this first section, it's a brief visit to the Hawes Inn in South Queensferry before taking a boat to the Island of Erraid - which sits off Mull - and the magnificent beach where Davey found himself shipwrecked.Mark is following the Stevenson Way.

82:59

Caledonian Pines, Cider and the North Coast 500

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/11/02

A recent report showed that almost a quarter of all ancient pinewoods are at risk of disappearing altogether. Earlier this week, Mark attended Scotland’s Pinewood Conference in Fort William to find out what’s being done to preserve these woodlandsIt’s prime cider making time. Rachel visits Digby Lamotte at his cider making business in Perth to follow the process of producing this increasingly popular drinkIn the late 1700s, Dr James Mounsey, a physician, is said to have smuggled out several pounds

83:30

Montrose Mosquitoes, the Grey Lady of Glamis Castle...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/10/26

Mark is back at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Montrose Basin site, but this time it isn’t geese he’s looking for, it’s mosquitos. Mark hears about the monitoring programme that the Basin is part of and why it’s important to track mosquitos for human health and also bird health.Back in 2021 Storm Arwen wreaked havoc on the North East causing lots of damage including to some of the buildings at the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses in Fraserburgh. Recently Rachel went for a visit to see how the repair

30:43

Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, Head of Restoration at the...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/10/23

Mark Stephen meets Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, Head of Restoration at the Beaver Trust. They meet at the Argaty Beaver Project near Doune in Perthshire to discuss her love of the mammal and how the reintroduction of the species is progressing

56:06

Islay Part Two

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/10/19

Mark and Rachel with the second part of their visit the island of Islay, the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides.The RSPB has two reserves on the island, one at Loch Gruinart and one at The Oa, which is where Mark and Rachel met warden David Dinsley to try and spot one of the bird species Islay is known for, the chough.Artist Heather Dewar was born on Islay in the 1940s, and although she moved away as a child, she returned regularly until she retired there. We chat to her about what makes

29:59

Islay Part One

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/10/16

Mark and Rachel visit the island of Islay, the southern most island of the Inner Hebrides. They take a walk with gamekeeper turned outdoor guide, DJ MacPhee, to get an overview of the island which has a diverse range of landscapes and habitats.They then head to Loch Finlaggan, the seat of the Lord of the Isles, a site of huge significance for hundreds of years, and hear all about its history from Mairead Mackechnie of the Loch Finlaggan Trust.Next they visit a re-discovered ancient lifting stone on

81:30

Slugs, Surfing and Tattie Picking

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/10/12

Slugs are sometimes regarded as a garden pest, but they are more important than people might think. Rachel meets with retired teacher and slug expert Chris Du Feu after one of his workshops in Rosyth run by the Fife Nature Records Centre to ask whether he had noticed more slugs than usual this year.It’s rare these days to see a mature elm tree be it in the countryside or in our towns and cities. That’s because of Dutch Elm Disease which, over the past sixty years, has killed millions of trees

26:42

Saving the Great British Elm with David Shreeve and...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/10/09

Dutch Elm disease has killed millions of elms across the world over the past century. But there is still hope that this mighty tree can be saved. Helen hears from David Shreeve of the Conservation Foundation about his new book Great British Elms. And from Max Coleman of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh about a conservation project in Scotland to plant resilient elms.

84:34

Tree Hugging, Firth of Forth Wildlife and Fyvie Castle

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/10/05

In this week’s Scotland Outdoors episode, Mark meets Tim Simons of Scotways to learn more about the history of outdoor access in Scotland.Celebrations were held last month to mark the 60th anniversary of the Forth Road Bridge and honour the structure, which at the time of construction was one of the longest in the world. Recently, Rachel was invited to view it from a slightly different angle on a Forth Boat Tours trip with Alastair Baird as her guide.To mark 40 years since they took over the running

17:46

A History of Outdoor Access in Scotland with Tim...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/10/02

Mark Stephen meets Tim Simons of the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society

82:43

Turn Table Ferry, Lady of the Lake and Tile Whipping

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/09/28

ScotWays (Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society) have published the sixth edition of Scottish Hill Tracks in around 100 years. The book launches on Saturday 28th September. Over the last five years hundreds of volunteers have helped to compile the book. Mark meets with ScotWays Director Tim Simons to discuss the book and its importance.The importance of seed saving is increasingly being recognised across the world as a way of establishing resilience in the natural environment. It is also the

25:44

An Autumn Equinox Walk up Aberdeenshire's Bennachie...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/09/25

A weaving of Ian's essay 'The Sacred Mountain' with a walk up Aberdeenshire's most prominent hill, Bennachie. As we pass through the Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, we offer an invitation to reflect on the changing of the seasons by visiting a special place.

83:18

Saltmarshes, Shipwrecks and Honey Bees

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/09/21

With many parts of Scotland finally getting harvest underway, and planting for 2025 harvest being undertaken, NFU Scotland is asking growers to now complete its 31st consecutive annual harvest survey. Mark meets with Scott Campbell, North East representative on the NFUS Crops Committee, to chat about how the harvest has been so far and what the implications are further down the line.Helen Needham meets Gretchen Daily of the Natural Capital Project at Stanford University.A special festival gets

26:48

Putting Nature at the Heart of Decision Making with...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/09/18

Helen Needham meets Gretchen Daily of the Natural Capital Project at Stanford University

84:00

Wildflower Meadow Skincare, the Love Tree and...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/09/14

Phil Sime visits an RSPB reserve on North Uist where local crofters work alongside the charity to improve the habitat for birds including corncrake and Golden Eagle.Rachel is in Milton near Invergordon hearing about a rather impressive beech tree that has an important place in local history. She hears about efforts of the community woodland to help preserve it for future generations.The Forth Bridge is a railway bridge and a UNESCO world heritage site, and it never fails to impress Mark when he’s

30:26

A Sound Journey Along Scotland's National Trail with...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/09/11

In 2023, Musician and Sound Artist Jenny Sturgeon spent 37 days walking the 864 km trail from Kirk Yetholm in the Borders to Cape Wrath in the North West Highlands. Along the way, she recorded sounds and wrote about her journey which have been mixed together for this podcast to produce an immersive and inspiring piece.

83:32

Bogs, Bairns, Stovies and Scything

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/09/07

There was much celebration in Caithness a few weeks ago when it was announced that, after decades of planning and preparation, The Flow Country has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status. It’s the first in Scotland to be granted this status on purely natural criteria and is also the only peatbog in the world with World Heritage status. At one time, scything would have been common practice in Scotland, for making hay or harvesting crops. But, with the advent of machinery, land managers were no

23:19

Dan Richards on the Remarkable Life of Pioneering...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/09/04

Dorothy Pilley was a pioneering climber who wrote of her adventures in the high peaks in her book 'Climbing Days' which was published in 1935. Thanks to the efforts of her great great nephew, Dan Richards, it has been republished. It contains vivid descriptions of her adventures around the globe and is testament to her personal strength and bravery as a woman breaking new ground in this domain.

81:39

Hercules The Bear, Ryeland Sheep and A Pink Tablecloth

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/08/31

It's time for the second Big River Watch of the year. It’s a chance to spend time observing the health of your local river between the 6th and 12th of September. The River Dee trust are taking part in the forthcoming survey and Keilidh Ewan, education and outreach officer for the trust gave Mark some more information.A new trial is underway in Scotland which could cut the harmful emissions associated with manure on farms. Two farmers are trying out a system called Bokashi which the Soil Association

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