PODCAST

Scotland Outdoors

BBC Radio Scotland

A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.

science nature

All Episodes

83:31

Vintage Buses, A Chelsea Garden in Glasgow and a Very...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/05/10

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors

24:17

Professor Lorna Dawson, Forensic Soil Scientist

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/05/07

Mark Stephen meets head of soil forensics at the James Hutton Institute, Professor Lorna Dawson. Mark meets Lorna at the Institute's research farm, Glensaugh in Aberdeenshire to find out what exactly her job entails

81:49

Peregrine Falcons in Glasgow, Loch Garten Ospreys and...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/05/03

Peregrine falcons have been in residence at the University of Glasgow’s Gilbert Scott Tower for a number of years now, with a new clutch of chicks being born again this year. Rachel met with Clarke Elsby from the university and John Simpson, from the Scottish Ornithologists Club, to get a glimpse of these magnificent birds of prey. Solsgirth Home Farm near Dollar is home to a large variety of animals, from sheep, to pigs, to emu. Owned and run by veterinarian Jan Dixon, the farm is passionate about

29:54

Sixty Years of the Scottish Wildlife Trust

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/04/30

Rachel Stewart speaks to Dr Kenny Taylor at the Montrose Basin about 60 years of the SWT

82:51

Birch Sap, Sailing and Boggy Marathons

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/04/26

Tennants of Elgin is a family quarrying business that has been operating out of the North East of Scotland for fifty years. They have had numerous impressive contracts across Europe, but have recently begun some work that’s a little closer to home – providing the granite for Aberdeen’s Union Street works. Mark went along to meet with Director Gavin Tennant, and find out more about the quarrying process.Muirburn is a polarising issue at the moment in Scotland, particularly in light of recent

18:12

The Poetry Path at Corbenic Camphill Community in...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/04/23

Mark Stephen visits the poetry path at Corbenic with its founder Jon Plunkett

82:53

Wildfires, Mounth Roads and East Lothian Hedgehogs

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/04/19

The Elsick Mounth is an ancient trackway, linking the River Dee to the Mearns, and is one of the routes featured in the new Scotsways guide on hill tracks. Mark and Rachel both met up with Colin Young, a Scotsways volunteer, who guided them along part of the route to point out some of the important historical and archaeological sites that can be seen from the track.Scotland’s peatlands are an iconic part of the landscape, and have been undergoing targeted restoration across the country for the last

22:36

Lorraine McCall - the Trailblazing Adventurer on the...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/04/16

Lorraine McCall from the Highlands has overcome cancer three times in recent years. She has previously climbed all of Scotland's 221 Corbetts and 282 Munros.

84:03

Inchindown Echo, Edinburgh's Herbarium and the 120...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/04/12

1LongThe Scottish Crannog Centre on the banks of Loch Tay is a bustling model Iron Age village, filled with various craftspeople to demonstrate ancient crafts and technologies. Mark went along to find out how the site has grown over the past few years, and how the construction of the crannog over the water is coming along.Jenny Graham follows the Postie’s Path – a route once taken by “Big John MacKenzie”, a post runner in the early 19th century, which runs along Strathconon Glen in the West

22:55

The Dawn Chorus with Ian Broadbent

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/04/09

Helen Needham meets with bird recorder Ian Broadbent to capture the April dawn chorus

83:53

Tattie Tastic Light Fantastic

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/04/05

Potato Enthusiast Bob Donald talks to Rachel about a community growing project in Aberdeen which has led to libraries in the north east handing out seeds and seed tatties.Mark speaks with volunteers from a walking group in Govan, who share their personal experiences with homelessness and social hardship. They’re now involved in an innovative project that aims to turn them into city tour guides.As we enter British Summer Time, Professor Danny Smith from Edinburgh University joins us to explain the

26:03

Walking and Motherhood with Writer Kerri Andrews

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/04/02

Kerri Andrews is the author of Pathfinding - On Walking, Motherhood and Freedom. She describes her own traumatic experience with pregnancy, birth and motherhood and draws on examples of other female writers and their experiences over the centuries. She also discusses the history of women and walking and her desire for a more communal child rearing experience in the UK.

81:49

A North East Lido, Badger Behaviour and a Coral Beach

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/03/29

Lambhill, in the North of Glasgow, is home to a thriving community hub, built out of an old stable block on the edge of the Forth and Clyde canal. Mark went along to visit their community garden, and find out more about what goes on there.Rachel is on the banks of Loch Lomond to find out about the issues of litter along the busy stretch of the A82, and what the local people have been doing to tackle it.Auchindoun Castle in Moray has recently reopened after some careful masonry repairs. Mark meets

21:25

A Fresh Focus on Adaptive Skiing in Scotland

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/03/26

A shortage of volunteers means some clubs have struggled to restart following the Covid pandemic in 2020. Campaigners say more needs to be done to raise awareness of the issue.

84:22

Biofluorescence Walks, Reindeer in Aviemore, and...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/03/24

The Cairngorm Funicular Railway is back up and running after some extensive structural works. Mark took a trip up to the snow-covered peak with the Interim Chief Executive Officer of Cairngorm Mountain Scotland Limited, Tim Hurst, to find out what impact the funicular has for the mountain resort.Farmers and land managers are working together in Moray to investigate how they can tackle environmental challenges such as flooding and decline of biodiversity in the area. Rachel is with Ron Oliveira from

19:49

Celebrating the Imperfections in Wood with Artist and...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/03/19

Mark Stephen visits Duke Christie at his studio in Moray

82:42

The March of the Frogs, Heavy Lifting Stones and Boat...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/03/15

Many landowners across Scotland are engaging with large scale restoration projects. One such project, spanning 80 thousand acres, is Wildland, in the Scottish Highlands. They have a 200 year vision to help the land heal, grow and thrive, and Rachel is there to find out more about the project, and perhaps even spot some of birds of prey who are thriving in this landscape.HippFest, a silent film and live music festival based in Bo’Ness, is back this March, and one of the filmmakers, Moira Salt, has

28:40

Wild Swimming with Greg and Jules

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/03/12

The actors have become regular wild swimmers in recent years. In their latest BBC Scotland TV series, they visit some of Scotland's islands and try out a whole host of different dipping spots in remote and rugged locations.

84:06

Bracklinn Falls, Needle Felting and The Cabrach...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/03/08

Golf courses are often criticised for their lack of biodiversity, but at The Plock, near Kyle of Lochalsh, a community project is reclaiming the local golf course and giving it back to the wild. Mark met up with the local ranger, Heather Beaton, to find out more about this rewilding initiative.A new award-winning footbridge has been built at Bracklinn Gorge near Callander. Mark visits the site and meets with advisor and architect Murray McKellar from the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

21:57

Preserving Antarctica's Heritage Buildings with...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/03/05

Mark Stephen hears from Graham Gillie about his extraordinary working life in Antarctica

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