PODCAST

Scotland Outdoors

BBC Radio Scotland

A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.

science nature

All Episodes

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

85:23

Kingfishers, a Gunpowder Mill and a Halifax Bomber Relic

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/03/01

Mark visits the Montrose Air Station Museum to hear about a new addition to their collection, part of a Halifax Bomber, which crashed in the Angus glens in 1944. Shan Brewis tells us the story behind the plane crash, and how the piece of wreckage came to be discovered exactly 80 years after the tragedy.Red Squirrels in Scotland are often under threat, but Rachel finds out about the newest concern for our native population. Speaking to Meja Vesterlund from Saving Scotland's Squirrels, she hears about

24:37

Wildlife on the Water of Leith

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/02/26

During the Covid lockdown, Tom Kelly decided to stroll along the Water of Leith Walkway every single day and take photographs of the wildlife in the area. The photographer from Edinburgh has always had a keen interest in nature and he wanted to explore what was living in his own neighbourhood. The result is a huge collection of photographs showcasing what lives on and near the river at different times of the year.

82:05

A Soutar's Shop, Jigsaws and Gorillas

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/02/22

Winchburgh in West Lothian is expanding rapidly, with several new housing developments underway. At the heart of these new developments is the 85 acre Authcaldie Park, where Mark visits a group of volunteers who are building a new centre piece for the area – a model cathedral made entirely out of willow.RSPB Loch Leven has recently hosted the Convention of Migratory Species, a UN convention with 130 member states involved. Rachel meets up Sarah Scott and Professor Des Thompson to find out about the

23:39

The Glasgow Seed Library with Rowan Lear

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/02/19

Helen Needham meets seed librarian Rowan Lear

83:41

Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Snowdrops and a Beaver MOT

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/02/15

Auchnerran Farm is run by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust as a demonstration farm to test and trial conservation and land management strategies. Mark visits the farm to hear about their projects and how they manage these alongside a profitable enterprise of sheep farming.It is the 20th anniversary of the opening of Five Sister’s Zoo this year, and the facility has grown from very small beginnings to now housing over 160 species on site in West Calder. Rachel chats to Brian and Gary Curran

29:16

Sunset Song - Exploring The Mearns - Part 2

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/02/12

The 7th February 2025 marks 90 years since the death of Scottish writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon, author of Sunset Song. In 2016, it was voted Scotland's favourite novel. In this archive programme, Mark Stephen explores the area it was set in, the Mearns.

83:33

Water of Leith Otters, Salmon Fishing on the River...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/02/08

The National Farmers Union of Scotland Conference has been underway this week, and Kevin Keane is there, joined by Professor Colin Campbell from the James Hutton Institute, to hear his advice on how farms can become more resilient in the face of climate change.Muiravonside, Falkirk’s only country park, features several attractions, from a sculpture and poetry trail to the Avon aqueduct. Rachel catches up with the park’s ranger, Claire Martin, to hear about the history and appeal of the estate.Otters

26:38

Sunset Song - Exploring the Mearns - Part 1

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/02/05

The 7th February 2025 marks 90 years since the death of Scottish writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon, author of Sunset Song. In 2016, it was voted Scotland's favourite novel. In this archive programme, Mark and Euan explore the area it was set in, the Mearns.

82:15

The Festival of Imbolc, World Wetlands Day and the...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/02/01

Parts of the country are still recovering after last week’s Storm Eowyn including Jupiter Artland. The 100-acre sculpture garden on the outskirts of Edinburgh suffered quite a bit of storm damage as Mark saw when he visited earlier this week.Rachel meets a group of volunteers from a whole variety of backgrounds who have come together to help restore the HMS Unicorn, a 200-year-old ship which is docked in Dundee.Next Friday sees the start of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s annual Big

83:15

Burns on Birds, Golden Eye and How to Make Haggis

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/01/25

We celebrate Burns Day on Out of Doors on the 265th anniversary of his birth. Mark chats to Professor Fiona Stafford from University of Oxford who writes about Burns ‘the bard of nature’. They chat about his understanding of ecology and how that comes through in his poetry.Rachel hears the good news story about Goldeneye Ducks in the Cairngorms. Goldeneyes are a protected species that have suffered severe population declines, with only around 200 pairs in the UK. But recent work has seen their

25:06

Wandering Morven - A Wander up Morven with Artist and...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/01/22

Helen Needham walks up Morven in Aberdeenshire with Morven Stewart

79:41

Endurance Racing, the Ness Islands of Inverness and a...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/01/18

Rachel is in Lochaber where one of the biggest nature restoration projects in the country is underway. The Nevis Nature Network Project covers 22 thousand acres which includes fragments of Scottish rainforest and rare montane scrub. She met project manager Ellie Corsie for a walk to hear about their restoration vision.Mark is on Calton Hill in Edinburgh hearing about the challenges of repairing our historical buildings. Many of our famous landmarks were built using stone that is no longer quarried

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