PODCAST

Scotland Outdoors

BBC Radio Scotland

A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.

science nature

All Episodes

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

15:44

Tam O' Shanter and the Poetry of Robert Burns

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/01/15

Mark Stephen chooses some Burns favourites including his rendition of Tam O' Shanter

83:20

Nordic Skiing, Lynx and Mountain Rescue

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/01/11

The weather has certainly been a big talking point for a lot of us this week. And it’s also the theme of a new exhibition at the McManus Art Gallery and Museum in Dundee. Rachel went to take a look at A Weather Eye along with curator Kirsty Matheson.We hear from Paul Hetherington of charity Buglife about the impact the mild weather before Christmas, and now the very cold weather, is having on our bees. Sadly, it’s not great news.A second pair of lynx has been captured after being found near

24:25

Behind the Lens with Shahbaz Majeed

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/01/08

Rachel Stewart speaks to photographer and Landward presenter Shahbaz Majeed

30:17

A Wild and Wonderful Sound Journey with Musician and...

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/01/04

Helen Needham meets musician and composer Cosmo Sheldrake

56:03

Life on the Island of Jura

Scotland Outdoors ·

2025/01/01

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart spend a day on the island of Jura to get a sense of life on the Ardlussa Estate where the Fletcher family have lived for five generations. Mark also visits Barnhill, the house where George Orwell wrote 1984 which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year

23:41

A History of the Palace of Holyroodhouse

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/12/25

Mark Stephen gets a tour of the Palace with Curators Deborah Clarke and Emma Stead

86:58

A Winter Solstice Special

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/12/21

Mark and Rachel are joined by the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Professor Catherine Heymans who can tell us what’s actually happening to earth to make the days so short.Mark finds out whether our garden birds are impacted by the short days, and he also visits the Nature Scot Forvie National Nature Reserve where despite the dark and cold, new life is arriving as seal pups are being born.While we’re experiencing our shortest day, Antarctica will be marking their Summer Solstice. Rachel chats to

29:06

Kidnapped and the Stevenson Way - Part 4

Scotland Outdoors ·

2024/12/18

Mark Stephen follows the route from Balquhidder to Corstorphine in Edinburgh

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