Scotland Outdoors
Inchindown Echo, Edinburgh's Herbarium and the 120 Mile Postie's Path
1Long The 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 Highlands, finishing at Achnasheen. The route used to take several days for the postman to complete on foot, but Jenny has opted to trace the route – or what remains of it – on her bike. Helen Needham has been out and about in the early morning to catch the best of the spring dawn chorus. Joining her is Ian Broadbent, the North East of Scotland’s specialist bird recorder from the British Trust for Ornithology. Passing through West Lothian, it is hard to miss the huge angular mounds dotted across the landscape. However, the history of these mounds, or bings – and the shale oil industry that created them – may be lesser known. Mark met up with Nicola Donaldson from the Shale Museum to find out more about the historic industry, and how it created these man made landmarks. The Torridon Mountain Rescue Team that has been operating in the West Highlands since 1972. Jenny Graham has herself been a member of the group for 10 years, and she met up with some of the other team members to find out about the history of the team, and how mountain rescue has changed in the past 50 years. The Inchindown Oil Tanks are a relic of WWII, located near Invergordon, and are the site of the world’s longest echo. Phil Sime went along to the vast underground space, to experience this echo for himself. Mark has been along to the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, to have a look at their huge collection of pressed and preserved plants. The Herbarium is home to over three million species, and Mark meets up with Amy Porteous to find out how the collection is used.
12 апр. 2025 - 01 godz 24 min 03 sek
The Dawn Chorus with Ian Broadbent
Helen Needham meets with bird recorder Ian Broadbent to capture the April dawn chorus
9 апр. 2025 - 22 min 55 sek
Tattie Tastic Light Fantastic
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 importance of daylight for our body’s circadian rhythm and its impact on our wellbeing. Phil Sime, who is completely blind, offers his perspective on life without the ability to tell if it’s light or dark, shedding light on the challenges of navigating the world without sight. Helen Needham heads to the Scottish Borders to meet writer and outdoor enthusiast Kerri Andrews, who shares insights from her book about motherhood and the identity shifts that come with it. Mark talks to young farmer Nicola Wordie about the pressures and demands of farming during lambing season. Nicola also discusses her involvement in a project aimed at tackling isolation within Scotland's farming and crofting communities. Rachel visits St Fillan’s Cave in Pittenweem, where she uncovers the history behind the cave’s name and discovers that Christian services are still held at its ancient stone altar today. Mark speaks to Mike Vass, Director of the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music, to hear about his journey of blending music with maritime experiences, following an illness in 2013 that inspired him to compose music drawn from the high seas.
5 апр. 2025 - 01 godz 23 min 53 sek
Walking and Motherhood with Writer Kerri Andrews
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.
2 апр. 2025 - 26 min 03 sek
A North East Lido, Badger Behaviour and a Coral Beach
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 with Historic Environment Scotland’s District Architect for the North region, Mike Pendery, to find out more about what it takes to look after these remote ruins. Tarlair Outdoor Swimming Pool in the North East has been undergoing restoration for a number of years, but work has now been completed on the art deco pavilion. Mark met up with Pat Wain from the Friends of Tarlair community group to see the newly finished space, and find out more about the next stage of the restoration. A new multipurpose football stadium is in the planning stages in Dundee, but local people are concerned about the loss of old, established trees, and the impact this could have on the area’s wildlife. Rachel met up with Violet Fraser, one of the campaigners against this development. Mountain rescue veteran, David ‘Heavy’ Whalley, sadly passed away recently. He featured on the programme a number of times, and we pay tribute with a clip originally from 2015, where he joined Mark and Euan on a hike up Ben Wyvis. Midlothian Snow Sports has long been a hub for people with disabilities, or learning difficulties to come together and learn to ski. However, there has been a decline in uptake over recent years, which Disability Snowsport UK are hoping to change. Rachel went along to see what it is all about. Mark takes a wet and windy stroll along Coral Beach in Plockton, so called for its sand which is made up of calcified seaweed or maerl.
29 мар. 2025 - 01 godz 23 min 36 sek
A Fresh Focus on Adaptive Skiing in Scotland
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.
26 мар. 2025 - 23 min 42 sek
Biofluorescence Walks, Reindeer in Aviemore, and Glasgow Central Mosque
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 Shempton Farms and Charlie Davis from Sylvestris Land Management at Balormie Marsh to hear how their efforts are going. Duke Christie is an artist and cabinet maker based in Moray, who has featured his work in galleries and design showcases across the world and is renowned for his unique use of fire. Mark met up with him at his workshop to learn more about his craft. Historic Environment Scotland recently granted Category A Listed Status to the Glasgow Central Mosque. The building was the first in Scotland to utilise Islamic architectural traditions, articulating these with Glasgow’s typical red sandstone. Mark met up with Omar Afzal to hear more about the mosque’s design and the important role the mosque plays in Glasgow’s Muslim community. Rachel meets up with a colleague and regular Out of Doors contributor Linda Sinclair, after she has recently received a Police Scotland bravery award for her efforts in rescuing a woman from the sea in Orkney. Students from the Sculpture and Environmental Art course at Glasgow School of Art staged a pop-up exhibition at Lang Craigs in Dumbarton, utilising the landscape and environment in their installations. Rachel met up with the students to learn more about the inspiration for their projects and the history behind this transient exhibition. There have been reindeer on the slopes of Cairngorm for over 70 years, with the first animals being established in the area in 1952. Now, the centre has undergone significant renovations, moving into a purpose built centre, complete with paddocks and exhibitions. Mark met with Co-Director of the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre Tilly Smith to hear more about this project and how it feels to move the centre out from its original location - the front room of her house! David Atthowe of outdoor exploration company Reveal Nature is an expert in revealing some of the hidden markings and patterns of the world around us using the magic of UV light. Paul English went along to a late night tour in Bute Community Forest in Argyll to see some of this biofluorescence for himself
24 мар. 2025 - 01 godz 26 min 09 sek
Celebrating the Imperfections in Wood with Artist and Maker Duke Christie
Mark Stephen visits Duke Christie at his studio in Moray
19 мар. 2025 - 21 min 36 sek
The March of the Frogs, Heavy Lifting Stones and Boat Building
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 developed a silent film focusing on Scotland’s canals. Mark met up with her alongside the Forth and Clyde Canal to find out what exactly inspires her about these waterways. Bridgend Farmhouse is a community owned organisation in Edinburgh, focusing on a creating a sustainable and welcoming space for learning, eating and exercise. Helen Needham met with John Knox, who is Chair of the Board at Bridgend, to find out more about the philosophy behind the organisation. For villages on the West Coast of Scotland, boats and sailing are often part of the traditional way of life. However, in Plockton, the local high school is playing a key role in keeping this tradition alive, through teaching the heritage craft of boat building. Mark went along and spoke to some of the students about what learning this craft meant to them. Frogs and toads have begun to emerge all across Scotland, coming out of hibernation and entering the breeding season. But how can we tell which is which, and how can we get involved in their conservation? We speak to Nature.Scot Reserve Officer Danny Bean about how we can keep an eye out for our native amphibians. The Braemar Highland Games Centre is home to one of the world’s most famous lifting stones – the Inver Stone. Mark visited to hear the history behind the stone, where the traditions of lifting stones first began. In an excerpt from this week’s podcast, Rachel is joined by Julie Wilson Nimmo and Greg Hemphill, to find out about how their love of wild swimming began, and how that has grown through their BBC TV Series Jules and Greg’s Wild Swim
15 мар. 2025 - 01 godz 22 min 42 sek
Wild Swimming with Greg and Jules
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.
12 мар. 2025 - 28 min 40 sek