Love Scotland: Stories of Scotland's History and Nature

So far this series we’ve looked at two of Scotland’s most famous monarchs: Robert the Bruce and Mary, Queen of Scots. Today, we step back further in time to meet the rulers whose names have become more forgotten to time. Helping Jackie to acquaint herself with the earliest kings and queens of Scotland is Richard Oram, a professor of medieval and environmental history at Stirling University. Together, they piece together a picture of the most significant crown-wearers leading up to Robert the Bruce. How did Scotland come to be ruled by a king in the first place? Who made the biggest mark on the kingdom? And just how accurate is Shakespeare’s take on early monarchs Macbeth and Duncan? Find out more about the Trust’s castles and royal places here. Don’t forget to follow so that future episodes are delivered to you.

Arguably the most famous monarch in Scottish history, Mary, Queen of Scots remains a figure of global intrigue more than 400 years after her death. One question, then: why? In a previous episode of Love Scotland, Jackie explored the life and times of Mary. Today, she’s on a mission to find out why Mary’s story and legacy have been pored over in such detail for centuries. Joining Jackie in the studio is Professor Steven Reid of the University of Glasgow, who is also the author of The Afterlife of Mary, Queen of Scots. Together, they unpick the posthumous interest in Mary, the many different perceptions of her legacy, and how Mary’s death has been used throughout history to further different groups’ objectives. For more information on Falkland Palace, click here.

In the second part of a two-episode biography of Robert the Bruce’s life, Jackie returns to the studio with Professor Dauvit Broun of the University of Glasgow. Last week, we looked at the early life of Robert and how his canny abilities, not to mention his tendency to switch allegiance at opportune moments, helped him to secure power. But what came next? Picking up their conversation in 1306, when Scotland has been conquered by Edward I of England and Robert faces a tussle for power with the most powerful family in Scotland, Jackie and Dauvit will look at all that happened in Robert’s reign. To find out more about visiting Bannockburn, click here.

Welcome to a new series of Love Scotland. In this week’s episode, Jackie is joined by Professor Dauvit Broun of the University of Glasgow to discuss the life of Robert the Bruce.  Robert, King of Scots from 1306-1329, led a fascinating life full of changing allegiances, shifting power and military victories.  How much of our common understanding of this Scottish ruler is based in fact? What motivated him to switch sides, on several occasions, in the wars of the 13th and 14th centuries? And why has his legacy had such a lasting effect on the nation’s history? Next week, Jackie and Dauvit continue their conversation, charting the events that followed Bannockburn. To find out more about visiting Bannockburn, click here.

Jackie gives a brief introduction to brand-new season of the Love Scotland podcast. We're going across the centuries to delve into the stories of Mary Queen of Scots and Robert the Bruce, then skipping ahead to the tales of the Georgian Tea Room. Jackie also hears from the Trust's archaeology team about wartime relics beind unearthed across the country.

As another series of Love Scotland draws to a close, Jackie gathers two companions to discuss the “song that everybody sings”: Auld Lang Syne. With lyrics penned by Robert Burns in 1788, but origins dating back further, it is now a global anthem of friendship, celebration, yearning and nostalgia.  Mairi Campbell, a Scottish musician whose version of the song appeared in the Sex and the City film and who has since created a show inspired by Auld Lang Syne, is the first of Jackie’s two guests. Also joining the conversation is Professor Gerard Carruthers, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow.  With just a few weeks to go until people sing Auld Lang Syne on Hogmanay, Mairi and Gerard reveal their personal connections to the song and its words, how it came to international significance, and how it has evolved since its very early origins.  To find out more about Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, click here.

Seals and other winter wildlife at St Abb’s Head This week, Jackie makes a return to St Abb’s Head in the Scottish Borders, just months after she last visited to investigate the summer’s avian flu outbreak. In the winter, many of the seabirds may have disappeared – but there are still a lot to be found. Joined once again by Head Ranger Ciaran Hatsell, Jackie spends some time getting to know the seal pups on the beach, two years after the population was devastated by Storm Arwen. She also finds out what has happened at St Abb’s Head since the flu outbreak, and how the seals signal the wider health of the local ecosystem. Weather warning report by Alex Deakin courtesy of the Met Office. To find out more about St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve, click here.

While Charles Rennie Mackintosh has become a singular icon in Scottish art, his legacy is so almighty that in many accounts, the achievements and contributions of his wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, are often overlooked. Described by Charles as being “more than half – she is three quarters – of all I’ve done”, Margaret’s artwork, and her place in the Glasgow art scene, deserve their own glory. In particular, Margaret’s involvement in the designing of the National Trust for Scotland’s property, the Hill House, gives us a key insight into her own unique artistic style and the importance of her contributions to Scottish architecture.  This week, Jackie speaks to expert Robyne Calvert about Margaret’s life and legacy.  To find out more about the Hill House, click here.

The National Trust for Scotland cares for a dozen Scottish castles, all of which have unique histories and origins.  In this week’s episode, Jackie sits down with author Janet Brennan-Inglis, who also chairs the Trust’s Galloway group, to discuss some of these buildings and their influence on Scotland’s story.  Janet also guides Jackie through the tale of MacGibbon and Ross, two architects who, in the 1880s, completed a comprehensive study of Scotland’s built heritage. For more information on the Trust’s castles, and to get visitor information, click here. For more information on Janet’s book, A Passion for Castles, click here.

The Case of Osgood Mackenzie  This week, Jackie’s turning her attention to Inverewe Garden in the northwest highlands. A tropical oasis bolstered by the nearby gulfstream, it is a true jewel for lovers of all things floral. However, its creator Osgood Mackenzie, the author of A Hundred Years in the Highlands, was left in the shade by a family court case that attracted much attention in the newspapers of the day. His wife, meanwhile, has been all but written out from history. The story of this period of Osgood’s life has been dramatised in a new play, which was performed at Inverewe this year. Rob Mackean, the playwright, joins Jackie to pick through the history of the garden and its one-time owner, whose life was as colourful as his flowers. To find out more about Inverewe Garden, click here.

This week, Jackie is at Kellie Castle and Garden to find out about the Lorimers – a family of artists and creatives who once called the castle home. Led by James Lorimer, who first rented Kellie Castle in 1878, the family also included Sir Robert Lorimer, the architect behind many iconic structures including the Scottish National War Memorial, painter John Henry Lorimer and sculptor Hew Lorimer. Their story not only touches on some of the great artistic movements of the last 150 years, but also on Scotland’s story too.  Kellie Castle itself was facing its downfall before the Lorimers arrived to pour time, money and love into its walls. Jackie discovers exactly what happened when the family moved there, with the help of property manager Caroline Hirst. To find out more about Kellie Castle and Garden, visit the website. To find out more about the Your Scotland campaign, please click here.

Tragedy at Hill of Tarvit Surrounded by the beauty of Edwardian Britain, a family was devastated by tragedy. In this week’s episode, Jackie steps into the gilded surrounds of Hill of Tarvit to discover the story of the Sharp family, who once called the mansion home. Set just outside Cupar and designed by Robert Lorimer, the house is a true 20th-century jewel with its hickory golf course, landscaped gardens and yew hedging. But inside the house, there are a great many stories to be told. Jackie uncovers the aspirations, enterprise, bravery and, ultimately, tragedy of the Sharps: a family who had everything and nothing at all. Visitor services supervisor Claudia Noble-Pyott leads Jackie through the house and its history, and reveals exactly what happened inside the mansion. To find out more about Hill of Tarvit, please visit the website.

Stories and songs of Scottish battles Earlier this year, to launch a new series of Love Scotland, Jackie recorded an episode in front of a live audience of National Trust for Scotland members in Aberdeen.  Two of the nation’s foremost experts on battles joined Jackie on stage to discuss some of the most significant historic conflicts as well as the people who fought in them. They are Alistair Moffat, the award-winning writer and historian whose new book, War Paths: Walking in the Shadows of the Clans, follows in the footsteps of Jacobite fighters and leaders from 1613 until 1746, and Derek Alexander, the National Trust for Scotland’s Head of Archaeology. Their discussion covers the importance of the Highland charge, the two Jacobite campaigns, and the battles of Killiecrankie and Culloden. Former BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year finalist Iona Fyfe provides some musical interludes inspired by these battles. If you’d like to support the Culloden fighting fund, you can do so at nts.org.uk/donate or by texting CULLODEN to 70970, which will donate £5. 

In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic began, many people looked back to the influenza epidemic of 1918 for historical context. However, going further back in time reveals centuries of viral diseases – and a bizarre list of supposed medical concoctions that would protect you from them. Scotland’s “plague man” Richard Oram, a professor of history at Stirling University, knows a lot about these dark chapters of Scottish history. He guides Jackie through how the plague was viewed by a religious society, what comparisons can be drawn between responses to the historic outbreaks and the modern Covid-19 pandemic, and how the medical community reacted to the horrific viruses. Plus, Jackie goes to Gladstone’s Land to learn more about the herbal remedies produced in desperation centuries ago. To find out more about Gladstone’s Land, www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/gladstones-land

On a drizzly summer’s day, Jackie heads out to Ben Lomond to meet two people who feel at home in the hills. First, Jackie, president of the National Trust for Scotland, goes for a stroll with Zahrah Mahmood, president of Ramblers Scotland and an online influencer known as the Hillwalking Hijabi. As they stretch their legs, they discuss the joys waiting to be found on Scottish slopes, and Zahrah tells the story of how she first discovered a passion for hiking as an adult. Then, Jackie meets Alasdair Eckersall, ranger and property manager at Ben Lomond, who has been working at the site for 31 years. He reveals how he keeps Ben Lomond’s 50,000 annual visitors on the right path and gives his top tips for a safe day in the hills. To find out more about Ben Lomond, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/ben-lomond For more outdoors inspiration, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/search?place-category=Outdoors#results

Following last year’s episode investigating the 2022 outbreak of avian flu among Scottish seabird colonies, Jackie returns to St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve in the wake of new cases being reported. Joined by ranger Ciaran Hatsell, Jackie learns how this year’s cases have been identified and exactly how the disease is impacting kittiwakes at St Abb’s Head and beyond. Listen in to find out how Ciaran and other NTS staff are helping in the fight against avian influenza, and discover more about what you can do to report dead seabirds. To find out more about St Abb’s Head, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/st-abbs-head To find out more about the Save Our Seabirds campaign, visit www.nts.org.uk/campaigns/seabirds If you see a dead or dying bird, do not approach or touch it. Instead, report it to the DEFRA helpline on 03459 33 55 77 and alert a member of National Trust for Scotland staff if possible. You can also report findings of sick or dead birds through the UK Government website (www.gov.uk/guidance/report-dead-wild-birds), and, if you recognise the species, via the British Trust for Ornithology (www.bto.org/our-science/projects/birdtrack). Keep dogs on leads whenever you’re in an area where there is a chance of dead seabirds.

An icon of Scottish culture, Robert Burns is best known for his beautiful, moving, and humorous poetry. Born in 1759, he died just 37 years later – an early passing attributed to alcoholism. However, recent advances in medical knowledge have raised questions about the accuracy of this diagnosis. Professor David Purdie, co-author of The Burns Encyclopaedia and a doctor of medicine, has used his clinical expertise to analyse Burns’ physical symptoms. His research touches on a character assassination in the immediate aftermath of Burns’ death, the truth of his alleged alcoholism, and new theories as to what really caused the poet’s death. To find out more about the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/robert-burns-birthplace-museum

Jackie is joined by Jonathan Grant, who after 13 years is about to retire as a ranger on three Hebridean islands. Earlier this year, when news of his resignation was announced, it was headline news around the world. Now, he has time for a proper discussion about his experiences on Mingulay, Pabay and Berneray. He reveals why he feels he became part of nature, what life is really like when you’re the only person living on an island, and how he took on the responsibilities of caring for such important places. Find out more about the Love Our Islands campaign at www.nts.org.uk/campaigns/love-our-islands. We already work very hard to protect our islands, but we still need to do more. With your help, we can protect the history and wildlife in these very special places. If you can, please donate today.

In this week’s episode, Jackie follows the story of Lady Aberdeen – a woman born into wealth who became a lifelong social reformer, healthcare advocate, and champion of the underdog. By the time she died in the 1930s, the riches were gone – but a legacy remained. Joining Jackie is Simon Welfare, the author of Fortune’s Many Houses: A Victorian Visionary, a Noble Scottish Family, and a Lost Inheritance, which charts how Lady Aberdeen and her husband used their wealth for good. The episode was recorded in the grand surroundings of Haddo House, which was presented to Lady Aberdeen on the occasion of her husband finishing his service as Governor-General of Canada in 1898. To find out more about Haddo House, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/haddo-house

This week, Jackie is at Falkland Palace to learn more about the early years of James VI, one of the most influential monarchs in British history. Crowned at an early age, and separated from his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, James would go on to be the first king of the whole British Isles. But focusing on his later achievements misses out on many remarkable and life-threatening experiences endured by the young king, who was kidnapped, held hostage, and fought over by rival factions. Joining Jackie is Steven Reid, the author of The Early Life of James VI: A Long Apprenticeship, 1566–1585, which recounts the details of these extraordinary years. To find out more about Falkland Palace, head to nts.org.uk