Love Scotland: Stories of Scotland's History and Nature

This week, Jackie delves into the National Trust for Scotland’s archives. Along the way, she discovers stories of a past US President, a unlikely connection to the Titanic, and details of how places came to be acquired by the Trust. Joining Jackie is Trust archivist Ian Riches, who cares from the Trust’s rich collection of important historic material. You can find more about the National Trust for Scotland’s collections here. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

In this week’s episode, Jackie is tracing the events that ultimately led to the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. In essence, that means following the life and legacy of William Wallace – a historical figure whose story is the stuff of legend. Unpicking the facts from the fiction is Professor Dauvit Broun from the University of Glasgow, who charts the rise and fall of Wallace and reveals exactly what role he played in the events of the early 14th century. You can find more about Bannockburn here. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

This week, Jackie dives into a biographical account of life on the remote St Kilda in the early 20th century. Using handwritten diaries kept by Alice MacLachlan, a schoolteacher who lived on the archipelago between August 1906 and May 1909, we can get a hugely personal view of the challenges and unique circumstances of life there. In this special episode, you will hear extracts from the diaries brought to life and original music inspired by the islands. You can find more about the St Kilda diaries here. Find out more about St Kilda here. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

They are the soundtrack to weddings, funerals, Burns night celebrations and more. Bagpipes have earned their places as the national instrument of Scotland and holds a special place in the heart of many Scots and the global diaspora. Today, Jackie discovers the history and cultural significance of the Great Highland bagpipes, which are one of hundreds of types of bagpipes played around the world. She’s joined by Richard McLauchlan, piper and author of The Bagpipes: A Cultural History. Together, they discuss the role of bagpipes in Scottish history, what makes the Great Highland bagpipes so special, and the surprising identity of the first person ever described as a bagpiper. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Whether it’s a woodland walk, a wild swim, or a mosey around a garden, we’ve all experienced the effects of nature on our wellbeing. Here at the Trust we know this too well, which is why we’ve launched our Walk 25 campaign – see below. This week on the podcast, Jackie explores the science behind this phenomenon to discover why the natural world can have such a powerful influence on our health and mood. Professor Kathy Willis of the University of Oxford joins Jackie to reveal her findings in this area, and to offer some top tips to boost the positive effects of nature. If you’re looking for more outdoor inspiration, visit nts.org.uk/walk25. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Reporting from both Rome and the studio, Jackie tracks the life of Charles Edward Stuart – known to many by the nickname of Bonnie Prince Charlie – after the events of the Battle of Culloden. Between his birth in Italy’s capital in 1720 and his death, also in Rome in 1788, Charles led a life of great historical significance. Today, though, Jackie focuses on his final years. Joined by Dr Calum Cunningham of the University of Stirling, and Italian academic Stefano Baccolo, they discuss Charles’s legacy, his family, and his experience upon returning to Rome, To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more on Culloden, click here or visit the National Trust for Scotland website. You can also find more episodes on the life of Charles Edward Stuart and the Battle of Culloden by scrolling down the Love Scotland feed.

In the second instalment of her visit to Canna, Jackie heads to sea with ranger Tom Allen to learn all about the island’s seabirds. The island’s cliffs are packed with a whole host of nesting birds, making Canna an important colony site for many of Scotland’s species. Then, Jackie gets to know some more of the people who call Canna home, including the harbour master. As she dives into the stories of Canna, Jackie discovers some of the unique challenges and rewards of living on the island, and why the people who live there love it so much. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more on Canna, click here. *Since recording, Gareth Cole has announced that Café Canna has been put up for sale.

In the first of a two-part visit to the Isle of Canna, Jackie meets the team behind Canna House: the former home of Gaelic scholars John Lorne Campbell and Margaret Fay Shaw. The National Trust for Scotland has recently complete a nine-year programme of repair and restoration to the house, which now has a strong sense of being a lived-in, post-war home. Jackie finds out all about the house’s history, the work down by John and Margaret, and the cultural significance of the Canna collection. With grateful thanks to all those who have supported our conservation and reimagination of Canna House and Archives, through individual donations and gifts given in Wills. We are especially grateful to the National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA and to the members of our Patrons' Club & Founders' Circle for their ongoing love for and support of Canna. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Next week, Jackie heads to sea to meet Canna’s winged inhabitants. For more information on the Canna House project, click here. For more on Canna, click here.

This week, Jackie is off to Glencoe to meet the National Trust for Scotland’s footpaths team – a hard-working group who protect hundreds of miles of paths across the country. In a year that also marks the 25 years of the Footpath Fund, which supports the team’s work, Jackie finds out what it takes to maintain the Trust’s path network. Jackie discovers the challenges of rewards of a job that takes the team to some of Scotland’s highest peaks, their secrets to success, and the real world consequences of the paths they maintain. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on the Footpath Fund, click here. For more on Glencoe, click here.

Double, double, toil and trouble… the Scottish play… out, damned spot! William Shakespeare’s take on Macbeth has well and truly embedded itself in our culture. The play, written in the early 17th century, charts how an ambitious Macbeth turns to violence in order to realise a prophetic vision of becoming King of Scotland. But what of the real Macbeth, who really did sit upon the Scottish throne? What is known of this 11th century monarch? And how much of his life can be compared to the fictitious monarch of Shakespeare’s play? To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on Iona, click here.

In the second of our Second World War-themed episodes, Jackie heads to Tenement House in Glasgow to hear about the experiences of an ordinary woman who lived during this extraordinary chapter of history. Agnes Toward, who lived at Tenement House from 1911 until 1965, preserved her furniture and belongings as a way of creating a frozen time capsule. Nowadays, visitors can experience how things would have been for Toward during both world wars and their aftermaths. How did life change for Glaswegians during the war? What does Toward’s writing tell us about how society reacted to the outbreak of the conflict? And what were the lasting changes post-war? To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on Tenement House, click here.

With the 80th anniversary of VE Day less than a week away, Jackie heads to Aberdeenshire to find out more about the Haddo babies: the more than 1,250 children born at Haddo House when it became an emergency maternity unit during the Second World War. Discover how the stately home was transformed into a makeshift hospital, and what happened to those babies after the war. Jackie sits down with visitor services supervisor Claire Russell and Haddo baby Jean Glately to discuss the history of the house, the realities of converting it into a maternity ward, and the story of Jean and her mother. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on Haddo House, click here

This episode is the second part of a partnership between the National Trust for Scotland and the National Trust. Scroll back for Love Scotland's episode about Lord George Murray. General James Wolfe, the 'boy solider' who joined the military at 14 and fought in one of Britain's bloodiest battles while he was still a teenager. National Trust historian James Grasby visits Wolfe’s childhood home to find out what would shape him into becoming a soldier at such a young age and delves into his involvement in The Battle of Culloden in Scotland in 1746. Presenter: Jame Grasby Producer: Claire Hickinbotham Sound Designer: Jesus Gomez Contributors Ghazala Jabeen – National Trust, Quebec House Freddie Matthews – Historian and Cultural Heritage Curator Stephen Brumwell – History writer - brumwellhistory.com Discover more You can visit General Wolfe’s childhood home, Quebec House │ Kent | National Trust, which was renamed in his honour after his victory at The Battle of Quebec and see where he grew up, as well as Henrietta’s cookbook, and the robe his body is thought to have been brought back to Britain with. You can also visit the battlefield at Culloden | National Trust for Scotland

In the first of a two-episode partnership between the National Trust for Scotland and the National Trust, join host Jackie Bird as she uncovers the life of a leading general in the Battle of Culloden. Historian and National Trust for Scotland Trustee Professor Murray Pittock reveals the story of Lieutenant General George Murray, a nobleman and soldier who was involved in each of the 18th century Jacobite Uprisings. His relationship with Charles Edward Stuart and the Jacobite soldiers, not to mention his shifting allegiance, make him a compelling figure from the period. Later in April 2025, we’ll also release an episode produced by the National Trust detailing the life of Jams Wolfe, a British Army general who fought for the government at Culloden. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on Culloden, click here. If you’d like to support our work protecting Scotland’s wild places, please join the Wild Scotland campaign. You may also like some of our previous episodes on Culloden. Scroll through our podcast feed to find instalments on Flora MacDonald, Scotland’s most consequential battles, and how the events of Culloden influenced the world. If you’d like to help the Trust protect the battlefield and the views that surround it from the increasing threats of development, you can donate to the Culloden Fighting Fund. Find all the details you need here.  

Do you know your Adam Smith from your Adam Ferguson? What was it that sparked a historical period overflowing with ideas, intellect and philosophical musings? And what did Enlightenment ever do for Scotland? Jackie is joined by Dr Alasdair Raffe, senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, to unpick the tapestry of this fascinating era, meeting some of the key thinkers, makers and doers who made their impact during the 18th century. No matter how familiar you are with the Scottish Enlightenment, this episode covers the very basics, leaving you with a better understanding of an important and consequential period of European history. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on Newhailes, click here. For more information on the wildlife at Trust places, click here. --- Alasdair’s book, Scotland in Revolution, 1685-1690, is available now.

Known to many through his work on nature documentaries, Gordon Buchanan is one of Scotland’s foremost wildlife filmmakers and presenters. This week, he joins Jackie in the studio to share stories of his time in the natural world. From a childhood spent daydreaming about the world outdoors and enjoying risky adventures in nature, to a career that has taken him to some of the planet’s most biodiverse places, Gordon has seen it all. He shares how nature has influenced him, how it has seen him through difficult times, and how he first found himself behind the camera. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on the Treshnish Isles, click here. For more information on the wildlife at Trust places, click here. If you’d like to support our work protecting Scotland’s wild places, please join the Wild Scotland campaign. You may also like some of our previous episodes on Scottish wildlife. Scroll through our podcast feed to find instalments on seabirds, mountain birds, and the life of an island ranger. --- Gordon’s book, In the Hide: How the Natural World Saved My Life, is available now from all good bookshops.

In our final episode of 2024, Jackie Bird heads to Edinburgh to take a look at Stitched: Scotland’s Embroidered Art – a new exhibition that tells the nation’s story through textiles. The result of a two-year research and conservation programme by the National Trust for Scotland, Stitched puts many delicate pieces of needlework on public display for the first time. Joining Jackie are Trust curator Emma Inglis and Celia Joicey, director of Dovecot Studios, which is hosting the exhibition. Together, they discuss how such fragile items are cared for, where they come from, and what they tell us about the people who once owned them. Stitched: Scotland’s Embroidered Art runs at Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh, until 18 January 2025. For more information, and to book tickets, click here. National Trust for Scotland members can enjoy 50% off a full price ticket. 

This week, Jackie Bird is in Culloden to join the team of archaeologists hoping to unlock more of the battlefield’s historic secrets. With the National Trust for Scotland’s Head of Archaeology Derek Alexander, Jackie discovers how modern techniques are helping to unearth musket balls, coins and buttons. Though the battle on 16 April 1746 may have lasted just a short time, it was hugely consequential and new elements of its story continue to be discovered through archaeological digs. Find out how decisions are made on where to excavate, and what inspires people to devote their time to the quest for hidden artefacts. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  For more information on Culloden, click here. You might enjoy some of our past episodes on Culloden. Simply scroll back through the Love Scotland feed to hear about the battle and its aftermath. To support our work, you can donate to the Culloden Fighting Fund, which helps our collaborative approach to managing the battlefield and protecting the site for future generations. And if you’re a resident of the USA, you can show your support through the National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA.

When we think of a queen of Scots, Mary is very much the first one who comes to mind. But her grandmother, Margaret Tudor, played an equally crucial role in 16th-century Scotland. Here, her story is told. Linda Porter, author of The Thistle and the Rose, which tells the story of this overlooked historical figure, joins Jackie to discuss the life and legacy of Henry VIII’s sister. From a young pawn to a powerful and protective queen, Margaret certainly made her impact on history.  To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  For more information on Falkland Palace, click here. You might enjoy some of our past episodes on Mary, Queen of Scots. Simply scroll back through the Love Scotland feed to hear about Margaret’s granddaughter.

The idea of Scotland being caught up in the story of the Spanish Armada may seem bizarre, and yet wrecked off Fair Isle is one of the Spanish fleet’s flagship vessels. How did this 650-ton ship come to end up in the North Sea? And how do the activities of the Armada relate to, among others, Mary, Queen of Scots? Jackie Bird is on a mission to find out.  This year marks 70 years since the National Trust for Scotland acquired Fair Isle, the most remote inhabited island in the UK. While now perhaps best known as a seabird paradise and the home to world-renowned knitwear, Fair Isle is also the site of Iron Age settlements, a Second World War German plane, a Stevenson lighthouse… and not far offshore, the remains of El Gran Grifón. Joining Jackie to discuss the Spanish ship and how it came to be so far north is Dr Colin Martin, a marine archaeologist who, with his colleague Sydney Wignall, excavated the wreck in 1970.  To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  For more information on Fair Isle, click here. You might enjoy some of our past episodes on island history. Simply scroll back through the Love Scotland feed to hear instalments on Canna House’s archive and the evacuation of St Kilda. If you would like to support our work helping others through education, access and outreach activities, please click here. Actor: Scarlett Mack