Scotland Outdoors

Helen Needham hears from musician and composer Anne Wood

American Mink are an invasive non-native species which have become widespread in parts of Scotland after their release from fur farms. Rachel meets Karen Muller from the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative on the River Spey to hear why it’s important to catch the mink. They also scope out a potential site to set a mink trap.In his day job, George Sherriffs is an acquisitions librarian with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. But in the coming week, George is going to be running an incredible 356 miles between all the RBGE sites in Scotland to raise awareness and funds for the work they do. Mark went to meet him and hear how the challenge came about.Mark is in Dunbar Harbour with Alex Williams who discovered a passion for kayak fishing four years ago. He takes Mark for a paddle in the harbour and tells him how he got hooked on the hobby and what’s involved in fishing from a kayak.Our BBC Aberdeen colleague Donnie Mackay heads home to Lewis every April to help with the lambing on his family croft. This year he took along a recorder and made a lambing diary for Out of Doors during what was one of the wettest and coldest seasons he could remember.And it’s not just sheep farmers that have been having a hard time this spring. It’s been nearly impossible to get anything sown and the challenging conditions take a toll on farmers mentally as well as practically. We hear what the picture is like across Scotland from Katrina Macarthur, farming columnist with the Press and Journal.Stanley Robertson was a traveller and storyteller from Aberdeen and in 1988 he recorded an interview with former BBC Producer Doreen Wood on the Old Lumphanan Road. Recently Mark and Helen and went to seek it out for the Scotland Outdoors podcast. We hear an excerpt of them looking for one of Stanley’s favourite oak trees.If you’re from a farming background, you may be familiar with brose – a very traditional and simple oatmeal-based dish. In fact, it’s not too far removed from the much trendier oat milk that is a popular dairy alternative. Rachel visits a producer in East Lothian who is making Brose and show her the process.

Stanley Robertson was from the Travelling People and in the 1980's he published a book called 'Exodus to Alford' featuring stories associated with a particular road his people used to take each Summer when he was a boy. Former BBC Producer Doreen Wood went there with Stanley in 1988 and recorded an interview with him describing his memories of this special place. In this podcast, Mark Stephen and Helen Needham go in search of the Old Lumphanan Road with the archive of Stanley in their ears, offering a fascinating insight into the culture and beliefs of him and his people and a way of life that no longer exists in this part of the world.

Linda is in Pitlochry where a group of volunteers meet once a fortnight to help maintain the area’s much loved and well used path network. She hears why the group were founded and about the different kinds of work they carry out.Mark is in Dunbar Harbour, marvelling at the kittiwakes and exploring a site that was once home to a fish hatchery.And not far along the coast in North Berwick, Rachel meets artist and campaigner Julie Barnes, who created what is believed to be the largest mural in the UK made entirely from marine plastic.Is spring finally here? After a very damp and dismal start to the season, Pennie Latin looks hopefully towards to the first glimpses of new life in Spring and thinks about they make us feel.The results of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch 2024 are out! The house sparrow has topped the list once again but what do the rest of the results tell us? We find out live.Linda goes on a tour of Glasgow City Centre with Niall Murphy, director of the Glasgow City Heritage Trust. He shows her some of hidden architectural gems and tells her about how the city centre developed over the years.Plants with Purpose is a five year year initiative set up by Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to research how we could use plants to combat extreme urban weather events. Mark finds out more as he visits the rain garden area of the RBGE in Edinburgh.The fashion industry is notoriously unsustainable, and designers are working on how to improve that. Maud meets one such person, Emily Raemakers who has been experimenting with natural materials including mushrooms, algae and apple leather.And Mugdock Country Park is a popular location just north of Glasgow with woods, trails and a 13th century castle. It not only attracts families and dog walkers but TV productions and Hollywood movies. Linda meets Pam Grieve, the park’s Development Officer to hear about what’s involved in hosting a blockbuster film crew.

In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Mark chats with Landward’s Cammy Wilson about his sheep-farming career. We hear an excerpt where Cammy is telling Mark the story of Fiona, the 'world’s loneliest sheep'.Killiechassie Burial Ground near Aberfeldy holds just six graves, five of which are covered over with recumbent flat slabs. For years, it was allowed to become neglected but in the 1990s, the Breadalbane Heritage Society started to take an interest and discovered that it not only dates back hundreds of years but also has connections to King Robert the Bruce and the Wolf of Badenoch. Ian Stewart shows Rachel around.On last week’s programme, a listener got in touch to ask how they could stop badgers from leaving droppings in their garden. Mark meets with Eddie Palmer, the chairman of Scottish Badgers, to learn about the ways that we can stop badgers from causing problems in our gardens.A Scotland-wide test of the nation’s rivers for microplastics, pharmaceuticals and various other chemicals is underway. The study has started in the north east with sampling being carried out on the rivers Dee and Ugie, which takes in both rural and urban areas. Rachel met with Dr Jessica Gomez-Banderas on the riverbank near Peterhead to find out about how they take the samples and what they’re actually looking for.In March, Queen Margaret University opened a new state of the art outdoor learning hub. The facility aims to improve understanding of outdoor learning amongst the teaching profession, whilst also enabling the community to connect to the natural world in new ways. Mark meets with Patrick Boxall, lecturer in Education, to find out more.Over the last wee while, thousands of new trees have been planted on the nature reserve at Loch Ardinning near Glasgow as part of a project by the Scottish Wildlife Trust to create a new oak woodland at the site. To stop the grassland chocking out the saplings, staff have been laying mulch mats and recently they roped in some helpers who were on a corporate volunteering day. Rachel chats to Chris Thomson from the Scottish Wildlife Trust and his corporate volunteers from SPL Powerlines Lee, Cassandra and Lewis.The Natural Trust for Scotland have built a new oak tree nursery as part of the long-term sustainability of the Old Wood of Drum. The wood dates back to Robert the Bruce, and the team there have been really busy planting and growing from acorns harvested from the wood. Mark meets NTS Woodland Ranger Bronwen Thomas to find out more.

Mark Stephen visits Youtuber and TV presenter Cammy Wilson on his farm in Ayrshire

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors

Mark revisits a series of programmes he made in the early 2000s called Mountain Tales. The programmes feature Scotland's iconic hills and mountains and what it means to those who live and work in the area nearby. Mark finds out what the mountain range, the Cuillins of Skye mean to a mountain guide, climber, musician, geologist and sailor

Rachel is in East Lothian where local residents are campaigning for better access across the busy A1 road. For a considerable stretch there’s no official pedestrian crossing linking the villages close to Dunbar with the coast. And as Rachel sees, it’s a very busy road to try and cross as a cyclist or pedestrian.Mark visits Dean Castle in Kilmarnock and finds out about its fascinating history including being completely destroyed by fire before an impressive restoration in 2018.The Covid lockdown led to lots of people taking up new and different hobbies. For author Colin Liddell, his lockdown project was translating all the Gaelic place names noted on maps within 175 square miles of Pitlochry. Rachel chats to Colin about his project and what it has taught him.Earlier this week a new wildlife law aimed at protecting birds of prey and regulating the grouse shooting industry passed its final vote at Holyrood. BBC Scotland’s Environment Correspondent Kevin Keane chats to Duncan Orr-Ewing from RSPB Scotland about why they are pleased The Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill will be introduced. And he also hears from Ross Ewing from Scottish Land and Estates about the impact this will have on Scottish estates and their concerns.Water voles have been present in Glasgow for hundreds of years. However recently, they have been found in some more unusual locations. Mark finds out about a thriving population of grassland water vole living in and around the Seven Lochs Wetland Park.And we hear more about other urban mammals when we chat live to Rose Toney from the North East Scotland Mammal Network about their new urban mammal groups.For several months now artist Chris Rutterford and several hundred people from the Alloway community have been creating giant paintings on boards, reflecting the local culture and heritage to improve a local railway tunnel. The work has just started to be put up on display, so Rachel headed for a look.In our latest Scotland Outdoors podcast Helen Needham wanders around Glasgow Green with musicians Laura-Beth Salter and Ali Hutton who have created a new album called 'From the Ground' as a response to climate change. We hear an excerpt.Point to point horse racing used to run every weekend between January and March. But now there are only two races in Scotland, both held at Overton Farm near Lanark. The first event is taking place this weekend and Mark went to take a look at the course and find out what’s involved in a point to point race.

Helen Needham wanders around Glasgow Green with Laura-Beth Salter and Ali Hutton who have created a new album called 'From the Ground' as a response to climate change

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors

Rachel Stewart speaks to Anne Butler, the new President of Mountaineering Scotland and newly appointed Chair Jo Dytch. The pair are the first women to hold the roles. During a walk up Glen Tilt near Blair Atholl, Rachel asks them about their aspirations in their new jobs and whether they think more females are taking to the hills.

In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Mark visits what is believed to be the UK’s largest urban farm. Lauriston Agroecology farm is on a hundred-acre site near Edinburgh Airport and is a hive of activity. Mark hears how the site has been developed so far.The Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie is well known for its polar bears, wildcats and over recent weeks, its monkeys. But as Rachel found out, it’s also home to an important conservation breeding programme for leeches. Not perhaps the most attractive creatures, Rachel hears how the park look after them and why they are important.Minke Whales are found across the world and can be spotted in Scotland mainly between July and September. But despite their widespread population, we don’t know much about their lifecycles. Mark meets up with Tim Awbery, a researcher at the Scottish Association for Marine Science to hear about how he’s been carrying out his studies on these elusive whales.If you’re interested in what whales and dolphins sound like, you might want to explore a new exhibition in Moray. Rachel went along to the Scottish Dolphin Centre at Spey Bay to take a listen to some of the fascinating sounds of cetaceans.And sticking with whale sounds, we chat live to Dr Denise Risch from the Scottish Association for Marine Science about a recent discovery revealing how baleen whales actually produce their haunting songs.McCaig’s tower dominates the skyline above Oban. It’s a well-known landmark but not much is actually known about the family for whom it was built. Mark visits the tower with local historian Bob McCulloch to hear more about it.Alford Valley Community Railway are currently working on restoring an old Aberdeen Tram that was found in Ellon. It was thought that all the trams were burned after the service was discontinued, so Mark was excited to visit and see the restoration work for himself.Pegasus Vaulting Group, based near Killiecrankie, involves highly skilled gymnasts performing on horseback. An incredibly skilled pastime, Rachel visits the group to see them try out their new vaulting simulator

Mark Stephen gets a tour of the UK's biggest urban farm from Lisa Houston

Rachel heads to Fort Augustus for a chat with Cieran Watson from Forestry Land Scotland and Morag Milne from NatureScot about how they can manage the growing number of feral pigs living wild in the Scottish countryside.Mark meets Niall MacLeod who is part of the Loch Awe National Park committee to chat about their bid for Loch Awe to be a contender for Scotland’s next National Park.Over the winter, the Cairngorm Reindeers have been busy shedding their antlers. Rachel chats to one of the herders, Hen Robinson, to find out more about what they do with these antlers.The Findhorn Watershed Initiative and the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust are working in collaboration to achieve healthier rivers in the Findhorn area. Mark meets Bob Lawton and Elle Adams to find out more.Until a few years ago, there was only one bird of prey resident in Shetland – the peerie hawk, or merlin. But in twenty eighteen, the sparrowhawk made an appearance, and since then, they have been said to be rapidly colonising the islands. Huw Williams from BBC Radio Scotland hears from Logan Johnson from The Zetland Raptor Study Group about how they are keeping track of these birds.Returning to National Parks, Mark meets with Nikki Sinclair from the Scottish National Parks Strategy Project to chat about the next steps in the project following the closing date for all submissions on Thursday 7th March.Work is well underway to restore the Art Deco pavilion building at the outdoor Tarlair swimming pool in the north east. Later this year, the pavilion will open to the public as a café and community space. Pat Wain from Friends of Tarlair and Vincent Willox from the construction company carrying out the restoration show Rachel around the pavilion.The fungal disease ash dieback is having a devastating effect on ash trees in Scotland and across Europe. As a result, thousands of mature trees have had to be felled for safety reasons. A project called Ash Rise have started using wood from felled ash to make new items for a touring exhibition. Mark meets various furniture makers who are responsible for choosing the wood at the Scottish Wood sawmill near Dunfermline.

Mark Stephen speaks with furniture makers who are turning wood that has been affected by the ash dieback fungal disease into furniture and other objects.

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors

Mark Stephen visits Schiehallion in Perthshire. Known as the hill of the wee folk, Mark meets those who live nearby and finds out what the iconic hill means to them

Mark heads to Turriff to attend the 2024 opening of the River Deveron. He hears from Richie Miller of the Deveron District Salmon Fishery Board as well as John Beattie, who officially opens the salmon season.Rachel visits warden Jim Hughes who is celebrating 25 years in post at the Balgavies Loch nature reserve in Angus, to chat about the most memorable moment of his career.It has been 6 years since the community buy-out of the Isle of Ulva in the Inner Hebrides. In the first episode of her podcast, Now Where, May Robson visits the island to find out how the community is faring.Returning to the River Deveron, Mark hears from Richie Miller and Andrew MacGarvie about a historical salmon catch made on the river 100 years ago by Clementina “Tiny” Morison.Calum MacLean joins live to chat about the brand new series of the Adventure Show, which features Calum and Marie Meldrum as presenters. Mark and Rachel chat with Calum about the Adventure Show, the Strathpuffer and about plans for the show for the rest of the year. A clip from the show will also be featured.Bill Richie is a retired embryologist who was involved in the cloning of Dolly the Sheep. Nowadays, Bill finds himself engaged in an entirely different pursuit – building his own plane. Mark visits Bill in Aberlour for a chat about his self-built plane.Poet, storyteller and performer Susi Briggs has been named the Galloway Scots Scrivener. Rachel goes for a walk with Susi in Dumfries and Galloway around some of the places which have inspired her.

Rachel Stewart meets Susi Briggs, the newly appointed Scots Scriever. The National Library of Scotland revealed that Susi would be the Galloway Scots Scriever in November 2023. Susi is a poet, author, storyteller, musician and podcaster with a passion for the Scots language. In her new role, she will be tasked with creating original written work in Scots. Rachel visited her in Gatehouse of Fleet to find out how her local landscape and love of nature has inspired her creative work over the years. One of her commissions included a poetic response to the work of Nan Shepherd. Susi hopes to raise the profile of Dumfries and Galloway Scots in her new role.