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Scotland Outdoors
Published by BBC Radio Scotland
- Science
- Nature
A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.
Listen on Apple PodcastsPublished by BBC Radio Scotland
A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.
Listen on Apple PodcastsA few weeks ago, Mark went along to a conference at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen. Under the banner of Living Labs, the institute brought together folk living in rural or island communities, and Mark chatted to Phyl Meyer from Tiree and Euan Maclachlan from Assynt to find out what sort of challenges they face in everyday life. The island of Fetlar is known as The Garden of Shetland due it being a very fertile and green. This week’s presenter Rachel Bell took a trip there and visited the dilapidated Brough Lodge. It's a striking structure with a complicated past. But as Rachel hears, plans are in place to restore it to its former glory. As North Berwick’s Fringe by the Sea festival kicks off this weekend, Mark got an early look at an immersive installation called the Nest. The project celebrates North Berwick and the northern gannet with new music composed by award-winning composer Erland Cooper and has been designed by artist Naomi McIntosh. Work is underway to preserve one of Scotland's only hill figures. The white stag on the side of Mormond Hill near Strichen in Aberdeenshire lay hidden for years, until the area was cleared by volunteers. Rachel went along to join in with the group called the 'Strichen Staggers', who are undertaking back-breaking work to keep the stag in good condition. In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Mark visits the island of Lismore with Iris Smith from Explore Lismore. We hear an excerpt where they chat about what life is like on the small island off the coast of Oban. And this week’s presenter Rachel Bell packs up her whole family and takes a few ferries to visit the island of Fetlar. We hear a snapshot of their day adventure to explore the beaches of the island.
Mark Stephen takes a Land Rover tour of the Inner Hebridean island of Lismore to explore its history, wildlife and nature
In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast Mark meets author Cal Flyn, whose latest book is called The Savage Landscape – How we Made the Wilderness. We hear an excerpt of Cal explaining where her interest in exploring the meaning of wilderness came from. Rachel is on the North East coast on a seabird spotting safari run by the Aberdeen Countryside Ranger Service. The trips have become popular with visitors who arrive in the area by cruise ship. Over the last week the Glenmore area of the Cairngorm National Park has been severely impacted by wildfires. Mark went to speak with Duncan Ferguson, a resident of Glenmore who was evacuated to hear about his experience. Throughout the programme we also hear from Colin Simpson, Cairngorm National Park visitor experience manager about the response to the fires as well as Ben Jones from the RSPB who tells us about the impact on bird and wildlife in the area. For a few weeks every summer, you can experience the glorious sights and smells of lavender fields in Fife. Rachel went along to Scottish Lavender to hear about where the idea to grow lavender came from and what they use the plants for. The Johnshaven Heritage Museum on the Aberdeenshire coast are currently running an exhibition called Land and Sea. Mark went along to take a look and find out more about the fishing village and surrounding area. And as the Commonwealth Games kicks off in Glasgow, Mark went along to Pinkston Watersports to hear about Glasgow Canal Quest, one of the many family friendly events which are being held to celebrate the games.
Mark Stephen meets Cal Flyn, author of The Savage Landscape - How We Made The Wilderness in which she explores the meaning of wilderness in a journey into the forests, deserts and ocean floor
Mark is in Forres to meet up with naturalist and educator Dan Puplett. Dan’s been running bird language courses, helping people understand what birds are really saying and how to interpret their different calls. Ardersier Common has officially become the Highlands' newest Local Nature Reserve after more than two decades of conservation work. Home to the rare small blue butterfly and one of the UK's rarest orchids, Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone joined High Life Highland countryside ranger John Orr to explore this remarkable wildlife haven for this week’s Scotland’s Outdoors Podcast Diseased trees in Callendar Park are set to be removed to protect the nearby Antonine Wall, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Experts say the work is needed to safeguard the Roman monument, built almost 2,000 years ago. Rachel joined Falkirk Council Greenspace Team Leader Mike Ewart to hear why the work is so important. Also, in Callendar Park, plans are taking shape to honour one of the 20th century's greatest plant hunters. Falkirk-born George Forrest travelled extensively in China, collecting thousands of plant specimens, many of which are familiar in gardens today. Rachel and Mike Ewart are joined by Leonie Paterson from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to learn more about one of Scotland's most celebrated botanists. We love talking about the benefits of spending time outdoors on this programme, and few people believe in its healing power more than Pete Crane. A former Cairngorms National Park Authority employee, Pete became seriously ill a few years ago. Rachel met him in Nethy Bridge to hear how the outdoors helped him on his road to recovery. After an absence of several years, a familiar landmark has returned to the waterfront at Port Glasgow. The newest replica of The Comet, Europe’s first seagoing commercial paddle steamer, is once again a feature of the shoreline. Celebrating a story that helped shape the town's proud shipbuilding heritage, Paul English has been finding out more from local councillor Chris Curley. Mark heads to the banks of Loch Lomond to explore the East Loch Lomond Path, the only Scottish route nominated in The Ramblers' Britain's Favourite Path 2026 competition. The rugged stretch along the eastern shore is part of the iconic West Highland Way, and Danny Carden from Ramblers Scotland explains why it deserves your vote. And the Aberdeenshire village of Maud was once a thriving railway junction. While the station and railway closed many years ago, the former station now lives on as a museum. Mark paid a visit and even got the chance to ride one of its most popular attractions, a miniature railway that takes visitors on a short but memorable journey.
Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone join High Life Highland countryside ranger John Orr at Ardersier Local Nature Reserve in search of one of the UK's rarest orchids.
Next week, communities in Lochaber will be asked to share their views on beavers being reintroduced to the area. Kirsten Brewster from rewilding charity Scotland: The Big Picture tells Mark about the consultation process and why Lochaber might be a good area for beavers. Rachel meets an Aberdeen lecturer who has won an award from the Mammal Society for his innovative camera trap box designed specifically for small mammals. Nick Littlewood shows Rachel the Littlewood Box, which he developed alongside his wife. The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is widely regarded as one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet. It brings together people from all walks of life to take on an extraordinary 11-month adventure, racing across the world's oceans aboard 70-foot yachts. This weekend, the Clippers arrive in Oban, and earlier this week, Mark went to hear about the town’s preparations for them and what else is going on as part of the Festival of the Sea. This week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast features artist and sculptor Helen Denerley. She met Rachel in her Aberdeenshire studio to tell her where it all began and reflect on her near 50 years of work. We chat live to one of the Scottish crew members who have been taking part in this year’s Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. The race is arriving in Oban this weekend before heading to Portsmouth on the last leg of the challenge. We hear about what life has been like at sea for the teams taking part. Rachel is back with Colin Bartholomew at RSPB Mersehead on the Solway Coast, trying to spot the rare Marsh Harrier which make their home on the reserve. We catch up with another endurance challenge team on the high seas. GB Row Challenge is working with the University of Portsmouth on real-world research to preserve marine environments and wildlife. We catch up with the team to hear how their journey is going and what they’ve observed so far. And producer Phil and his trusted colleague Morven Livingstone head to Hopeman on the Moray coast to try their hand at snorkelling. The two-day event, run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and a number of partner organisations called Snorkel for All, aims to make snorkelling more accessible for people like Phil, who is registered blind.
Rachel Stewart meets Helen in her workshop as she unveils her latest sculpture.
Mark hears about the preparation involved in setting up the Fettercairn Show which this weekend celebrates its 190th show, and the 200th anniversary of the Fettercairn Farmers Club which runs it. The committee tell him what sets it apart from other shows. Rachel is on the Solway coast exploring the RSPB Mersehead Nature Reserve. Mersehead is home to one of the rarest amphibians in the UK and has a huge range of different habitats. This week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast features Mark learning about attempts to save the rare twinflower in the Abernethy Forest. We hear an excerpt of Sam Jones from charity Plantlife showing him some of the success they’ve had so far. If you’ve been in Edinburgh recently, you may have spotted the Floral Clock in West Princess Street Gardens. It’s the oldest one of its kind in the world and this year therapeutic horticulture charity Trellis are the organisation being celebrated by the clock. Rachel went to see it all being planted up and hear about its history. North 58 Sea Adventures run boat trips into the Moray Firth from Lossiemouth and Findhorn. Mark climbed aboard a trip from Findhorn with skipper Peter, and some enthusiastic dolphin spotters to see if they could catch a glimpse of any. We chat live to Pete Moore who is undertaking a challenge to see all of the 29 species of butterflies that are native to the Scottish Highlands. He’s cycling to all the different locations, and we hear how he’s been getting on so far. And we celebrate some unusual wildlife encounters and your wildlife poetry after last week’s story of an amorous grouse sparked you to get in touch. Rachel finds out about an Aberdeen University project which involves studying the sounds of two coastal areas, Torry in Aberdeen and North Yell in Shetland which are both undergoing economic and cultural transformations. She hears some of the sonic postcards being created at Greyhope Bay.
Mark Stephen hears about attempts to save the twinflower in Abernethy Forest
Mark is in Fettercairn in Aberdeenshire where a garden designed for this year’s Chelsea Flower Show has made its way to the local distillery. He finds out about the inspiration behind the Angel’s Share Garden which won a silver gilt medal at the show. Earlier this week a major world conference in agritourism was held in Aberdeen. The inaugural Global Agritourism Conference brought hundreds of delegates from all around the world to share data, research and their personal stories. They also went on several visits to locations across Scotland and Rachel caught up with some of them at Thorneybank farm shop near Inverurie. Mark Stevens is a model maker based in the Black Isle whose creations are made from junk and things that he finds on the roadside. Our Mark goes to visit him in his workspace to hear how he got into model making and see some of his latest creations. The village of Tomintoul in Moray, one of the highest villages in Scotland, is celebrating its 250th anniversary. To mark the occasion sculptor Helen Denerley has created three life size roe deer statues located in the middle of Tomintoul. Rachel went along to see them being installed and hear more about the project. Plantlife Scotland has carried out an emergency translocation of the rare Aspen Bristle Moss, after a fallen Aspen tree put the species’ Scottish population at risk. Deep in the Abernethy Forest Reserve in the Cairngorms, Mark heads out to look for it which proves rather tricky… We hear about Cycling UK’s newest multi-day bikepacking route, Gallovidean Gravel. It’s the charity’s first fully Scottish route and explores Dumfries and Galloway. Our Orkney colleague Evie McGowan spent a night in the UK’s most northerly bothy which has recently been renovated. The Rackwick bothy on Hoy is owned by the Hoy Development Trust and Evie hears about the work that they’ve carried out. In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Rachel is in the Trossachs with the Adaptive Riders Collective who empower people with physical disabilities to experience the freedom, joy, and connection that come from being out in nature. We hear an excerpt.
Rachel Stewart visits the charity which aims to make off-road cycling open to all.
Ahead of next week’s Royal Highland Show being held at Ingliston just outside Edinburgh, Rachel catches up with farmer Anna Mitchell, who is one of this year’s vice presidents. This year’s presidential team are representing Aberdeenshire and Anna tells Rachel what visitors can expect from the show. Mark is in Newport-on-Tay with author Dr Erin Farley whose most recent book, Lighthouse Lives, tells the stories of the last generation to work on manned lighthouses across Scotland. She tells Mark about the experiences of some of the keepers and their families who she recorded with for the book. Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone meet Allan MacKinnon of Highland Bird Control Services, to see how he's tackling the issues that gulls are causing at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. Two volumes of Birds of America by renowned artist and ornithologist John James Audubon are currently on show to the public at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. The College has owned the art treasures for two centuries, and Mark went to meet their heritage lead, Claire McDade to hear a bit about their origins and take a look at the impressive books. Rachel is in Ayrshire meeting some of the farmers involved in the women in dairy initiative. As Scotland fans descend on Boston, Massachusetts in their thousands, we hear about the different birds that the discerning football supporter might be able to spot during their stay in the city. Erin Kelly from conservation charity Mass Audubon tells Rachel a bit about Boston birdlife and where to see it. The Glasgow Tandem Club has members who are both vision impaired and sighted. They are based in Ballahouston Park in Glasgow and Rachel went along to meet some of the members and chatted to founder, Anne Fraser. Mark heads to Cullen to meet the founder of Blue Lighthouse surf club, which was set up to offer tangible support for the health and wellbeing of members of the emergency services and care workers. And in this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Mark visits the Taliesin Community Woodland in Dumfries and Galloway which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. We hear an excerpt.
Mark Stephen visits the Taliesin Community Woodland in Dumfries and Galloway
Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors.
Rachel Stewart meets Luisa Hendry, better known as the Scottish Geologist on social media
Right in the heart of London is one of the city’s most popular attractions, The Natural History Museum. Last week, Rachel met up with John Tweedie, head of the Centre for UK Nature and UK Nature Recovery, who explained why the museum’s ponds have become a hotspot for all kinds of insects, including the striking willow emerald damselfly. To celebrate the tercentenary of James Hutton's birth, a new Deep Time Trail at Siccar Point has been launched. It features a redeveloped 1.3km pathway, new seating, cycle racks, an arrival pillar and spectacular stone viewpoints to help visitors explore the birthplace of modern geology. Mark and geologist Dr Angus Miller visit the site on the Berwickshire Coastal Path. Only a tiny number of people have completed all 282 of Scotland’s Munros in a single winter. In 2024, Anna Wells became the first woman and only the fourth person on record to achieve the feat. She’s written a book about the challenge and spoke to Helen Needham about the experience. You can listen to the full podcast at Scotland Outdoors Street artist Mark Anthony, also known as ATM, has created murals across the country highlighting endangered bird species and the threat of extinction. When Rachel met him in London’s Regent’s Park, he told her about combining art with conservation, and whether he considers himself a birder. Parakeets are usually an exceptionally rare sight in the Highlands, so when reports emerged of one causing absolute chaos in the Lochardil neighbourhood of Inverness, producer Phil Sime and colleague Morven Livingstone set out to track down the feathered troublemaker. Mark joins Grant Stott for a walk along Edinburgh’s Hermitage Trail, where Grant reflects on his love for the area and shares his excitement about starting his new afternoon show on BBC Radio Scotland next week. John Hearns got in touch after we mentioned that last week’s programme was coming from London. He invited Rachel to join him and David Judson for a rendition of the Mingulay Sea Shanty with the London Sea Shanty Collective. Operating mainly from Glasgow, the Waverley now sails around the UK. Mark Stephen joined her first outing of the season alongside general manager Paul Semple and some crafty passengers.
Mark Stephen climbs aboard the world's last seagoing paddle steamer, The Waverley
Mark and Rachel explore the flora and fauna of the capital and are joined by live guests as they broadcast from the balcony of Broadcasting House in London. Mark visits Mudchute Farm, one of the largest city farms in Europe. It comprises 32 acres of countryside, located a stone's throw away from the hustle and bustle of Canary Wharf. He hears about how the site was developed from derelict land in the 1970s to the busy farm and park that it is today. Right in the heart of the city centre at Kings Cross, Coal Drops Yard is another location which has seen many uses over the years. It’s now home to a vibrant shopping and dining district, which also includes a number of parks and outdoor spaces. Rachel goes for a wander to find out how the outdoors has been incorporated into the site. One of the most famous ships in the world, Cutty Sark has made her home at Greenwich since 1954. However, she was designed and built in Dumbarton in 1869 before sailing across the world transporting tea and other goods, at one point faster than any other ship. Mark goes aboard to hear about her incredible past. And sticking with boats, Rachel heads out on a London Water Bus canal trip. Skipper Ange tells her about all the different wildlife that pops up along the canal and operations director Rory tells her about the history of the canal. This week is London Rivers Week, and joining Mark and Rachel live to chat about it is Chris Coode from environmental charity Thames21. The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘know your local river’ and Chris tells them about the hundreds of miles of other rivers in London alongside the Thames. Lara Maiklem is an author and a mudlarker- a person who scavenges the banks and foreshores of tidal rivers to find historical artifacts, lost objects, and debris. She meets Mark to chat about what drew her to mudlarking and show him some of the finds she’s had over the years. Joining Mark and Rachel live on the balcony of Broadcasting House is Charlotte Benham from the Tree Council. Charlotte chats to them about the treescape of the city and why trees are so important for somewhere like London. Rachel hears about the flocks of ring-necked parakeets which have made the city their home. The non-native population has thrived at locations across London and Rachel hears how they ended up there and why they like it so much.
Helen Needham speaks with Anna Wells, the first woman to complete the munros in a winter