Scotland Outdoors

Rachel visits Fairhill Rise, an education centre in East Lothian which is part of the Ruskin Mill Trust. The centre provides outdoor learning and activities for those with autism and additional needs. Rachel meets the manager and hears about their work.Ahead of World Otter Day this coming Wednesday, Mark visits International Otter Survival Fund in Broadford on Skye to hear about the work they carry out across the world and meet some of the otters they have in their care.Over the past couple of weeks folk singer Kirsty Law has been walking along the route of the River Tweed. Her Meander tour has seen her meet other musicians along the way and stop to perform gigs as she goes. Maud Start went to catch up with her near Innerleithen.Mark joins a bike bus in Edinburgh- a safe way for kids to cycle to school. He hears from the organiser Jarlath Flynn about where the idea comes from and sees first hand how they work. He also chats to some of the children and their parents about the benefits of cycling to school.Soil Association Scotland and other groups have been carrying out crop trials to see which varieties of flax might grow best in Scotland. Rachel visits Lauriston Farm near Edinburgh who are part of the project to see the process of sowing the flax. And she meets Rosie Bristow from Fantasy Fibre Mill who has been using flax to make yarn and then linen.There seem to be a lot of dandelions on the go at the moment, with many gardeners cursing their presence in their lawns. However, the humble dandelion actually has many great properties so perhaps we shouldn’t be quite so quick to pull it out. We chat live to M.T. O’Donnell, founder and editor of Scotland Grows Magazine about the benefits of the dandelion.And in our latest Scotland Outdoors podcast Mark spent some time at the Chippendale International School of Furniture near Haddington. We hear an excerpt of him chatting to some of those at work making some unique pieces of furniture.

Mark Stephen visits the Chippendale International School of Furniture near Haddington in East Lothian. He meets the principal and students from home and abroad taking part in the courses run by the school

In our latest Scotland Outdoors podcast Helen Needham meets regenerative farmer Nikki Yoxall in the hills of Aberdeenshire. Nikki’s cattle are outside all year round, moving from field to field as part of a system called mob grazing. She tells Helen about the benefits it has for the cattle and the land.In the last few years, there’s been an explosion in the number of community run gardens across the country. These bring huge positives to those who look after and visit them. However, new research from Aberdeen University suggests that sometimes the pressures of running such a project can mount up. Rachel went to speak to Professor David Burslem to hear more.The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week has been movement, and on Out of Doors, we love nothing better to help clear our heads than heading out for a walk. Mark went along to join a group doing just that with Moray based charity Nature 4 Health. They aim to connect people with nature, each other and themselves, and Mark hears from some of those taking part about the benefits they feel of being part of the group.A new project linking up poets with farmers to shine a light on growing food has been launched by the Gaia Foundation. It involves 10 poets around the UK who each spent time on farms in order to produce a new poem. For the Scotland Outdoors podcast, Helen Needham went to meet Edinburgh-based poet Iona Lee who was paired with Lauriston Agroecology Farm in the city. They went for a wander on a very wet day to chat about Iona’s relationship with the natural world.Mark visits the National Trust for Scotland's St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve to see how the seabird colony there is faring.As Mental Health Awareness Week comes to an end, on Saturday we celebrate World Therapeutic Horticultural Day. One of the organisations involved is Trellis, who are based in Perth. We chat live to Fiona Thackeray, their chief executive officer, about what therapeutic gardening is and the different people they work with.If you’re interested in climbing, you might want to check out a new BBC podcast. It’s part of a series called Amazing Sports Stories and it’s called Chasing Mountains. Rachel spoke to the presenters Joanna Jolly and Kathy Karlo who told her more about making the series and let her hear some clips.Have you ever heard of the term Everesting? The idea is simple, but the activity is incredibly tough. Cyclists pick a hill and ride repeats of it in a single activity until they climb the height of Mount Everest - 8,848m. It’s something that musician Mark Bruce has become passionate about after struggling with his mental health. He told our Travelling Folk colleagues about his challenges, and we hear an excerpt where he talks about how extreme exercise saved him.And to round off Mental Health Awareness week, we take a moment to be mindful with a soundscape.

Helen Needham visits Nikki Yoxall and her herd of pasture fed cattle in Aberdeenshire

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart follow the river Tweed from Kelso to Berwick Upon Tweed.In Kelso, they visit Floor Castle and Gardens in the company of Matt Thomson and Simon McManus. Jonathan Garrett shows Mark round the town's racecourseIn Coldstream, John Elliot of the local historical society tells the story of one of the earliest bridges built across the Tweed into England, Mark delves into the history of the Coldstream Guards and Rachel hears about a marriage house with a past to rival Gretna GreenThe Battle of Flodden took place in 1513 close to the Tweed. In Branxton, Rachel discovers the so called smallest visitor centre in the world which commemorates the battle whilst Mark visits the battlefield with Clive Hallam Baker to find out why the Scots suffered such a lossThe Union Chain Bridge is a suspension bridge which has linked Scotland and England for over 200 years making it the oldest vehicle suspension bridge in the world. Martha Andrews of the Friends of the Union Chain Bridge tells of its recent restorationWillie Robson and his family have been producing honey from the Chain Bridge Honey Farm for over 75 years. Rachel meets Willie and his daughter Frances to find out why they are both so enthusiastic about beesLinda Bankier is the Bewick Upon Tweed Archivist. She takes Mark and Rachel on a tour of the historic burgh including the walls surrounding the town and the town hall where a jail for debtors and criminals was situatedMark and Rachel go aboard the Border Belle with David Thomson at the helm for a boat trip to view Berwick Upon Tweed from a different perspective. They go under the three iconic bridges of the town - the Berwick Bridge, the Royal Tweed Bridge and the Royal Border Bridge

Helen Needham learns about the We Feed the UK project

On Thursday this week campaigners gathered outside the Scottish Parliament to protest the proposed plans for a new powerline between Kintore and Tealing. SSEN Transmission says the upgrade is needed to meet net zero targets, while protestors say they haven’t been properly consulted and the scheme will blight the countryside. Mark went along to speak to Thomas Nicoll from SSEN Transmission and some of the protestors from Angus Action Against Pylons and Save Our Mearns.TV Nature series Wild Isles was a big hit for the BBC last year. Much of it was filmed in Scotland and recently Rachel chatted to producer Alastair Fothergill for the Scotland Outdoors podcast. We hear an excerpt where he chats about how they filmed Orca hunting whales in Shetland.Later this month Ullapool is hosting Lugger Fest ’24. It’s the village’s inaugural maritime festival of traditional boats and will feature talks, food, music plus the chance to get aboard the Luggers- small fishing boats that use a particular kind of sail. Dan Holland went along to find out more about what will be going on and explore one the luggers.Nikki and Ollie Lake are familiar faces to those who watch the BBC series This Farming Life. They farm near Dallas in Moray and have a rather interesting mix of animals including water buffalo and wallabies! Rachel went along to meet the couple and their marsupials to hear how they got started.Sunday 5th May is International Dawn Chorus Day so to mark the occasion we’re joined live by renowned sound recordist Chris Watson. Chris tells us what makes the dawn chorus so special to record and we hear an excerpt of a recording he did in Glen Affric.A community owned woodland in Aberdeenshire with links to a famous Doric poet has become part of a major European study. It’s being used as an example of how people can use what’s on their doorstep to tackle big issues like climate change. Rachel went to visit while they were planting some trees.

Producer Alastair Fothergill has spent decades making nature documentaries around the world, often working closely with Sir David Attenborough. His work includes Blue Planet and Planet Earth. In this podcast, Alastair discusses why he felt the time was right to make a series concentrating on the nature and wildlife that can be found in the British Isles. He talks about the challenges of securing the footage in some remote locations in Scotland as well as his highlights from the series which took three years to make.

Back in 2020, some of farmer Steve Barron’s cattle fell ill and died. Initially he had no idea what had caused their sudden deaths until lead poisoning was found to be the reason. He tells Mark about what happened and the impact it had on him.Steve’s cattle died so had no chance of entering the food chain, but Food Standards Scotland take incidents of livestock poisoning very seriously. They are raising awareness of the risks that farmers face as we hear from their head of incidents, Stuart McAdam.In our latest Scotland Outdoors podcast Helen Needham talks to musician and composer Anne Wood about how her own heritage led her to write music inspired by the mountains of Pakistan and Assynt. We hear an excerpt where they discuss the idea of home.Earlier this week a film documentary premiered in Edinburgh made by director Tom Opre called The Last Keeper. The film explores the land-use conflicts of Scotland and features interviews with a range of people who live in, work in and manage the countryside. Rachel went to interview Tom and find out what was involved in making the film.Mark takes a wander round the darker side of Edinburgh’s medical history with a tour guide from the Surgeons’ Hall Museum. He hears about the grizzly business of barber surgeons and the advancements made in medical science in the city.This weekend the British Divers Marine Life Rescue charity which helps rescue stranded and entangled cetaceans and seals are holding a big training exercise off the Ayrshire coast. We hear live from one of those coordinating the exercise to find out what and who is involved.An obscure fungus which had until recently been relatively rare in Scotland appears to be at the centre of an outbreak in Scots Pine trees across the country. Dr Sarah Green from Forest Research tells Rachel more about it.Mark visits an area of woodland in the centre of Haddington that a group are keen to take charge of via a community asset transfer. They tell him about the history of the site and what they hope to happen to it.Over the last few weeks, we’ve been discussing the changing seasons and what feels like the late arrival of spring. While Rachel was visiting the Montrose Basin Reserve, she chatted to Joanna from the Scottish Wildlife Trust about which species are heading off and which are arriving

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.

If you added up all the land currently forming playgrounds and playing fields around Scotland’s schools, it would be roughly the same size as Dundee. Most of that is tarmac or grass cut short for sports but as Helen Needham discovered when she visited Levenmouth High School in Buckhaven in Fife, it’s possible for schools to use some of their land in a different way to improve biodiversity and benefit learning and wellbeing.Two rare needlework samplers thought to have been embroidered by Robert Burns’s sister and mother have been returned to the poet’s birthplace thanks to an American donor. Rachel visited the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway to have a look at the samplers and hear about their significance.Bird Gardens Scotland is a bird conservation breeding centre and home to over 300 birds from around the world. It’s been built over the past few years by Owen and his husband Mark and now boasts a coffee shop and visitor centre. Mark went for a walk around the sit and met some of the hundreds of feathered residents.A few years ago, an area of grassy scrub came into community ownership near Crail. The community decided to turn the site into an area that would benefit nature and the environment. Rachel went to see how the work was going and hear about the plans for the site.Mark is in the Borders, chatting to two members of the Campaign for a Scottish Borders National Park group. They tell him why their area should be awarded national park status and why lack of council support isn’t holding them back.While she was at Levenmouth High School, Helen Needham heard from teacher Duncan Zuill about their failed attempts at planting trees. One of their problems is deer, but as Duncan told Helen, they also don’t want to use plastic tree tubes. George Anderson from Woodland Trust Scotland joins us live to tell us why the tubes are needed, and what the plastic free alternatives are.Rachel meets two Newfoundland dogs, Cindy and Yogi, who are trained to help rescue people who get into difficulty in the sea. Their owner Norman tells Rachel about the background to dogs working as rescue animals and how he trains them.

Mark visits Aviemore Bikes to hear about a scheme encouraging locals to take up the use of an e-bike free of charge. He hears who has been using them and why.This week’s Scotland’s Outdoors podcast features cellist Jessica Kerr telling Helen Needham about her project ‘Stories of People and Trees’. She’s been gathering stories relating to trees and has commissioned some new music inspired by them. We hear an excerpt where they admire the trees in Maxwell Park in Glasgow.Back in lockdown in 2020, a seawater pool in the East Neuk of Fife started to experience a bit of a revival. Rachel went for a visit to hear about the group that formed to look after the Cellardyke Pool and the important part it plays in the community. Plus she witnesses some of those brave enough to take a dip in January!The RSPB’s Loch Leven reserve is home to lots of different bird life at different times of the year. Mark went along to see what he could spot as we head into spring.And with Spring on our minds, we chat about Imbolc. A Celtic tradition, Imbolc marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. We hear about the traditions and rituals associated with it.Galloway is another area that is campaigning to become Scotland’s Next National Park. Rachel speaks to some of those involved in the bid about what makes it so special and why it should be awarded National Park status.After hearing our item on willow coffins recently, the custodian of a natural burial ground in Speyside got in touch to ask if we'd like to visit. So Mark went along to find out what makes a natural burial ground different from a traditional cemetery.A special appeal is being made to trace the descendants of the crew involved in the Stonehaven lifeboat disaster of 1874. Rachel hears the tragic story of the disaster and why the RNLI are trying to find descendants.

Helen Needham hears about some special trees from musician Jessica Kerr

Rachel ventures into the sea caves at East Wemyss in Fife to hear about how coastal erosion is threatening the Pictish carvings on their walls.Last summer, the Saving Wildcats project released 19 cats in the Cairngorms as part of efforts to prevent the species becoming extinct. Mark visits the Highland Wildlife Park where the next kittens that will be released have been bred, to hear about how the project is going.We’ve all heard of wine tasting but have you ever thought of giving honey tasting a bash? In our latest Scotland Outdoors podcast, Rachel tries her hand at it under the tutelage of Dr Gino Jabbar, a honey sommelier.Earlier this month, dozens of people under the banner of The Cairngorms Crofters and Farmers Group gathered to voice their grievances over the recent release of beavers into the National Park. Mark met one of the organisers, Ruaridh Ormiston, to find out more about their concerns.And we’re joined live by Grant Moir, Chief Executive of the Cairngorms National Park Authority. We’ll put the concerns of farmers to him and ask about the tricky balance involved in keeping everyone who lives, works and enjoys the park, happy.More than a million pounds is being spent upgrading one of the most popular walking routes in the North East. Rachel went for a wander along part of the Formartine and Buchan Way to hear how the money will be spent.If you watched Britain’s Best Woodworker recently you may remember one of the stars Jen Humphreys. Jen has her workshop in Banff, and Rachel went along to see how she creates her stunning work.And as Thursday marked Burns Night, Mark met up with Professor Alison Lumsden from Aberdeen University to hear about the Bard’s connections to the North East and whether any of his poetry was inspired by the Doric he would have heard growing up.

Rachel meets Dr Gino Jabbar from Simply Honey in Edinburgh. He is a honey producer and sommelier and runs classes introducing people to the art of honey tasting. He believes that honey is a "taste of the landscape" and there are marked differences in the taste of the product depending on the season and location of the bees. He invites Rachel to sample different products and explains how different plants and trees influence the taste.

Perthshire is known for its big trees and stunning countryside, and it is also home to a large number of artists. Rachel hears about the Perthshire Creative Trail which has been established to encourage people to explore the great outdoors while soaking up some art at the same time. She meets one of the organisers and an artist involved.Mark meets Mike Scotland, the founder of Community cleanUP. The Aberdeen-based group organises litter-picks to clean up the city. But as Mark hears, starting to litter-pick has literally been a lifesaver for Mike.In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Mark meets Martin Kennedy, chairman of the National Farmers Union of Scotland. In this excerpt, Martin discusses river management and laments the lack of dredging and what he sees as the negative side effects.In response to Martin, we chat live to hydromorphologist Dr Stephen Addy from the James Hutton Institute. He tells us what his role involves and why our approach to river management has changed over the years.A little earlier this week, Inverurie in Aberdeenshire attempted to stage the biggest snowball fight in Scotland. Rachel was in the thick of the action as the snowballs were flying between the two teams.Before Christmas we asked you to send in your ornithological queries for friend of the programme and North East Bird Recorder, Ian Broadbent to answer. This week, Mark and Rachel met up with Ian at the Inchgarth Reservoir to put his knowledge to the test and see if he come up with all the answers!And in a week where the North East has been blanketed in snow, Mark heads out to muse about his love-hate relationship with the white stuff.

Mark and Martin discuss the various issues facing farmers in Scotland including river management, beavers, new entrants, the future of agricultural support and why farming is the best job in the world.

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors

Helen Needham visits the Physic Garden at the RBGE with Catherine Conway-Payne

Mark is in Hazlehead Park in Aberdeen hearing how the team from Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is working to remove the grey squirrel population from the city.In June 2021 fire destroyed the replica Iron Age Crannog on Loch Tay. In the years since, the Scottish Crannog Centre has moved location to the other side of the loch and the team has been working to create a new replica Iron Age village. Rachel went to see their progress and explore the new site.The Memorial Chapel in Arbroath’s Western cemetery was designed by Patrick Allan-Fraser, who established the town’s Hospitalfield House as a centre for arts and crafts, as a memorial to his late wife Elizabeth and her parents. It’s a striking building but has never been used to its full potential. Laura Guthrie goes for a visit and hears how the Hospitalfield House team hope to use it.We continue to hear from each of the areas vying to be given National Park status. This week Mark is in Pitlochry hearing about the bid for the Tay Forest National Park.The recent stormy weather has caused a number of puffins to be stranded on North East beaches. We hear from the New Arc Wildlife Centre about why birds become stranded and what to do if you come across an injured bird.While Rachel visited the new Scottish Crannog Centre, she spoke to some of the team who are working to recreate the Iron Age village. There’s a whole host of people on site including a traditional carpenter, archaeologists and a green woodworker.It’s nearly 40 years since the Winter Garden at Saughton Park in Edinburgh was redeveloped. Rachel speaks to Craig Dunlop, Park and Green Space officer, about how the park has changed over the years.And we hear an excerpt from the recent Scotland Outdoors podcast looking back on the career of the late Charlie Allan. Charlie was a real North East Man O' Pairts - broadcaster, writer, farmer, singer and sportsman. We hear some of his archive recordings.

Helen Needham with archive recordings from Charlie Allan

Mark Stephen hears tales of bothying including some very special cookery

Mark uncovers tales from the secret howff bothy in the Cairngorms. Mark and Rachel explore the dark skies in the hills above Braemar and Rachel finds out the lengths farmers go to to decorate their tractors for a festive run through the streets of Inverurie

The twin brothers behind the music project Kinbrae were commissioned to make a soundscape of an unusual building at Crail Airfield in Fife as part of the East Neuk Festival in 2023. The building was called a cinasium - a cross between a cinema and a gym. This was the social hub for the airfield when it was still active during World War Two. Andy and Mike Truscott used field recordings and created their own sounds, without using samples, to replicate the audio that would have been heard during the war years and beyond. Their recording includes the testimony of two local residents who remember the air raid sirens and fighting off the Fife coast. The soundscape was played on speakers during the festival - bringing the building back to life through the power of the creative audio.

Mark visits Alex Brewster at his farm near Pitlochry. Ten years ago, Alex changed his approach to farming to a more regenerative one, conserving and rehabilitating the soil. He shows Mark the impact that change has made to his land and explains how it all happened.Lake District climber Anna Taylor became the first woman to complete the 'classic rock' challenge all under her own steam. She tells Rachel about how she cycled between the routes on the challenge and more about her climbing career.The Cairngorm Gliding Club, located near Kingussie, has been going for nearly 60 years. Rachel heads for a visit and of course, a flight in a glider, to see what attracts people to taking to the skies.Bad weather can certainly have an impact on how we feel mentally, but what about our physical health? Writer and psychologist Louise Kenward has put together an anthology of nature writing from the point of view of people living with disability and chronic illness. She spoke to Helen Needham for the Scotland Outdoors podcast, and we hear an excerpt where they discuss one of the contributing writers who is physically affected by rain.The Scottish Government has committed to creating at least one new National Park by the spring of 2026. This week, we hear from one of the members of the group behind the bid for Lochaber to be awarded National Park status.Sounding Line is a large-scale ceramic installation addressing the devastating effect of marine sonar, sound used for navigating, on whales and other cetaceans. Artist and ceramicist Mella Shaw has made sculptures from clay that include bone from a beached whale. Helen goes to find out more.

Helen Needham speaks with writer Louise Kenward about the anthology 'Moving Mountains'

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors

Mark Stephen meets Christian Stolte of the Wee Scottish Cider Company

Rachel is on Deeside where a rare and elusive ant which hadn’t been spotted in the area for over 70 years has been rediscovered in large numbers. She hears from the man who found it.And Rachel also chats to Dr Jenni Stockan, an insect ecologist at the James Hutton Institute who confirmed the ant discovery. She explains the process of identifying insects.We hear an excerpt from this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast which features author Peter MacQueen. Peter’s family have a hut in Argyll but to get there, you have to cross a stretch of water by boat or canoe. Mark heads out to visit the hut with Peter and his Dad.Dundee Museum of Transport is on a major fundraising drive to make their planned new home weather tight. The museum has major plans for the old Maryfield tram depot but before work to relocate can take place, Mark hears about the maintenance they need to carry out.We have not one but two rare insects on the programme this week as we also hear about the discovery of medicinal leeches in Dumfries and Galloway. Craig Macadam from charity Buglife joins us live to tell us about these fascinating invertebrates.Rachel is in Edinburgh visiting Rhyze, a community mushroom farm. She hears how the group got started in a shipping container on a former industrial site and what their plans are for the future.Paul English joins the Inverclyde Time Teamers, a group of enthusiastic amateur archaeology detectives, and hears about some of their incredible finds.And sticking with archaeology, Mark hears about the discovery of the site of Deer Monastery where it is believed the Book of Deer, possibly the earliest surviving manuscript produced in Scotland, was written. Dr Ali Cameron was part of the dig and she tells Mark about its significance.

Mark Stephen visits the family hut of Peter and Graham MacQueen in Argyll

Earlier this week Mark went along to Agriscot, a farm business event held at Ingliston just outside Edinburgh. He spoke to Bob Carruth from NFU Scotland about who attends and what the topics were up for debate.Green woodworking involves making things out of unseasoned or unprocessed wood using only hand tools. It’s a method which appears to be growing in popularity as Rachel found out when she met green woodworker Aaron Sterritt near Forres.Helen Needham visits James Reid of Tap O' Noth Farm to hear about his approach to farming. He uses a method called permaculture, which focuses on the harmonious integration of landscape and peopleMark is in Perthshire- Big Tree Country- exploring the Dunkeld Tree Trail as we mark National Tree Week.And joining us live to tell us more about National Tree Week is Jon Stokes from The Tree Council who run the week and are marking 50 years of planting trees.While he was at Agriscot Mark met Euan Bone from Glenkiln Farm on Arran whose family had just won the Champion of Champions award at the first-ever Scottish Agriculture Awards. He tells Mark about how important diversification has been to the farm.Colourful beach huts were once a well known sight on East Lothian’s beaches. Sadly over the years many of them fell into disrepair. However, visitors now have a chance to see them in their heyday and discover the stories behind them at the Coastal Communities Museum in North Berwick. Rachel went along for a look.Mark heads on a hutting adventure with author and BBC Alba presenter Peter MacQueen. Peter’s first book, The Art of Hutting: Living Off-Grid with the Highland Hutter, has just been published and he took Mark to meet his Dad at the family hut near Oban.