Scotland Outdoors

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.

Helen Needham visits James Reid of Tap O' Noth Farm to hear about his approach to farming

Rachel tries her hand at angling with the Dee Damsels. The group was set up by Tara Spiers to support women who were keen to learn more about fly fishing.Mark returns to the Greenmyres Eco Bothy run by the Huntly Development Trust. He gets an update on the work they’ve done on the site so far including walking and cycling trails plus hears about their plans for the future.Stretching nearly 80 miles from Fort William to Inverness, the Great Glen Way is one of Scotland’s most popular walking routes. However, part of the route is currently closed due to forestry operations as producer Phil Sime found out.We chat live to forecaster Judith Ralston about a new BBC Scotland documentary- Scotland's Weather- Our Changing Seasons.Poaching is seen by some as a victimless crime but as Rachel finds out, that is far from the case. She meets Police Wildlife Crime Liaison Officer for the North East, Hannah Corbett who explains the issues caused by poachers. And she also chats to two of the people who look after the River Findhorn, known as Bailiffs, about the type of people they catch poaching and the impact it can have on fish stocks.Helen Needham meets up with one of the Paperboats collective, Environmental Scientist and writer Sandy Winterbottom. The group are made up of Scotland based writers, artists and activists focussed on nature and environment and they are preparing to campaign outside the Scottish Parliament with a flotilla of paperboats.Mark is in Birnam as the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s first folio is celebrated. He chats to Dr Toria Johnson from Birmingham University about the true connections between Macbeth and the Birnam Oak.And Mark visits a community garden in Huntly where Deveron Projects have brought together artist Susie Dalton and the Huntly TOADS outdoor education group to build a shelter for the garden.

Rachel Stewart meets some of those trying to encourage more women to take up angling on the River Dee in Aberdeenshire.

On this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast Mark finds out about a project called Light is a Right – How to Winter Well. Glasgow University researchers have been looking into different things that might help us cope with the long, dark winter days. They explain to Mark what’s been involved in their research.Rachel is in Ayrshire meeting the Wednesday Weekday Volunteers who are always happy to roll their sleeves up and get to work at the Gailes Marsh Nature Reserve near Irvine.Wildlife photographer John Speirs shows Mark that you don’t have to venture far away from the busy streets of Oban to spot some interesting bird and wildlife.Kayaker Nick Ray hit the headlines earlier this year when he completed his yearlong paddle around the coast of Scotland. Nick’s appeared on Out of Doors quite a few times in the past to tell us about his kayaking adventures as well as his struggles with his mental health. Mark caught up with him on Mull, where he lives, to find out what he’s been up to since he finished his challenge and what’s on the cards for the future.A few weeks ago, a team of volunteers, including staff from the British Trust for Ornithology, headed up Schiehallion under the cover of darkness to try and ring ptarmigan. We’re joined live by Anthony Wetherhill who was part of the team to tell us more about these elusive birds.In 2021, Alex Moran and Mike Coppock completed the first ever non-stop Island Munros Triathlon. Rachel met up with Alex to find out what was involved in the challenge and how long it took them to complete.Rachels meets the Wobbly Cyclist, Karen Cox, who has been able to once again enjoy cycling after getting an e-bike. She tells Rachel about the importance of e-bikes in making the outdoors accessible to those with mobility issues.And following on from the recent storms, Mark heads to the coast to investigate the strange phenomenon of sea foam.

Mark Stephen finds out how to winter well over the next few months. He meets a group of academics from Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities looking into the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder and discovers what can be done to improve winter depression

Mark visits Deeside Willow to hear all about how to grow this versatile plant and its many uses. He also tries his hand at some willow sculpting.The Future Forest Company has transformed a former sheep farm in Ayrshire with the help of some rather interesting pigs. Rachel went to visit the Brodoclea site to hear about the organisation’s aims and what role their Mangalica pigs have played.Dr Kat Jones is director of the charity Action to Protect Rural Scotland. For the last few months she’s been walking the Glasgow Greenbelt to raise awareness of these often forgotten areas. Mark joined her for a wander along part of the greenbelt near Airdrie.Phil is in Cromarty to see the impact Storm Babet has had on a popular coastal path in the village. He hears how the community council plan to repair and future proof the route.Helen Needham meets Professor Roger Crofts at a climate conference at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. They chat about the much anticipated Agriculture and Rural Communities Bill which is being considered by the Scottish Parliament just nowJoining Mark and Dr Kat Jones on their greenbelt walk was Ann Glen who tells Mark a bit about the history of the Monkland Canal and the importance of looking after these areas.And Rachel is in North Berwick where she hears the tragic story of a young artist, Catherine Watson who drowned after rescuing three children from the sea. Her story was almost forgotten until some of her artwork popped up in an unusual place.

Mark hears about how Atlantic salmon will soon be able to access parts of the River Dee for the first time in a century following the removal of Garlogie Dam.Linda visits the Clyde Valley to hear about how a group of enthusiasts are reviving the orchards that once dominated the area.Rachel heads into the hills of the Inshriach National Nature Reserve in the Cairngorms to hear about a major new study which has recently been published looking at the relationship between controlling deer numbers and woodland restoration.Mark hears about the fascinating history of the oldest beam engine in Scotland that was once responsible for powering Garlogie Mill.Producer Phil goes pumpkin picking in the Highlands to hear about how climate change has affected this year’s harvest.We chat live to Vivian Bisset, a National Trust for Scotland Ranger about post-storm clean up and the impact that Storm Babet has had on nature in the North East.Rachel hears all about a Pictish-inspired Millennial stone in Fife.Linda climbs aboard the world’s largest seagoing paddle steamer, The Waverley, to hear about how this summer has seen record breaking passenger numbers in its almost 50 years of sailing.

Rachel Stewart presents Scotland Outdoors

Helen visits a mobile laboratory in St Andrews as it travels around various European coastlines to explore coastal habitats and collect samples from the soil, water and air to assess things like pollution.Mark chats to John Fletcher, the first person to set up a commercial deer farm in Scotland back in the 1970s. As well as being a farmer, John is a vet and an author and he tells Mark what it was that first interested him in red deer.Helen heads to Glen Dee to meet a group of archaeologists. For the past couple of years, Graham Warren, Professor of Archaeology at University College Dublin has spent a fortnight each summer carefully scraping away and sieving the soil in search of evidence of prehistoric hunter gatherers.There has been a Mill of Benholm in some form on the site in Aberdeenshire for hundreds of years. The current Mill was open to the public until 2014 and now a group has applied for a community asset transfer to take over the site from Aberdeenshire Council. Mark went for a visit to find out about the work they are doing and what their plans are for the future.We chat live to Linsay Chalmers from Community Land Scotland as they celebrate Community Land Week. There are now more than 700 projects and over half a million acres under community control in Scotland. We hear about some of the successes and events that are happening to mark them.Last year we heard from walking artist, Claudia Zeiske, as she travelled through Aberdeenshire collecting memories of the Covid lockdown and stitching them onto a pink tablecloth. A few weeks ago Maud Start caught up with her and a new tablecloth on a new journey called the Slow Coast 500.The Scottish Coastal Rowing Project was started in 2010, the idea behind it is for communities to build their own skiffs and get people out onto the water. There are now over 70 clubs across the county and Helen went to meet members of one of the newest based at Forfar Loch.

Helen Needham meets Graeme Warren and others during a dig in Glen Dee

Out of Doors celebrates 100 years of BBC Aberdeen. This week we have a special programme looking back at what life was like in rural communities in 1923, how people enjoyed the outdoors and the early forms of conservation.We’re joined by author and broadcaster Graham Stewart who tells us about the origins of broadcasting in Aberdeen.Paula Williams from the National Library of Scotland tells us about how people used the outdoors for recreation in the 1920s and the growth of mountaineering.Stuart Brooks, director of conservation and policy at the National Trust for Scotland explains the origins of the Trust and the conservation movement.And Dr Tom McKean from the Elphinstone Institute at Aberdeen University tells us about who was listening to the radio from across rural Scotland and the North East in particular, and what their lives were like.We also delve into the Aberdeen archives to get a flavour of what things sounded like in the 1930s and hear what conditions were like working in the early studios.Rachel visits the Highland Folk Museum to see what life was like in the 1920s bothy and how people lived and worked in a ‘farm toun’.And we hear from Professor Marjory Harper about the wave of emigration from the North East to places like Canada in the 1920s and the impact that made on rural communities.

Mark Stephen chats with deer farmer and author John Fletcher on his farm in Fife

Throughout the programme we hear from Dr Kevin Frediani, curator of Dundee Botanic Garden. Kevin is very much in favour of letting nature do its own thing and Mark hears how he has managed to put that into practice in the garden. He also tells Mark about his drive to find a net zero path for the upkeep of the gardens and grounds while looking after a huge array of plants from all around the world. Rachel visits the Ness of Brodgar in Orkney, one of the most significant neolithic settlements in the world. The site has been excavated for nearly 20 years but as Rachel finds out, next year will be the last dig for the foreseeable future. Archaeologists Anne Mitchell and Nick Card explain why.Renita Boyle is a storyteller who is fascinated by nature. As part of last week’s Wigtown Book Festival, she was holding poetry, story and art sessions which usually happen outside. However, as the weather put paid to that, Rachel found her indoors with a great view of the countryside.And with potatoes in our minds as schools head off on their tattie holidays, we hear about the importance of this crop to Scottish farming and culture.As the days get shorter, we’ll all be spending a bit more time in the dark. But how switched on are you to your local landscape at night? Ranger Elizabeth Tindall and writer Dan Richards were holding night walks at the Wigtown Book Festival to encourage people to explore more in the dark. They told Rachel about what sights and sounds you can encounter.

Rachel Stewart presents Scotland Outdoors

Helen heads to Inchgarth Reservoir on the outskirts of Aberdeen to meet Ian Broadbent, Local Bird Reporter for the North East, who tells her why recent bad weather in the USA has meant some new arrivals on our shores. He also tells her about the work that has been carried out at Inchgarth to improve the habitat for Snipe and Jack Snipe.Earlier this week Rachel visited the Wigtown Book Festival. Established in 1999, the festival has gone from strength to strength and now offers a ten day programme featuring hundreds of events and activities for all ages, including music, theatre, food and visual arts.Rachel chats to two women who have recently taken the plunge into writing books, endurance cyclist Jenny Graham and Helen Rebanks. Jenny tells her all about the different challenges writing brought compared to her round the world cycle. And Helen Rebanks explains how her and husband James manage their fell farm as well as a busy family life.In our midweek podcast Mark chats to mountaineer and former planner Bob Reid. We hear an excerpt where he explains to Mark how National Scenic Areas came to be created and what they actually are.Continuing our literary theme we chat live to Christina Riley, founder of the Nature Library. The pop up library tours the country and aims to connect people to the world around us.Long before it was fashionable environmentalist Roger Deakin was at the forefront of wild swimming. Rachel hears about his fascinating life from author Patrick Barkham who has written a new biography of Roger.Helen meets musician and composer Mhairi Hall at Loch Garten as she gathers sounds for the Underwater Cairngorm Project.And Rachel explores a secret garden that has opened its doors as part of the Wigtown Book Festival.

Mark Stephen chats with Planner and Mountaineer Bob Reid

Nurdles are tiny plastic pellets which are used to make many everyday items. However, tonnes of them end up being washed up on our beaches posing a threat to wildlife. Rachel finds out about the Great Nurdle Hunt, a campaign to highlight the issues microplastics cause.Mark visits Pitmedden Garden in Aberdeenshire and has a nosey around their orchards as they gear up to celebrate Apple Day this weekend.Avian Flu has caused the deaths of thousands of seabirds along our coastline. Last summer there was significant concern over the future of the world’s largest colony of northern gannets on the Bass Rock. Rachel visits the Scottish Seabird Centre which looks out at the Bass Rock, to find out what the picture is now.Rachel meets two sisters involved in a project which finally hopes to shed new light on Equine grass sickness and what causes it.To tie in with World Rivers Day, The Rivers Trust is asking the public to record observations of rivers in the first Big River Watch. We chat live to James Hunt from the Tweed Foundation to hear how people can get involved and what information they are hoping to gather.As part of the Tall Ships Races earlier this summer, Maud Start spoke to the Peterson family onboard the Christiania, their retired rescue ship. We hear an excerpt from the Scotland Outdoors podcast where they tell her the history of the ship.Wind is not usually a good thing for outdoor activities however, land yachting is definitely the exception to that rule. Mark tries his hand at the speedy beach activity in St Andrews.Earlier this month the Edinburgh Riding of the Marches returned after an absence of three years. The event traces its roots to the historic riding of the boundaries of the city, which dates back to 1579. Stuart McFarlane went along to meet some of those taking part and capture some of the atmosphere.And Rachel is in Strathkinness in Fife visiting an iconic red phone box that has been given a new lease of life.

Maud Start meets the Peterson Family onboard the Christiania, their retired rescue ship.

Founded by Jordan Grant after he was inspired as a teenager to turn his life around, Glasgow Garden Maintenance is now offering an apprenticeship scheme for aspiring tree surgeons. Mark meets Jordan and a former apprentice to hear about how the business has gone from strength to strength supporting young people into new careers along the way. Rachel visits the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther and takes a look at one of their exhibitions- The Long Haul: a generational study of fishing in the East Neuk. We hear an excerpt from Helen Needham’s upcoming Radio 4 programme, Crossing the Cuillin Mountains. In this two part series, the writer and mountaineer Robert Macfarlane attempts to complete the Cuillin Ridge. The expedition marks twenty years since his first book 'Mountains of the Mind'.Naturalist and environmental educator Dan Puplett has seen a big increase in the number of people keen to learn more about mammal tracks. Rachel heads out with him to see what she can identify through footprints and poo! We chat live to Rick Taylor, from the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project about the recent successful translocation of Golden Eagle chicks to the area as well as the upcoming Moffat Eagle Festival.Mark visits the Sighthill Stone Circle in Glasgow along with podcast maker Matthew Magee. Matthew has been exploring some of Scotland’s fascinating neolithic sites on his bike for his series Stone Me. He explains what makes Sighthill unique.Skein Dial is a new art installation created by Hannah Imlach at RSPB Loch Lomond. It is a migration sundial carefully calibrated to mark the seasonal arrival and departure of Greenland White-fronted geese. Mark takes a look and finds out how Hannah created it.And after his chat with Hannah, Mark continues his musings on geese and what their arrival at this time of year means for us.

Rachel looks for dolphins at Spey Bay with Alison Rose from the Scottish Dolphin Centre and hears about their Shorewatch programme.In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Mark explores Dr Neil’s Garden in Duddingston in Edinburgh. We hear from head gardener Claudia Pottier as she shows Mark this incredible secret space.The Flow Country stretches across Caithness and Sutherland and contains the most extensive blanket bog system in the world. In recognition of its global significance, a team has been bidding to make it the planet's first peatland with world heritage status. BBC Scotland’s environment correspondent Kevin Keane visits the Flows to find out more about what a UNESCO status would mean.Lapwings Community Mill near Stonehaven works with local farmers to grow quality cereals and mill nutritious, tasty flour. As Mark finds out, their aim is to produce local sustainable food that’s available to everyone.Next weekend Scotland’s first ever 'climate-themed' film festival is taking place in Montrose. We chat live to Rachel Caplan, chair of the LandXSea film festival to find out all about their programme of events and the special guests they have attending.Lots of us have been heading to the beach during this recent spell of good weather. But if you have mobility issues, getting onto the sand can be tricky. Rachel heads to Balmedie in Aberdeenshire to find out about a beach wheelchair project which is helping people with disabilities experience the seaside.Phil Sime visits the Tain Air Weapons Range which as well as being a MOD training ground, is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. He finds out how firing practice and conservation go hand in hand on the site.There’s a buzz around Holyrood, Rachel visits the Scottish Parliament’s bee hives and hears how their population has increased since they were introduced in 2014.

Mark Stephen presents Scotland Outdoors

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart present Scotland Outdoors.

Rachel Stewart meets Stephen Corcoran of the British Dragonfly Society at Insh Marshes