A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.
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A show about leaders who move fast. Hosted by Peregrine Badger at Fifty Years. Fifty Years is a venture capital firm backing founders using technology to solve the world’s biggest problems. We back founders working on climate change, health, free speech, affordable housing, and other global problems. When you’re working on problems like this, there’s a particular sense of urgency. Shipping faster means saving lives, preventing extinctions, and creating a future worth living for. We interview ...
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Willow Weaving, Wild Food and the Isle of Whithon - A Dumfries and Galloway Special
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1:21:54
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1:21:54This week, we are coming to you from the village of Whithorn, in Galloway, broadcasting from the replica Iron Age Roundhouse in the village. Julia Muir Watt from the Whithorn Trust, and Shaun Thomson from Building Futures Galloway feature as live guests, to share the history of the area, and the importance of promoting heritage crafts and building …
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Mo Wilde is a forager, herbalist and author who is also founder of the Wild Biome Project. In this podcast, Helen Needham meets her at Cambo Estate in Fife where they go foraging and discuss the benefits of a wild food diet.By BBC Radio Scotland
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Vintage Buses, A Chelsea Garden in Glasgow and a Very Lucky Ship
1:23:31
1:23:31
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1:23:31Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoorsBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Professor Lorna Dawson, Forensic Soil Scientist
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24:17Mark Stephen meets head of soil forensics at the James Hutton Institute, Professor Lorna Dawson. Mark meets Lorna at the Institute's research farm, Glensaugh in Aberdeenshire to find out what exactly her job entailsBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Peregrine Falcons in Glasgow, Loch Garten Ospreys and a Spitfire in the Borders
1:21:49
1:21:49
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1:21:49Peregrine falcons have been in residence at the University of Glasgow’s Gilbert Scott Tower for a number of years now, with a new clutch of chicks being born again this year. Rachel met with Clarke Elsby from the university and John Simpson, from the Scottish Ornithologists Club, to get a glimpse of these magnificent birds of prey. Solsgirth Home F…
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Sixty Years of the Scottish Wildlife Trust
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29:54
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29:54Rachel Stewart speaks to Dr Kenny Taylor at the Montrose Basin about 60 years of the SWTBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Birch Sap, Sailing and Boggy Marathons
1:22:51
1:22:51
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1:22:51Tennants of Elgin is a family quarrying business that has been operating out of the North East of Scotland for fifty years. They have had numerous impressive contracts across Europe, but have recently begun some work that’s a little closer to home – providing the granite for Aberdeen’s Union Street works. Mark went along to meet with Director Gavin…
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The Poetry Path at Corbenic Camphill Community in Perthshire
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18:12Mark Stephen visits the poetry path at Corbenic with its founder Jon PlunkettBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Wildfires, Mounth Roads and East Lothian Hedgehogs
1:22:53
1:22:53
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1:22:53The Elsick Mounth is an ancient trackway, linking the River Dee to the Mearns, and is one of the routes featured in the new Scotsways guide on hill tracks. Mark and Rachel both met up with Colin Young, a Scotsways volunteer, who guided them along part of the route to point out some of the important historical and archaeological sites that can be se…
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Lorraine McCall - the Trailblazing Adventurer on the Scottish Hills
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22:36Lorraine McCall from the Highlands has overcome cancer three times in recent years. She has previously climbed all of Scotland's 221 Corbetts and 282 Munros.By BBC Radio Scotland
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Inchindown Echo, Edinburgh's Herbarium and the 120 Mile Postie's Path
1:24:03
1:24:03
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1:24:03The Scottish Crannog Centre on the banks of Loch Tay is a bustling model Iron Age village, filled with various craftspeople to demonstrate ancient crafts and technologies. Mark went along to find out how the site has grown over the past few years, and how the construction of the crannog over the water is coming along. Jenny Graham follows the Posti…
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Helen Needham meets with bird recorder Ian Broadbent to capture the April dawn chorusBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Potato Enthusiast Bob Donald talks to Rachel about a community growing project in Aberdeen which has led to libraries in the north east handing out seeds and seed tatties. Mark speaks with volunteers from a walking group in Govan, who share their personal experiences with homelessness and social hardship. They’re now involved in an innovative proje…
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Walking and Motherhood with Writer Kerri Andrews
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26:03
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26:03Kerri Andrews is the author of Pathfinding - On Walking, Motherhood and Freedom. She describes her own traumatic experience with pregnancy, birth and motherhood and draws on examples of other female writers and their experiences over the centuries. She also discusses the history of women and walking and her desire for a more communal child rearing …
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A North East Lido, Badger Behaviour and a Coral Beach
1:21:49
1:21:49
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1:21:49Lambhill, in the North of Glasgow, is home to a thriving community hub, built out of an old stable block on the edge of the Forth and Clyde canal. Mark went along to visit their community garden, and find out more about what goes on there. Rachel is on the banks of Loch Lomond to find out about the issues of litter along the busy stretch of the A82…
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A Fresh Focus on Adaptive Skiing in Scotland
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21:25A shortage of volunteers means some clubs have struggled to restart following the Covid pandemic in 2020. Campaigners say more needs to be done to raise awareness of the issue.By BBC Radio Scotland
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Biofluorescence Walks, Reindeer in Aviemore, and Glasgow Central Mosque
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1:24:22The Cairngorm Funicular Railway is back up and running after some extensive structural works. Mark took a trip up to the snow-covered peak with the Interim Chief Executive Officer of Cairngorm Mountain Scotland Limited, Tim Hurst, to find out what impact the funicular has for the mountain resort. Farmers and land managers are working together in Mo…
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Celebrating the Imperfections in Wood with Artist and Maker Duke Christie
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19:49Mark Stephen visits Duke Christie at his studio in MorayBy BBC Radio Scotland
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The March of the Frogs, Heavy Lifting Stones and Boat Building
1:22:42
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1:22:42Many landowners across Scotland are engaging with large scale restoration projects. One such project, spanning 80 thousand acres, is Wildland, in the Scottish Highlands. They have a 200 year vision to help the land heal, grow and thrive, and Rachel is there to find out more about the project, and perhaps even spot some of birds of prey who are thri…
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The actors have become regular wild swimmers in recent years. In their latest BBC Scotland TV series, they visit some of Scotland's islands and try out a whole host of different dipping spots in remote and rugged locations.By BBC Radio Scotland
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Bracklinn Falls, Needle Felting and The Cabrach Distillery
1:24:06
1:24:06
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1:24:06Golf courses are often criticised for their lack of biodiversity, but at The Plock, near Kyle of Lochalsh, a community project is reclaiming the local golf course and giving it back to the wild. Mark met up with the local ranger, Heather Beaton, to find out more about this rewilding initiative. A new award-winning footbridge has been built at Brack…
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Preserving Antarctica's Heritage Buildings with Conservation Carpenter Graham Gillie
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21:57Mark Stephen hears from Graham Gillie about his extraordinary working life in AntarcticaBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Kingfishers, a Gunpowder Mill and a Halifax Bomber Relic
1:25:23
1:25:23
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1:25:23Mark visits the Montrose Air Station Museum to hear about a new addition to their collection, part of a Halifax Bomber, which crashed in the Angus glens in 1944. Shan Brewis tells us the story behind the plane crash, and how the piece of wreckage came to be discovered exactly 80 years after the tragedy. Red Squirrels in Scotland are often under thr…
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During the Covid lockdown, Tom Kelly decided to stroll along the Water of Leith Walkway every single day and take photographs of the wildlife in the area. The photographer from Edinburgh has always had a keen interest in nature and he wanted to explore what was living in his own neighbourhood. The result is a huge collection of photographs showcasi…
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A Soutar's Shop, Jigsaws and Gorillas
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1:22:05Winchburgh in West Lothian is expanding rapidly, with several new housing developments underway. At the heart of these new developments is the 85 acre Authcaldie Park, where Mark visits a group of volunteers who are building a new centre piece for the area – a model cathedral made entirely out of willow. RSPB Loch Leven has recently hosted the Conv…
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Helen Needham meets seed librarian Rowan LearBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Snowdrops and a Beaver MOT
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1:23:41
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1:23:41Auchnerran Farm is run by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust as a demonstration farm to test and trial conservation and land management strategies. Mark visits the farm to hear about their projects and how they manage these alongside a profitable enterprise of sheep farming. It is the 20th anniversary of the opening of Five Sister’s Zoo this …
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Sunset Song - Exploring The Mearns - Part 2
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29:16The 7th February 2025 marks 90 years since the death of Scottish writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon, author of Sunset Song. In 2016, it was voted Scotland's favourite novel. In this archive programme, Mark Stephen explores the area it was set in, the Mearns.By BBC Radio Scotland
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Water of Leith Otters, Salmon Fishing on the River Tweed and a Famous North East Cow
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1:23:33The National Farmers Union of Scotland Conference has been underway this week, and Kevin Keane is there, joined by Professor Colin Campbell from the James Hutton Institute, to hear his advice on how farms can become more resilient in the face of climate change. Muiravonside, Falkirk’s only country park, features several attractions, from a sculptur…
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Sunset Song - Exploring the Mearns - Part 1
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26:38The 7th February 2025 marks 90 years since the death of Scottish writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon, author of Sunset Song. In 2016, it was voted Scotland's favourite novel. In this archive programme, Mark and Euan explore the area it was set in, the Mearns.By BBC Radio Scotland
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The Festival of Imbolc, World Wetlands Day and the Big Farmland Bird Count
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1:22:15
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1:22:15Parts of the country are still recovering after last week’s Storm Eowyn including Jupiter Artland. The 100-acre sculpture garden on the outskirts of Edinburgh suffered quite a bit of storm damage as Mark saw when he visited earlier this week. Rachel meets a group of volunteers from a whole variety of backgrounds who have come together to help resto…
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Burns on Birds, Golden Eye and How to Make Haggis
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1:23:15We celebrate Burns Day on Out of Doors on the 265th anniversary of his birth. Mark chats to Professor Fiona Stafford from University of Oxford who writes about Burns ‘the bard of nature’. They chat about his understanding of ecology and how that comes through in his poetry. Rachel hears the good news story about Goldeneye Ducks in the Cairngorms. G…
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Wandering Morven - A Wander up Morven with Artist and Adventurer Morven Stewart
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25:06Helen Needham walks up Morven in Aberdeenshire with Morven StewartBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Endurance Racing, the Ness Islands of Inverness and a Mini Kilted King
1:19:41
1:19:41
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1:19:41Rachel is in Lochaber where one of the biggest nature restoration projects in the country is underway. The Nevis Nature Network Project covers 22 thousand acres which includes fragments of Scottish rainforest and rare montane scrub. She met project manager Ellie Corsie for a walk to hear about their restoration vision. Mark is on Calton Hill in Edi…
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Tam O' Shanter and the Poetry of Robert Burns
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15:44Mark Stephen chooses some Burns favourites including his rendition of Tam O' ShanterBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Nordic Skiing, Lynx and Mountain Rescue
1:23:20
1:23:20
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1:23:20The weather has certainly been a big talking point for a lot of us this week. And it’s also the theme of a new exhibition at the McManus Art Gallery and Museum in Dundee. Rachel went to take a look at A Weather Eye along with curator Kirsty Matheson. We hear from Paul Hetherington of charity Buglife about the impact the mild weather before Christma…
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Rachel Stewart speaks to photographer and Landward presenter Shahbaz MajeedBy BBC Radio Scotland
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A Wild and Wonderful Sound Journey with Musician and Composer Cosmo Sheldrake
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30:17Helen Needham meets musician and composer Cosmo SheldrakeBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart spend a day on the island of Jura to get a sense of life on the Ardlussa Estate where the Fletcher family have lived for five generations. Mark also visits Barnhill, the house where George Orwell wrote 1984 which celebrates its 75th anniversary this yearBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Mark Stephen gets a tour of the Palace with Curators Deborah Clarke and Emma SteadBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Mark and Rachel are joined by the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Professor Catherine Heymans who can tell us what’s actually happening to earth to make the days so short. Mark finds out whether our garden birds are impacted by the short days, and he also visits the Nature Scot Forvie National Nature Reserve where despite the dark and cold, new life…
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Mark Stephen follows the route from Balquhidder to Corstorphine in EdinburghBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Firth of Forth Oysters, Soil Cubes and Dolphin Communication
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1:20:50Mark meets builder and artist Becky Little whose work is being displayed as part of an exhibition called A Fragile Correspondence at the V&A in Dundee. Her work involves using soil from different areas in Orkney made into cubes. A WWF Scotland scheme which is aiming to create seagrass meadows and restore oysters to the Forth has reached a major mil…
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An Orkney Hurricane, Sightings of the Loch Ness Monster in the 1930's and Terrifying Sounds from the Hamilton Mausoleum
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22:10Helen Needham presents some audio gems from BBC Scotland's archiveBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Queen Victoria's Picnic Cottage, Thick Trunk Tuesday and Swimming in the Clyde
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1:22:50Last week Rachel was in Aberfoyle where the Scottish Countryside Rangers Association was celebrating their 50th anniversary. The organisation brings rangers together to share ideas and highlight potential challenges facing the sector. She chatted to some of those who’ve recently retired, and those who are still working, about the history of the ass…
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Mark follows the route through Glencoe, Kinlochleven and Rannoch Moor.By BBC Radio Scotland
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St Andrew's Day, Central Belt Badgers and Temperature Blankets
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1:24:05Rachel is in Fife to meet a woman who is leading the charge on making the outdoors accessible to all. Jan Kerr set up a rambling group for those who rely on wheels, particularly mobility scooters. She tells Rachel how it came about. Over the past few years, a group of badger enthusiasts has been surveying the Central Belt to track the number of set…
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The Hidden Histories of Scottish Wood with Woodworker Callum Robinson
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24:59Helen Needham meets woodworker and author Callum RobinsonBy BBC Radio Scotland
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Ealing Beavers, Cosaig Growers and a Wonderful Steam Ship
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1:23:13The Forth Bridges Trail is a five-mile circular route which brings together various points of interest in North and South Queensferry and crosses the Forth Road Bridge. New stops were added onto the route earlier this year, so Mark took a wander along part of it to hear about the area’s fascinating history. When you think of Beaver reintroduction s…
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In this section, Mark leaves Mull and crosses over to Morven before heading to the site of the famous Appin Murder and the monument to mark this bloody event near Ballachulish Bridge.By BBC Radio Scotland
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