PODCAST · science
Scotland Outdoors
by BBC Radio Scotland
A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.
Episodes
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The Man with the Horse, Poet and Storyteller, Tony Bonning
Rachel Stewart meets poet and story teller, Tony Bonning. Tony, known as the Man with the Horse, undertakes treks across the country with his horse Chief to collect folklore and tales along the way
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Pears, Corncrakes and Cow Calling
It’s the time of year when we celebrate leaves as Autumn unfolds. Mark meets up with leaf expert Professor Jonathan Silvertown who’s written a book about them called Nature’s Magicians. Did you know that way back when there were no leaves on trees at all? Rachel’s been to the Carse of Gowrie to...
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The Hidden Powers of Leaves
Mark Stephen meets Professor Jonathan Silvertown whose book Nature Magicians is all about leaves and why they matter
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Edinburgh's Surf Resort, Wallace, Glasgow's Fire Dog and the Wild Plants of Deeside
Funding is being made available to improve core paths in Aberdeen over the next few years and Rachel joined Chris York from environmental consultancy Walking the Talk to find out what a core path actually is Mark visits a surf resort and he’s not had to go that far! He’s at Lost Shore in…
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The Cities of the Future with an Eye to the Past
Helen Needham meets up with writer Gabriella Bennett to discuss her book 'How to Build a City'. They meet in Glenrothes in Fife where Gabriella spent part of her childhood.
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Wasps, Coos and Doos
Up until now, access from the top station of the Cairngorm funicular railway onto the mountain was not allowed outside the winter snowsports season, unless visitors were accompanied by a guide. However, as Mark went to find out, a trial is underway to allow visitors carrying GPS handsets to…
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The History of Portsoy Marble
Rachel Stewart finds out about a major heritage project linked to the distinctive stone.
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Sounds of the Canal, Rosie the Cow and a Garden on a Carpark
The Denburn car park in Aberdeen city centre is well known by locals, but not many people might be as familiar with what sits on top of it. Around the derelict health centre, a community group, Upper Denburn Gardens, is working to improve the site and use it to hold events. Laura Guthrie catches…
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The Healing Power of Horses with Jock Hutchison
Horseback UK is a charity run by Jock Hutchison and his wife Emma bringing together horses and humans to overcome some of the stresses of everyday life
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Scottish Rain, Productive Worms and an Archive of Soil
Mark visits the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen where researchers are carrying out a project to restore, preserve and digitise irreplaceable soil and peat maps, aerial imagery, field notebooks and survey records collected since 1947. Mark hears why Hutton Unearthed: A New National Soils and…
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Capturing the Wild with Photographer Karen Miller
Mark Stephen talks to former colleague Karen Miller about swapping her desk for wildlife.
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Little Egrets, Popular Peacocks and The Book of Birds
Mark visits NatureScot’s Forvie National Nature Reserve in Aberdeenshire where little egrets have bred in north-east Scotland for the first time. They are a welcome addition to the reserve although as manager Catriona Reid tells him, climate change is thought to be the reason that these once...
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The Book of Birds with Jackie Morris
Helen Needham discusses The Book of Birds with illustrator and artist Jackie Morris
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Surfing Quines, Sunflowers and Sea Eagles
Mark catches up with another of the finalists in BBC Scotland’s Make a Difference Award environmental category. Midlothian Wildflowers started as a small group of people from the Bonnyrigg and Rosewell community carrying out some guerilla gardening. Julia Pennycuik from the group tells Mark how…
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60 Years of the Tay Road Bridge
Mark Stephen climbs inside the Tay Road Bridge to mark its 60th Birthday
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Nature Journaling, Ferries on the River Tay and The Art of Crookmaking
Mark visits Greenhead Moss Community Nature Park in Wishaw. The 100-hectare site contains many different habitats including ponds, wildflower meadows and woodlands. He takes a tour with countryside ranger Derek. Deveron Wildland is a newly established rewilding estate in Aberdeenshire. Rachel…
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A 1960's Archive Special featuring Snowy Owls on Fetlar, Thatching in Aberdeenshire and a Tree Loving Tramp in the Highlands
Helen Needham digs into the BBC Archive to share some audio gems from the past
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Inside The Scott Monument, Midnight Swimming and Nordic Walking
Mark visits Glasgow’s Queen’s Park Glasshouse which was threatened with closure earlier this summer. He speaks to some of those involved in the campaign to secure its future which seems to have been successful. Rachel tries her hand at Nordic Walking which may look gentle but actually involves a...
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In The Company of Sheep
Mark Stephen meets naturalist and author Polly Pullar in the sheep shed of her farm in Perthshire. Polly's latest book In The Company of Sheep describes her fascination with them
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Living Our Best Iron Age Life on the Banks of Loch Tay
Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with a special programme from the Scottish Crannog Centre
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Rowing to Fowlsheugh Nature Reserve with the Catterline Coastal Rowing Club
Helen Needham visits the spectacular seabird colony on a skiff
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Island Life, Fringe by the Sea and the Strichen Staggers
A few weeks ago, Mark went along to a conference at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen. Under the banner of Living Labs, the institute brought together folk living in rural or island communities, and Mark chatted to Phyl Meyer from Tiree and Euan Maclachlan from Assynt to find out what sort…
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Exploring the history and wildlife of the Island of Lismore
Mark Stephen takes a Land Rover tour of the Inner Hebridean island of Lismore to explore its history, wildlife and nature
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A Lavender Farm in Fife, Cairngorm Wildfires and a Sealife Safari
In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast Mark meets author Cal Flyn, whose latest book is called The Savage Landscape – How we Made the Wilderness. We hear an excerpt of Cal explaining where her interest in exploring the meaning of wilderness came from. Rachel is on the North East coast on a...
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Cal Flyn - The Savage Landscape
Mark Stephen meets Cal Flyn, author of The Savage Landscape - How We Made The Wilderness in which she explores the meaning of wilderness in a journey into the forests, deserts and ocean floor
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Callendar Park, Maud Railway Museum and Ardersier Common
Mark is in Forres to meet up with naturalist and educator Dan Puplett. Dan’s been running bird language courses, helping people understand what birds are really saying and how to interpret their different calls. Ardersier Common has officially become the Highlands' newest Local Nature Reserve…
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Ardersier Local Nature Reserve
Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone join High Life Highland countryside ranger John Orr at Ardersier Local Nature Reserve in search of one of the UK's rarest orchids.
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Rowing, Sailing, Beavers and a Hot Toddy
Next week, communities in Lochaber will be asked to share their views on beavers being reintroduced to the area. Kirsten Brewster from rewilding charity Scotland: The Big Picture tells Mark about the consultation process and why Lochaber might be a good area for beavers. Rachel meets an Aberdeen...
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Helen Denerley - Life as a Scottish Sculptor
Rachel Stewart meets Helen in her workshop as she unveils her latest sculpture.
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Edinburgh's Floral Clock, A Moray Firth Sea Adventure and Sonic Postcards
Mark hears about the preparation involved in setting up the Fettercairn Show which this weekend celebrates its 190th show, and the 200th anniversary of the Fettercairn Farmers Club which runs it. The committee tell him what sets it apart from other shows. Rachel is on the Solway coast exploring…
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Saving the Rare Twinflower of the Caledonian Pine Forest with Sam Jones of Plantlife
Mark Stephen hears about attempts to save the twinflower in Abernethy Forest
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In Search of Moss, Rackwick's Bothy and Unusual Wildlife Encounters
Mark is in Fettercairn in Aberdeenshire where a garden designed for this year’s Chelsea Flower Show has made its way to the local distillery. He finds out about the inspiration behind the Angel’s Share Garden which won a silver gilt medal at the show. Earlier this week a major world conference in...
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Breaking Down Barriers with the Adaptive Riders Collective
Rachel Stewart visits the charity which aims to make off-road cycling open to all.
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Glasgow Tandem Club, Boston Nature Centre and Surf Therapy
Ahead of next week’s Royal Highland Show being held at Ingliston just outside Edinburgh, Rachel catches up with farmer Anna Mitchell, who is one of this year’s vice presidents. This year’s presidential team are representing Aberdeenshire and Anna tells Rachel what visitors can expect from the…
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A Place to Be at the Taliesin Community Woods
Mark Stephen visits the Taliesin Community Woodland in Dumfries and Galloway
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Hugh MacDiarmid, KuneKune Pigs and The Sound of the Year
Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors.
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Exploring the rocks of Fife with the Scottish Geologist
Rachel Stewart meets Luisa Hendry, better known as the Scottish Geologist on social media
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Geology, PS Waverley and Parakeets
Right in the heart of London is one of the city’s most popular attractions, The Natural History Museum. Last week, Rachel met up with John Tweedie, head of the Centre for UK Nature and UK Nature Recovery, who explained why the museum’s ponds have become a hotspot for all kinds of insects…
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A Trip Doon the Watter on the Waverley
Mark Stephen climbs aboard the world's last seagoing paddle steamer, The Waverley
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Mudlarking, Parakeets, Narrowboats and a City Farm all from London
Mark and Rachel explore the flora and fauna of the capital and are joined by live guests as they broadcast from the balcony of Broadcasting House in London. Mark visits Mudchute Farm, one of the largest city farms in Europe. It comprises 32 acres of countryside, located a stone's throw away from...
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Climbing the Winter Munros with Mountaineer Anna Wells
Helen Needham speaks with Anna Wells, the first woman to complete the munros in a winter
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Kites, Rivers and Maps
Mark visits the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s visitor centre, the Fair Maid’s House in Perth. The society has recently received hundreds of photographic slides from nature photographer Lorne Gill which are on display in the centre. In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Rachel has been...
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Foraging and Fermenting with Janice Clyne
Rachel Stewart talks to Janice about foraging plants widely regarded as garden weeds.
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Cranes, Mast Climbing and Skunk Cabbage
Mark heads to the New Pitsligo area of Aberdeenshire with Hywel Maggs from RSPB Scotland, on the trail of cranes. For a bird that can reach over a metre tall and with a wingspan of double that, they can be rather tricky to spot. The ranger service in Aberdeen is busy tackling an invasive plant...
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From Nethybridge to Nepal with Marian Burrows-Smith
Marian discusses her toilet project for girls with Helen Needham
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The Highland Folk Museum, Get On A Bike in Elgin and Fern Restoration in the Highlands
Stephen Rutt is a writer and naturalist based in Dumfries and Galloway and his latest book, The Waterlands, follows a raindrop as it falls to the ground in the Lowther Hills and travels through the landscape to the Firth of Clyde. Mark met him on a suitably wet day at Threave to record a Scotland...
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From Raindrop to Sea with Stephen Rutt
Mark Stephen chats to writer Stephen Rutt about his new book 'The Waterlands'
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Spring Birds, Granny Pines and an Electric Boat
We hear more from Mark’s time with forager Mark Williams. They met up at Wigtown Bay on a rather wet and blustery day and headed along the coast to look for sea radish. Rachel meets up with Rosie Beetschen from Cairngorms Connect and Ross Watson from Forestry Land Scotland to hear all about some…
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A Mountain Rescue Story with Ioana Ticu
Rachel Stewart hears from an experienced mountaineer who had to call for help on Ben More
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Trig Points at 90, Dippers, Gannets and Lapwings
Dr Shane Strachan has written a poem which encourages people to explore a new poetry and artwork trail along the 53-mile Formartine and Buchan Way. Rachel meets Shane to find out how he got involved. In this week’s podcast excerpt, Mark is in Glasgow with Professor Dee Heddon and Dr Rachel Clive…
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Scotland Outdoors have?
Scotland Outdoors currently has 809 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Scotland Outdoors about?
A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.
How often does Scotland Outdoors release new episodes?
Scotland Outdoors releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 809 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to Scotland Outdoors?
You can listen to Scotland Outdoors on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Scotland Outdoors?
Scotland Outdoors is created and hosted by BBC Radio Scotland.
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