Scotland Outdoors

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 up with one of the volunteers, Joe, and hears about their plans. In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Mark spent time with former marine Jock Hutchison. Jock and his wife Emma run the charity Horseback UK from their Aberdeenshire farm. We hear an excerpt where Jock tells Mark about how the charity first started working with injured servicemen. Rachel explores the Alva Ice House in Clackmannanshire, which will soon be welcoming visitors as part of Doors Open Day. Susan Mills shows Rachel the restoration work that’s been carried out on the building. Earlier this week, Mark spent some time at Dumfries House, the headquarters of the charity The King’s Foundation. On Wednesday, some of the leading voices in food production and food security were attending a summit, alongside King Charles, to discuss the future of food production. Mark speaks to the organiser and some of the delegates, including Dr Chris van Tulleken, about what needs to happen to ensure a fair and sustainable future of food. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Millenium Link project which reopened and reconnected Scotland’s lowland canals. As part of the anniversary, the Canal Listening Project has been gathering the rich sounds of the Forth and Clyde and Union canals. Rachel meets some of those involved in the project and hears some of the stories they have collected. We hear live from Dr Anna McGregor, one of the researchers involved in a University of Glasgow project which has rediscovered long-lost oyster beds on the west coast of Scotland thanks to research involving Gaelic and Scots. While he was at Dumfries House, Mark met up with a group of school pupils taking part in the King’s Foundation Food for the Future programme. The project starts off with the kids making compost, and eventually they will grow food and take what they’ve learned back to school. Mark hears how the project impacts the pupils involved. Rachel is on the Aberdeenshire coast hearing about a new food-tourism experience, the Cullen Skink Odyssey, which tells the story of the famous fish soup through a film. And Mark couldn’t resist stopping for a chat with Rosie the Ayrshire Dairy cow at Dumfries House. Although, as he discovered, she’s a bit quieter than your average cow...

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

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 Peat Map Archive is so important for the future of soil health. Stirling is busy this weekend as Radio 2 in the Park rolls into town but one of the other popular locations near the city is Dumyat. Rachel visited recently to see the work of the Future Forest Company which has been planting thousands of trees on the estate. In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast Mark spent a morning with wildlife photographer Karen Miller. They spent some time trying to spot voles. This week, a new path was officially opened at Ben Rinnes in Moray. Rachel went along to test out the new route, which was funded by a local windfarm, alongside Ella Grant from Friends of Ben Rinnes, Marion McDonald from Foundation Scotland and Ewan Watson from the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland. Becoming a worm farmer is perhaps not an obvious career choice, however Scott Baxter has turned a lifelong fascination with the invertebrates into his job. Mark went to visit his wormery near Balmedie in Aberdeenshire to hear how business is booming. We hear live about Earth Matters, the exhibition at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh which is a multidisciplinary salute to soil. Phil Sime is on Nairn beach trying out some outdoor cooking alongside influencer Etta May who tells him about moving from Harris to the mainland to launch her social media profile which aims to inspire other young people to get active in the outdoors. Mark is in Tranent visiting the Heugh Community Garden which is located on the site of an old gas works. He hears how the area has been transformed and meets some of those involved. And Rachel visits an exhibition at the National Library for Scotland which explores Scotland's relationship with rain. Curator Sarah Mackay shows her around.

Mark Stephen talks to former colleague Karen Miller about swapping her desk for wildlife.

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 Mediterranean birds have travelled further north. Rachel meets the fourth finalist in the environmental category of the BBC Scotland Make a Difference Awards. EPIC, Enabling Projects in Clackmannanshire, volunteers are nominated for their efforts in improving biodiversity and access to nature across their area. Rachel catches up with some of them as they carry out work clearing pathways. With the impact of the Cairngorm wildfires still being felt, attention has turned to how similar scenarios might be tackled in the future. Earlier this week Mark met Wildfire Consultant Michael Bruce at his estate at Glentanar in Deeside. Michael is also Chair of the South Grampian Wildfire Group and was involved in tackling the Glenmore fire. He tells Mark about the different aspects involved in tackling wildfires and what we might have to consider in the future in terms of land management. Rachel is in Dunfermline meeting some of the famous peacocks of Pittencrieff Park. The avian celebrities are well looked after by a group of volunteers including warden Carlyn Cane who tells Rachel about how they came to call the park their home and what’s involved in looking after a muster of peacocks. Morven Livingstone visits North Kessock Primary School and meets up with Liaison teacher Laura Dorantt who's joined by JJ Gladwin founder of Go Flourish, a charity whose aim is to reconnect children with nature. This Saturday is the World Stone Skimming Championships on Easdale Island in the Inner Hebrides. We’re joined live by one of the competitors, Andy Reynolds, who came to stone skimming after suffering a stroke when he was just 44. He chats to Mark and Rachel about what it is about skimming stones that’s helped his recovery. Artist and outdoor enthusiast Steven Sinclair currently has a collection on display at Dundee Rep titled Landskein. It’s a term that was coined by an artist in the western isles and gained popularity through Robert McFarlane's work to unearth lost words to describe nature. Rachel met him to take a look at his work and hear more about what inspires him. And in this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast Helen Needham chats to illustrator and artist Jackie Morris about her latest work, The Book of Birds. We hear an excerpt where Jackie tells Helen about her admiration for the cuckoo.

Helen Needham discusses The Book of Birds with illustrator and artist Jackie Morris

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 it grew from there and why it’s been nominated for the award. This weekend Grantown on Spey in the Cairngorm National Park becomes Greentown on Spey as an environmental awareness festival is held in the town. Rachel spends some time with one of the groups involved, Wild Tribe Highlands who take children on outdoor adventures in the hope they can build a life-long connection with nature. Culbin Forest on the Moray Firth was one of the locations used recently in Christopher Nolan’s epic film adaptation of The Odyssey. Phil Sime went along to find out that it’s not just a dramatic film location, but also an important home to rare lichens and plants. The recent wildfires in the Cairngorms had a huge impact on the people living in the Glenmore area with initial evacuations and many businesses closed for the duration. The fires also obviously had a huge impact on the flora and fauna, and it will take some time for parts of it to recover. Earlier this week Mark went to meet Dr Sarah Henshall, Head of Conservation with the Cairngorms National Park to hear about how things look now. Balgone Estate in East Lothian grows a rather striking crop at this time of year, sunflowers. But as Rachel hears from general manager Alex Humphreys, they can be quite tricky to get right in our Scottish climate. We chat live to Duncan Orr-Ewing, Head of Species and Land Management with RSPB Scotland about a recent project to satellite tag Sea Eagles in Western Scotland to investigate how the eagles interact with livestock. Our Scotland Outdoors podcast this week features Mark’s trip inside the Tay Road Bridge as it marks its 60th anniversary. We hear an excerpt of him exploring the engineering of the impressive structure. And Rachel meets up with a group of Aberdeen surfers. Wavy Quines is a female only surfing group who tell Rachel about how they got started and try to show her the art of surfing on Aberdeen beach!

Mark Stephen climbs inside the Tay Road Bridge to mark its 60th Birthday

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 went for a visit to hear about what the plans are for the site as well as to try her hand at nature journalling. When Mark visited Maud Railway Museum earlier in the summer, he was surprised to find that one of their exhibits is a fully restored Peterhead Prison convict carriage. He takes a look inside and hears about the interesting history of the prison wagon. The Scottish National Sheepdog Trials are being held in Perthshire at the moment. These trials are a precursor to the World Sheepdog Trials coming to the Scottish Borders next month. Rachel went along to Glenfarg to chat to some of those involved and watch the impressive dogs at work. And with sheepdogs and shepherds in mind, Stuart McFarlane recently went along to a workshop run by the Scottish Crookmakers Association in Durisdeer Village Hall. The association is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year and Stuart hears about the history and traditions of crook making. Rachel meets another of the finalists in the Environmental category of BBC Scotland’s Make a Difference awards. Alex Watson is a litter picker and social media filmmaker based in Dundee, and he tells Rachel about why he got involved in clearing up his local community. And as the Tay Road Bridge celebrates its 60th anniversary this week, Mark hears about the ferries which linked Dundee and Fife before the bridge was opened in 1966. He meets Mairi Shiels from the Newport History Group who tells him about the various boats that ran the different routes across the Tay. And in this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Helen Needham digs into the BBC Archive back to the 1960s to explore Snowy Owls on Fetlar, Thatching in Aberdeenshire and a Tree Loving Tramp in the Highlands. We hear an excerpt.

Helen Needham digs into the BBC Archive to share some audio gems from the past

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 full body workout! She went along to a group in Blair Atholl run by Eilidh Paterson who explained what’s involved and showed Rachel the best techniques. Over the next few weeks on Out of Doors, we’ll be chatting to the finalists of the BBC Make a Difference Awards Scotland in the Environmental Category. The awards recognise people who give their time voluntarily to help others and make a difference in their communities. This week Mark met John Smillie who was nominated for his effort in clearing litter, supporting wildlife habitats and raising money for charity through recycling. Earlier this week Mark donned his eye protection to gaze skywards and try and get a good view of the solar eclipse. We find out if the clouds parted for him and hear a bit about the science behind an eclipse. The Scott Monument is one of Edinburgh’s most recognisable landmarks and this year it turns 180 years old. To mark the occasion, Edinburgh City Council are issuing 12 free tickets every day between 12th and 17th August for anyone wishing to climb the famous monument. Mark went along to scale the 221 steps to the top and hear about the monument’s history. The Fowlsheugh Nature Reserve south of Stonehaven is the largest mainland seabird colony on the East Coast of Scotland. Most people visit the reserve by walking along the cliff tops, but recently for a Scotland Outdoors podcast, Helen Needham was lucky enough to experience it from the water on a skiff belonging to the Catterline Coastal Rowing Club. We hear part of her row to take a look at the kittiwakes. Stonehaven Open Air Pool is the UK's only art deco Olympic sized sea water lido. It was opened in 1934 and is run by Aberdeenshire Council along with charity group, Friends of the Pool Stonehaven. Rachel went along to very popular ‘midnight swim’ and met Steve Harris from the Friends group to hear about what makes it such a popular attraction at 102 years old. And Mark meets naturalist, conservationist and author Polly Pullar at her farm in Perthshire to chat about her upcoming book, In the Company of Sheep. Polly tells Mark what it is about sheep that has fascinated her since she was a child.

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

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with a special programme from the Scottish Crannog Centre

Helen Needham visits the spectacular seabird colony on a skiff

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 of challenges they face in everyday life. The island of Fetlar is known as The Garden of Shetland due it being a very fertile and green. This week’s presenter Rachel Bell took a trip there and visited the dilapidated Brough Lodge. It's a striking structure with a complicated past. But as Rachel hears, plans are in place to restore it to its former glory. As North Berwick’s Fringe by the Sea festival kicks off this weekend, Mark got an early look at an immersive installation called the Nest. The project celebrates North Berwick and the northern gannet with new music composed by award-winning composer Erland Cooper and has been designed by artist Naomi McIntosh. Work is underway to preserve one of Scotland's only hill figures. The white stag on the side of Mormond Hill near Strichen in Aberdeenshire lay hidden for years, until the area was cleared by volunteers. Rachel went along to join in with the group called the 'Strichen Staggers', who are undertaking back-breaking work to keep the stag in good condition. In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Mark visits the island of Lismore with Iris Smith from Explore Lismore. We hear an excerpt where they chat about what life is like on the small island off the coast of Oban. And this week’s presenter Rachel Bell packs up her whole family and takes a few ferries to visit the island of Fetlar. We hear a snapshot of their day adventure to explore the beaches of the island.

Mark Stephen takes a Land Rover tour of the Inner Hebridean island of Lismore to explore its history, wildlife and nature

In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast Mark meets author Cal Flyn, whose latest book is called The Savage Landscape – How we Made the Wilderness. We hear an excerpt of Cal explaining where her interest in exploring the meaning of wilderness came from. Rachel is on the North East coast on a seabird spotting safari run by the Aberdeen Countryside Ranger Service. The trips have become popular with visitors who arrive in the area by cruise ship. Over the last week the Glenmore area of the Cairngorm National Park has been severely impacted by wildfires. Mark went to speak with Duncan Ferguson, a resident of Glenmore who was evacuated to hear about his experience. Throughout the programme we also hear from Colin Simpson, Cairngorm National Park visitor experience manager about the response to the fires as well as Ben Jones from the RSPB who tells us about the impact on bird and wildlife in the area. For a few weeks every summer, you can experience the glorious sights and smells of lavender fields in Fife. Rachel went along to Scottish Lavender to hear about where the idea to grow lavender came from and what they use the plants for. The Johnshaven Heritage Museum on the Aberdeenshire coast are currently running an exhibition called Land and Sea. Mark went along to take a look and find out more about the fishing village and surrounding area. And as the Commonwealth Games kicks off in Glasgow, Mark went along to Pinkston Watersports to hear about Glasgow Canal Quest, one of the many family friendly events which are being held to celebrate the games.

Mark Stephen meets Cal Flyn, author of The Savage Landscape - How We Made The Wilderness in which she explores the meaning of wilderness in a journey into the forests, deserts and ocean floor

Mark is in Forres to meet up with naturalist and educator Dan Puplett. Dan’s been running bird language courses, helping people understand what birds are really saying and how to interpret their different calls. Ardersier Common has officially become the Highlands' newest Local Nature Reserve after more than two decades of conservation work. Home to the rare small blue butterfly and one of the UK's rarest orchids, Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone joined High Life Highland countryside ranger John Orr to explore this remarkable wildlife haven for this week’s Scotland’s Outdoors Podcast Diseased trees in Callendar Park are set to be removed to protect the nearby Antonine Wall, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Experts say the work is needed to safeguard the Roman monument, built almost 2,000 years ago. Rachel joined Falkirk Council Greenspace Team Leader Mike Ewart to hear why the work is so important. Also, in Callendar Park, plans are taking shape to honour one of the 20th century's greatest plant hunters. Falkirk-born George Forrest travelled extensively in China, collecting thousands of plant specimens, many of which are familiar in gardens today. Rachel and Mike Ewart are joined by Leonie Paterson from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to learn more about one of Scotland's most celebrated botanists. We love talking about the benefits of spending time outdoors on this programme, and few people believe in its healing power more than Pete Crane. A former Cairngorms National Park Authority employee, Pete became seriously ill a few years ago. Rachel met him in Nethy Bridge to hear how the outdoors helped him on his road to recovery. After an absence of several years, a familiar landmark has returned to the waterfront at Port Glasgow. The newest replica of The Comet, Europe’s first seagoing commercial paddle steamer, is once again a feature of the shoreline. Celebrating a story that helped shape the town's proud shipbuilding heritage, Paul English has been finding out more from local councillor Chris Curley. Mark heads to the banks of Loch Lomond to explore the East Loch Lomond Path, the only Scottish route nominated in The Ramblers' Britain's Favourite Path 2026 competition. The rugged stretch along the eastern shore is part of the iconic West Highland Way, and Danny Carden from Ramblers Scotland explains why it deserves your vote. And the Aberdeenshire village of Maud was once a thriving railway junction. While the station and railway closed many years ago, the former station now lives on as a museum. Mark paid a visit and even got the chance to ride one of its most popular attractions, a miniature railway that takes visitors on a short but memorable journey.

Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone join High Life Highland countryside ranger John Orr at Ardersier Local Nature Reserve in search of one of the UK's rarest orchids.