Scotland Outdoors

BBC Radio Scotland
  • 4.8 (48)
  • NATURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.

  1. 1D AGO

    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 which seems to be a growing problem. Rachel heads to Walker Dam in the city with countryside officer Simon Whitworth to hear all about American Skunk Cabbage. Claudia Zeiske is a walking artist. Her latest project has involved walking the Ayrshire Coast as a dedication to the geologist Elizabeth Anderson Gray. Mark met her at Girvan beach to hear more about Elizabeth and Claudia’s project. Every Tuesday, rangers in Moray lead what is known as a health walk in and around Dufftown. Rachel went along to join the group and chat to some of those who were taking part. Forager Mark Williams shows Mark more of the Galloway coastline and what can be found at this time of year, especially in rock pools. On Friday 8 May Sir David Attenborough celebrated his 100th birthday. To mark the occasion on Out of Doors, Rachel spoke to producer and director Alastair Fothergill, who has made some of Sir David’s most memorable series with him, including The Blue Planet and Planet Earth. He tells Rachel about the enormous impact Sir David has had on his life and career and some of the memorable moments they’ve shared together. In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Helen meets up with listener Marian Burrows-Smith, who got in touch to tell us about a project she works on in Nepal building toilets for remote communities. We hear how Marian, who lives in Nethybridge, got involved. Rachel is on Calton Hill in Edinburgh to hear about the 50th anniversary of the Architectural Heritage Fund. Trustee Audrey Carlin tells her about what the fund does and the kind of buildings it has supported. The RRS Discovery has been a popular tourist attraction in Dundee for over 30 years. And now visitors have a chance to experience a part of life onboard that they haven’t before. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Mark went to give it a go - climbing over 80 feet up the historic ship’s foremast, before ziplining back to the Dundee waterfront.

    1h 24m

  2. 4D AGO

    From Nethybridge to Nepal with Marian Burrows-Smith

    Marian discusses her toilet project for girls with Helen Needham

    18 min

  3. MAY 2

    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 Outdoors podcast and we hear an excerpt of their chat. Rachel visits a charity in Moray that offers guided rides for adults who want to start or get back into cycling. Stu Dick and Diane Maciver from Get on a Bike meet her at Elgin’s Cooper Park, where a group are just heading out on a cycle. On a stony slope in Glen Affric, hopes are high that one of Britain’s rarest ferns can regain a foothold and recover. Mark went to hear about the work of staff from Forestry and Land Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, who have translocated and planted 250 oblong woodsia (Woodsia ilvensis) on a hillside in the glen. Mark is at the Highland Folk Museum near Kingussie. He hears about the history of the site which was founded by Dr Isabel F. Grant in 1936 and has grown into one of the area’s most popular tourist attractions. He takes a look around the open-air museum which shows how life changed in the Highlands from the 1700s to the 1900s. This Sunday, 3rd May, is International Dawn Chorus Day, and next weekend in Sweden, our Swedish radio friends at Sveriges Radio P1, will broadcast their Fågelsångsnatten or Bird song night. Presenter Jenny Berntson Djurvall joins us live to tell us all about the broadcast and what they are expecting to hear. Mark visits the only dairy farm in Banffshire, Lower Mill of Tynet Farm, which has a 24-hour farm shop, making it the only place between Aberdeen and Inverness that you can get a coffee, a pint of milk and an ice cream out of hours! A special event is being held later this month to celebrate the life and work of the Bard of Lochwinnoch. Now in her nineties, Betty McKellar has written extensively about nature and the environment in the Muirshiel Glen. Recently Rachel went to have a chat and hear some of her poems.

    1h 23m

  4. APR 29

    From Raindrop to Sea with Stephen Rutt

    Mark Stephen chats to writer Stephen Rutt about his new book 'The Waterlands'

    20 min

  5. APR 25

    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 of the oldest and most interesting trees, Granny Pines. They take a wander in Glenmore to find a rather impressive specimen. About four years ago, fisherman Hans Unkles took the engine out of his boat, Lorna Jane, and replaced it with an electric motor and batteries. Mark caught up with Hans in Fraserburgh to hear how successful his electric boat has been and whether any other fisherman have been persuaded to copy him. Every week, poet and musician Bobby Motherwell visits RSPB Lochwinnoch to volunteer. He was also poet in residence at the reserve and has written a book all about his time there. Rachel met up with him in one of the hides and heard some of his tales and poems. The Ledge in Inverness is the Highland's largest climbing gym and a National Bouldering and Performance Centre which has been built on the foundations of community, inclusivity and positivity. Phil Sime headed along to hear all about the different activities on offer and push himself out of his comfort zone with a shot at climbing. Recently the RSPB issued new advice around feeding wild birds. The charity wants people to: Feed seasonally. Feed safely. We’re joined live by Ross Hunter from RSPB Scotland to hear what that means practically. Plus a tribute to the late George Skinner, Aberdeenshire Farmer and font of agricultural knowledge. We dip into the archive to share his knowledge on neeps. And in this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Rachel hears the story of Ioana Ticu, an experienced mountaineer who found herself in a situation where she had to call Mountain Rescue at the summit of Ben More. We hear an excerpt of her story.

    1h 24m

  6. APR 22

    A Mountain Rescue Story with Ioana Ticu

    Rachel Stewart hears from an experienced mountaineer who had to call for help on Ben More

    24 min

  7. APR 18

    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 of Glasgow University Theatre Studies to hear about the play Three Words for Forest. The play explores the challenges, hopes and fears of those working in the forestry industry at a time of climate crisis. Rachel joins photographer Richard Cook on the River Dee to search for dippers and to chat about his book Dippers on the Dee. Mark looks for lapwings with Warden Lorna Dow at RSPB Loch of Strathbeg and learns about how semi-feral conic ponies are helping manage the wetlands to encourage the birds to use the site. Mark is near Fort William to discover how a detection dog is sniffing out an invasive marine species known as ‘sea vomit’. Dr Texa Sim explains how her labrador, Uisge, tracks down the carpet-like sea squirt. Mark and Rachel are joined by Mark Greaves from Ordnance Survey to talk trig points as we celebrate the 90th anniversary of the iconic pillars. Mark hops on a catamaran to check out the gannets on Bass Rock on the Firth of Forth and to chat to Emily Burton, conservation manager at Scottish Seabird Centre, about drone surveys that are helping to monitor how the birds are faring since the outbreak of avian flu in 2022. Dundreggan Rewilding Centre in Glenmoriston is offering those living with dementia and their carers the opportunity to experience nature through a residential course. Mark meets some of those participating, and Professor Ann Dennis of the University of the Highlands and Islands explains how the programme runs.

    1h 23m

  8. APR 15

    Three Words for Forest

    Mark Stephen hears about the play Three Words for Forest which explores the challenges, hopes and fears of those working in the forestry industry at a time of climate crisis

    18 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.8
out of 5
48 Ratings

About

A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio Scotland
  • Years Active
    2007 - 2026
  • Episodes
    767
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    Scotland Outdoors

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