Scotland Outdoors

BBC Radio Scotland

4.8 (240)
NATURE
UPDATED BIWEEKLY

A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.

3D AGO

Here Comes the Sun, Europe's First Feminist Bird Club and Eating Jellyfish

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors

1h 23m
6D AGO

Murmurs of Spring

Mark Stephen visits the Murmurs of Spring art exhibition at the Scottish Ornithologists Club in East Lothian

29 min
FEB 7

Swift Bricks, Palm Houses and Potholes

The swift population has seen a significant decline in recent years. Now, Scotland has become the first country in the UK to introduce a legal requirement to install swift bricks in all new buildings. Rachel meets Cally Smith of North East Scotland Swifts to discover how the bricks will help to protect the birds. The historic Palm Houses at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh are newly restored and the team are beginning to move the plant specimens inside, starting with the largest. Mark meets Glasshouse Manager Fiona Inches to find out what it takes to move hundreds of specimens. Rachel is at the Herpetofauna Workers Meeting in Glasgow to find out about the work being done to help our reptiles and amphibians. She chats to volunteer Cally Ullman-Smith and his mum Janet of Saving Scotland’s Amphibians and Reptiles. Recent stormy weather is causing puffins and other seabirds to struggle and many are being washed up on Scotland’s coastlines. Rachel and Mark are joined by Paul Reynolds of New Arc Wildlife Rescue, Aberdeenshire, to discuss the pressures seabirds face. In this week’s podcast excerpt, Mark meets master wood carver David Robinson at his studio in East Lothian to learn more about how his work is inspired by nature. Back at the Herpetofauna Workers Meeting, Rachel speaks to ecologist and survey volunteer Stephen Corcoran whose work is related to adders and restoring peatland. Orkney based artist Anna Charlotta Gardiner is undertaking a month long residency in Aberdeen as part of the Royal Scottish Academy’s 200th anniversary. Mark meets Anna near Aberdeen harbour to explore how her work takes inspiration from the city’s maritime heritage. Mark takes a wander in Aberdeenshire to check out potholes exacerbated by stormy weather.

1h 22m
FEB 4

Master Wood Carver, David Robinson

Mark Stephen meets master wood carver David Robinson at his studio in East Lothian. David's works mainly feature nature and wildlife

17 min
JAN 31

Harmony in Nature, a Festival of Light and the World's Toughest Row

A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.

1h 24m
JAN 28

The Role of the Corn Bunting in Scotland's Ecology

Mark Stephen speaks to Professor Will Cresswell about the welcome rise in corn buntings.

22 min
JAN 24

Seagrass Fairy Circles, Peas and Beans and an Invasion of Gorse

Rachel meets Director Robbie Synge to learn about a new film featuring young people at work and play in the landscapes of the Cairngorms. ‘Tha Sinn an Seo’ (We Are Here), made throughout 2025, explores habitat restoration work of Cairngorms Connect. The National Trust for Scotland has purchased new land around the Drum Estate, near Banchory, Aberdeenshire to help expand the ancient tree population. Mark takes a wander with Gardens and Designed Landscape Manager, Chris Wardle. Scientists at Aberdeen University and the James Hutton Institute are examining whether a compound found in part of the potato plant could be used in the cosmetics industry. Near Montrose, Rachel joins Grampian Growers Project Manager Sofia Alexiou and Managing Director Kirsty Spink in a tattie shed. A stakeholder discussion on the potential reintroduction of lynx is being launched this month. Mark meets Lisa Chilton, CEO of Scotland the Big Picture, in Aviemore to find out how events across Highland and Moray will gather local views. Rachel chats to Professor Pete Iannetta from the James Hutton Institute who explains what a large part of our diet would have consisted of in days of old. Mark joins Aberdeen City Council Countryside Ranger Service and volunteers keeping an area of land on the outskirts of Aberdeen free of gorse. Rare seagrass "fairy circles" have been discovered in the Sound of Barra. Rachel and Mark are joined by Sarah Cunningham of NatureScot to discuss the seagrass doughnuts. Helen Needham meets interdisciplinary plant Researcher Em Merrin May Armstrong in Glasgow to explore Queer Ecology. Mother and daughter Mhairi and Maisie Watson volunteer as lifeboat crew for RNLI Anstruther. Mark catches up with the pair to discover what lifeboat training involves.

1h 24m
JAN 21

The Rangers and Volunteers Keeping Gorse at Bay in Aberdeen

Mark Stephen meets the countryside rangers and volunteers keeping a large area of land on the outskirts of Aberdeen free of gorse

18 min

See All (741)

Helen Needham

Host
Mark Stephen

Host
David Robinson

Guest
Will Cresswell

Guest

4.8

out of 5

240 Ratings

Fun and makes you think

Feb 2

MarkGoFast

I enjoy listening to topics that are informative yet the hosts have this calming jovial attitude that makes a nice listen in the morning. Plus, with myself being from the Arizona, having episodes that talked about my own backyard in Scotland, I was hooked.
Love the show

10/06/2025

Birddog29!

I listen on Saturdays with my wife. We listened religiously each week while traveling to mum to take her out for weekly breakfast. Each article is well times and I have only guessed the Mystery Sound correctly once! Cheers. Keep it up
Is a river alive?

08/23/2025

a speck of stardust

Mark, please read Macfarlane’s brilliant book so you can understand why the answer to that question is “yes!” Your commentary revealed you’d not read it. The first few pages will convince you.
The best place - specific podcast

07/01/2024

archeoleg

It’s hard to explain the magic involved in the podcast…dense, rich, and often hilarious. If either of the two words in the title hold any appeal for you, just listen.