Love Scotland: Stories of Scotland's History and Nature National Trust for Scotland
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Love Scotland is a podcast series from the National Trust for Scotland.
Hosted by TV star, expert broadcaster and National Trust for Scotland president Jackie Bird, Love Scotland features big names, experts and enthusiasts from all walks of life. Each episode delves deep into the detail of Scotland’s history, its wildlife and its landscapes.
This season, listen out for episodes on Mary Queen of Scots, Robert the Bruce and a dive into the world of the Georgian Tea Room.
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Stories of Mackintosh at the Willow
Earlier this year, Mackintosh at the Willow – a tea room on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street that dates back to 1903 – joined the National Trust for Scotland’s portfolio of special places. To better understand the venue and the role it played in Edwardian Glasgow, Jackie sits down for a cup of tea with two expert guests.
Celia Sinclair Thornqvist MBE, who purchased, saved and restored Mackintosh at the Willow in 2014, is joined by cultural historian Robyne Calvert to reveal the hidden stories of the last remaining original tea room designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret Macdonald. They also detail the life of Glasgow entrepreneur Miss Catherine Cranston, who once ran the tea room.
Who would have once frequented the tea room? What makes Mackintosh at the Willow such a shining example of its designers’ talents? And what has it taken to restore the magnificent tea room into the stunning location it is today?
For more on Mackintosh at the Willow, visit the website
You may also enjoy our previous episode on the life of Margaret Macdonald, available here. -
Six objects that tell stories of the Trust's women
This week, Jackie and her guest discuss six objects in the Trust’s collections that help to tell the stories of some of the most fascinating women connected to Trust places. Regional curators Emma Inglis and Antonia Laurence-Allen help to paint a picture of these six women, whose lives and jobs range from being an ale-brewer in 1600s Edinburgh to the daughter of an earl in Clackmannanshire.
What does a job application from 1910 tell us about the changing world of work at the turn of the century? Why was ale-making seen as a predominantly female profession? And who was the historical figure behind Alloa’s successful glasswork?
For more information about the places mentioned in this episode, please follow the links below:
Gladstone’s Land
Weaver’s Cottage
Alloa Tower
Hill House
Broughton House
Tenement House
Remember to follow Love Scotland so you don’t miss any future episodes. -
A beginner's guide to Scotland's early monarchs
So far this series we’ve looked at two of Scotland’s most famous monarchs: Robert the Bruce and Mary, Queen of Scots. Today, we step back further in time to meet the rulers whose names have become more forgotten to time.
Helping Jackie to acquaint herself with the earliest kings and queens of Scotland is Richard Oram, a professor of medieval and environmental history at Stirling University. Together, they piece together a picture of the most significant crown-wearers leading up to Robert the Bruce.
How did Scotland come to be ruled by a king in the first place? Who made the biggest mark on the kingdom? And just how accurate is Shakespeare’s take on early monarchs Macbeth and Duncan?
Find out more about the Trust’s castles and royal places here.
Don’t forget to follow so that future episodes are delivered to you. -
The Afterlife of Mary, Queen of Scots
Arguably the most famous monarch in Scottish history, Mary, Queen of Scots remains a figure of global intrigue more than 400 years after her death. One question, then: why?
In a previous episode of Love Scotland, Jackie explored the life and times of Mary. Today, she’s on a mission to find out why Mary’s story and legacy have been pored over in such detail for centuries.
Joining Jackie in the studio is Professor Steven Reid of the University of Glasgow, who is also the author of The Afterlife of Mary, Queen of Scots. Together, they unpick the posthumous interest in Mary, the many different perceptions of her legacy, and how Mary’s death has been used throughout history to further different groups’ objectives.
For more information on Falkland Palace, click here. -
Robert the Bruce: Battles of a King
In the second part of a two-episode biography of Robert the Bruce’s life, Jackie returns to the studio with Professor Dauvit Broun of the University of Glasgow.
Last week, we looked at the early life of Robert and how his canny abilities, not to mention his tendency to switch allegiance at opportune moments, helped him to secure power. But what came next?
Picking up their conversation in 1306, when Scotland has been conquered by Edward I of England and Robert faces a tussle for power with the most powerful family in Scotland, Jackie and Dauvit will look at all that happened in Robert’s reign.
To find out more about visiting Bannockburn, click here. -
Robert the Bruce: Fact and Fiction
Welcome to a new series of Love Scotland.
In this week’s episode, Jackie is joined by Professor Dauvit Broun of the University of Glasgow to discuss the life of Robert the Bruce.
Robert, King of Scots from 1306-1329, led a fascinating life full of changing allegiances, shifting power and military victories.
How much of our common understanding of this Scottish ruler is based in fact? What motivated him to switch sides, on several occasions, in the wars of the 13th and 14th centuries? And why has his legacy had such a lasting effect on the nation’s history?
Next week, Jackie and Dauvit continue their conversation, charting the events that followed Bannockburn.
To find out more about visiting Bannockburn, click here.
Customer Reviews
As if I was there…
Listening to the National Trust for Scotland’s podcasts is like being there in person. I can hear the sounds, visualize the setting and almost feel the breeze, rain or the sun’s rays. Those important sensations combined with the deep insights into the history and heritage of Scotland make these podcasts both meaningful and highly entertaining.
Great Podcast
Great edition to the much needed subject of Scottish history! I look forward to many more.