A Trip Doon the Watter on the Waverley

Rachel Stewart meets Luisa Hendry, better known as the Scottish Geologist on social media

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, including the striking willow emerald damselfly.To celebrate the tercentenary of James Hutton's birth, a new Deep Time Trail at Siccar Point has been launched. It features a redeveloped 1.3km pathway, new seating, cycle racks, an arrival pillar and spectacular stone viewpoints to help visitors explore the birthplace of modern geology. Mark and geologist Dr Angus Miller visit the site on the Berwickshire Coastal Path.Only a tiny number of people have completed all 282 of Scotland’s Munros in a single winter. In 2024, Anna Wells became the first woman and only the fourth person on record to achieve the feat. She’s written a book about the challenge and spoke to Helen Needham about the experience. You can listen to the full podcast at Scotland OutdoorsStreet artist Mark Anthony, also known as ATM, has created murals across the country highlighting endangered bird species and the threat of extinction. When Rachel met him in London’s Regent’s Park, he told her about combining art with conservation, and whether he considers himself a birder.Parakeets are usually an exceptionally rare sight in the Highlands, so when reports emerged of one causing absolute chaos in the Lochardil neighbourhood of Inverness, producer Phil Sime and colleague Morven Livingstone set out to track down the feathered troublemaker.Mark joins Grant Stott for a walk along Edinburgh’s Hermitage Trail, where Grant reflects on his love for the area and shares his excitement about starting his new afternoon show on BBC Radio Scotland next week.John Hearns got in touch after we mentioned that last week’s programme was coming from London. He invited Rachel to join him and David Judson for a rendition of the Mingulay Sea Shanty with the London Sea Shanty Collective.Operating mainly from Glasgow, the Waverley now sails around the UK. Mark Stephen joined her first outing of the season alongside general manager Paul Semple and some crafty passengers.

Mark Stephen climbs aboard the world's last seagoing paddle steamer, The Waverley

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 the hustle and bustle of Canary Wharf. He hears about how the site was developed from derelict land in the 1970s to the busy farm and park that it is today.Right in the heart of the city centre at Kings Cross, Coal Drops Yard is another location which has seen many uses over the years. It’s now home to a vibrant shopping and dining district, which also includes a number of parks and outdoor spaces. Rachel goes for a wander to find out how the outdoors has been incorporated into the site.One of the most famous ships in the world, Cutty Sark has made her home at Greenwich since 1954. However, she was designed and built in Dumbarton in 1869 before sailing across the world transporting tea and other goods, at one point faster than any other ship. Mark goes aboard to hear about her incredible past.And sticking with boats, Rachel heads out on a London Water Bus canal trip. Skipper Ange tells her about all the different wildlife that pops up along the canal and operations director Rory tells her about the history of the canal.This week is London Rivers Week, and joining Mark and Rachel live to chat about it is Chris Coode from environmental charity Thames21. The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘know your local river’ and Chris tells them about the hundreds of miles of other rivers in London alongside the Thames.Lara Maiklem is an author and a mudlarker- a person who scavenges the banks and foreshores of tidal rivers to find historical artifacts, lost objects, and debris. She meets Mark to chat about what drew her to mudlarking and show him some of the finds she’s had over the years.Joining Mark and Rachel live on the balcony of Broadcasting House is Charlotte Benham from the Tree Council. Charlotte chats to them about the treescape of the city and why trees are so important for somewhere like London.Rachel hears about the flocks of ring-necked parakeets which have made the city their home. The non-native population has thrived at locations across London and Rachel hears how they ended up there and why they like it so much.

Helen Needham speaks with Anna Wells, the first woman to complete the munros in a winter

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 out foraging in the company of expert Janice Clyne. Janice strongly believes that foraging and fermenting can have a really positive impact on our health, and that there’s an amazing amount that plants we usually consider weeds, which could be beneficial.Mark meets Eliza Coulson at Queen’s Park in Glasgow, a place that really helped her recovery from Lyme Disease. Her experience has encouraged her to campaign for fair access to green spaces in Scotland.Earlier this week Mark and Rachel were lucky enough to spend a bit of time at Argaty Red Kites near Doune. They spent some time in the hide watching the birds getting fed and chatted to Tom Bowser and ranger Ollie about the magnificent display of kites.Back at the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in Perth, Mark goes exploring in the aptly named Explorers’ Room. It’s a room where visitors are encouraged to get their hands on the artefacts and even sit at Sir Ernest Shackleton’s desk.Helen Needham spends some time with Perth based poet Jim C. Mackintosh as they chat about his latest project Long Water Soft Shadows appearing at Perth Festival of the Arts soon.And as we gear up to cheer on the Scotland men’s team at the World Cup, Mark visits the site of the original Hampden Park as it is awarded protected status from Historic Environment Scotland.

Rachel Stewart talks to Janice about foraging plants widely regarded as garden weeds.

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.

Marian discusses her toilet project for girls with Helen Needham

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.