Scotland Outdoors

Mark Stephen goes out in search of snow with Mark Diggins of SAIS

The Scottish Wildlife Trust has just acquired a piece of land which will double the size of one of its wildlife reserves. Rachel joins Reserves Manager Rab Potter at Gight Wood near Methlick to discover why the site is so significant.A new survey has revealed that the number of peregrine pairs in the breeding season within Cairngorms National Park has declined by 56% since 2002. Mark meets Chief Executive Grant Moir near Grantown to discuss the pattern.Cattle droving was once commonplace in Scotland, moving animals on foot to market and to higher fields for grazing. Rachel meets farmer and ecologist Richard Lockett near Dingwall to discover how he led a modern-day cattle drove across the Highlands.The Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels team in the North East are working with specially trained dogs and their handlers to detect the last remaining grey squirrels in the city and surrounds. Mark visits a search and signal demonstration.Rachel heads to the open air swimming pool in Stonehaven, host of the International Ice Swimming Association GB Championships. She gets pool side with Stephen Gould from IIS GB and Gillian Wood from Aberdeenshire Council.Mark takes a wander in Aberdeenshire to consider the nuances in the colours of squirrels' fur.Mark and Rachel are joined by Joanna Peaker of Montrose Basin Visitor Centre to chat winter wildlife behaviour.Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone join Jonathan Caddy to discover how an extraordinary chain of events led to the founding of the world-renowned Findhorn Foundation.Forestry and Land Scotland’s Newton Nursery near Elgin has recently opened a glasshouse which could more than double the number of trees they can grow. Mark explores with Glasshouse Team Leader Emma Ritchie.

Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone meet up with Jonathan Caddy at the Findhorn Foundation.

In the summer, Mark met Euan Tomes, Assistant Woodlands Manager at Moray Estates, in the aftermath of a wildfire that spread through Dava Moor. Mark catches up with Euan to find out how the land has been recovering and what happened to the osprey chicks Euan helped to save.In the heart of Sanquhar in Dumfries and Galloway is an organisation called A’ the Airts. Rachel meets Aileen Sim and Kate Sloan to find out how it's working to protect the craft of knitting.Mills Observatory in Dundee has reopened for this year’s season and the historic dome is also celebrating its 90th anniversary. Mark meets Anna Day of Leisure and Culture Dundee to find out how the Observatory was recently saved after it risked closure.In this week’s podcast excerpt, Mark and Rachel speak to delegates at the Scottish Outdoor Access Network Conference near Perth.In Aberdeenshire, craters left by a WWII decoy airfield form the basis of a successful rewilding project. Mark meets Gavin Drummond on his farm Harestone Moss to discover how he’s giving parts of the land back to nature.Back in the south west, Rachel takes a trip to Wanlockhead - the highest village in Scotland. Rachel joins Jon Evans, chair of Wanlockhead Museum Trust, to explore a miner’s subscription library.Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone head to the Cairngorms to meet outdoor survival expert Zeki Basan who introduces the ancient craft of using urine to extract vibrant natural dyes from lichen.In Glen Prosen, Mark takes a wander with Molecular Fungal Ecologist Dr Andy Taylor to explore the fungal species found in the area.Rachel and Mark are joined by Anna Grunden of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency to talk about Sweden’s approach to outdoor access and shared challenges with Scotland.

Mark and Rachel speak to delegates at the Scottish Outdoor Access Network conference.

The Spirit of Adventure Festival is hosted this weekend by Paralympic champion Karen Darke and features Claire Alldritt, who embarked on a 1000 mile trek with her horses in 2022. Rachel joins them to chat next adventures.In this week’s podcast excerpt, Mark meets climber Guy Robertson whose latest book, The Great Mixed Climbs of Scotland, co-produced with photographer Hamish Frost, highlights winter climbs in the country.In a few days, Milli Abrams of Tribe Yarns in East Neuk, will start a 3000 mile solo row across the Atlantic. Milli joins Mark and Rachel before the adventure begins.Few patches of Caledonian pinewoods remain in Scotland. Near Glenmore Lodge, Mark talks to author Dr Ron Summers about future conservation of the pinewoods.The UNESCO Trail links Scotland's 16 UNESCO sites. Rachel chats about the trail's highlights with Ed Forrest, the Director of the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere, at the Crawick Water.A new exhibition at National Galleries of Scotland: Portrait features Alfred Buckham, an aerial photographer who pushed the boundaries of 20th Century photography and aviation. Mark meets curator Louise Pearson to explore his death defying adventures and innovative techniques.The North Bridge, Edinburgh is currently under repair. In 2024, Maud Start met Benn Isherwood, Technical Advisor for the North Bridge Refurbishment Project, in Leith, where parts of the bridge were being painted.Rachel joins Brian Johnson at the Crawick Multiverse to discover how the land art installation was created.Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust's lease at demonstration farm Auchnerran in Aberdeenshire has recently ended. Mark joins Director Dr Nick Hesford at the farm to discuss its legacy of achievements.

Mark Stephen meets Scottish based winter climber Guy Robertson. Guy's latest book, The Great Mixed Climbs of Scotland, co-produced with photographer Hamish Frost highlights the best winter climbs in the country. Mark also finds out what it takes to be a winter climber

Forvie Nature Reserve is known for its seal population. Ythan Seal Watch are a volunteer group who promote responsible viewing of seals, Mark met up with them to find out more.Rachel heads to the beach at Broughty Ferry to chat with Isla Fowler and Jessica Giannotti about SeaDyes, a young company working with the James Hutton Institute to create natural dyes from seaweed.”Listener and professional dog walker, Liz Merchant challenged Mark to join her and two of her dogs for a walk in a very wet Edinburgh.Just outside Glasgow, the Salvation Army is turning its outdoor space into a spot for gardening and recovery. Mark visits the Eva Burrows 1st Stop project in Cambuslang, where programme manager Rosie Kehoe is ready to give him a tour.On the Finzean Estate in Aberdeenshire, Mark joins stalker Hedge Shand who has been teaching chef Sanjay Bhattacharya the art of stalking.Elizabeth Cameron, Director at Blairgowrie Vets joins Mark and Rachel to discuss loupin ill and how we can protect our dogs.In Eyemouth, a sculpture called The Wives and Bairns tells the story of those left behind when 189 fishermen, most of them local, died in the storm of October 1881.Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone speak to Auctioneer Daniel Urquhart from Dingwall Auction Mart at Scotland’s only live sheepdog sale.

Mark Stephen goes out on the hill at Finzean in Aberdeenshire with stalker Hedge Shand and Chef Sanjay Bhattacharya to discuss deer management and venison.

Photographer, filmmaker and researcher Jill de Fresnes has encapsulated the experiences of twelve Scottish women who worked as herring gutters from the 1920s to the 1960s in a new exhibition at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh. Mark meets Jill there to chat about Silver, Salt and Stories – Images and Memories of the Scots Herring Women.Two friends in Fife set up the Wild Scottish Sauna during lockdown after seeing the popularity of wild swimming. In this week’s podcast excerpt, Rachel visits one of their sites at Kingsbarns beach near St Andrews to speak to some of the regulars and co-founder Jayne McGhie.A groundbreaking soil survey in Glen Prosen, Cairngorms National Park, has unearthed a staggering number of species living beneath the ground. Mark is in the Glen with Plant Ecologist Dr Andrea Britton, Molecular Fungal Ecologist Dr Andy Taylor and Forestry and Land Scotland Programme Manager Christine Reid to discover how the findings will inform the rebuilding of native woodlands in the area.Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone take a trip to the Black Isle Library of Things which encourages people to borrow and not buy. The pair join Martin Sherring and Allan Tailor to dig into what’s available to hire, including lawn-mowers, welding helmets, cots and even a polar bear suit. Rachel meets Rose Benoy for a goat walk at Rose’s small holding near Forfar in Angus to discover the benefits of taking a stroll with these four legged companions.Mark admires a big raft of Eider ducks at Forvie Nature Reserve with Reserve Manager Catriona Reid. Project One Wave aims to unite Scotland’s ocean conservation groups, businesses, creatives, and policymakers to collaborate on marine debris cleanup efforts. Mark and Rachel are joined by co-founder David Brown to discuss the Project One Wave summit that took place in Glasgow this week and the importance of gathering data on the health of our coastlines. In 2024, Jude Harper closed their business, sold their house and moved to Aberdeenshire to try to live as self-sufficiently as possible on an acre of land. Jude posts on YouTube under Rewilding Jude and Rachel visits him and some rescue hens he’s just adopted to find out more.