Screaming Swifts, Flapperskate and a Pictish Hill Fort in Fife

In a couple of weeks, swifts will leave our skies and depart for their wintering grounds in Africa. Author and naturalist Mark Cocker has spent a lifetime observing them and Rachel meets him in Crail to chat about the migrating birds and his new book One Midsummer’s Day - Swifts and the Story of Life on Earth. Never a stranger to getting his hands dirty, Mark grabs a trowel and joins community volunteers on an archaeological dig on East Lomond Hill in Fife. Chairman of the Falkland Stewardship Trust Joe Fitzpatrick unearths the history behind some significant Pictish findings on the hill and chats to Mark about the importance of volunteer excavators. Producer Phil gets on the saddle with the Highland Blind Tandem Club for a cycle along the canal tow path in Inverness. Rachel’s on a hunt for the egg cases of the critically endangered flapper skate. She meets marine biologist Dr Lauren Smith at Cairnbulg Harbour near Fraserburgh to hear about the work going on to safeguard these huge creatures and map exactly where they are. Mark visits the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh to discover how changes at the site are supporting the local urban biodiversity. We hear how the Museum is monitoring wildlife around the Centre from Curator of Entomology Ashleigh Whiffin. An Irish teenager has just become the youngest person to swim the North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland solo. 15-year-old Oscar Black joins Rachel and Mark to share his experience battling the currents to reach Scottish shores While following the Whithorn Way, Mark and Rachel stop at Prestwick, Ayrshire to visit Bruce’s Well, named after Robert The Bruce, King of Scotland from 1306 to 1329. They meet Julia Muir Watt of the Whithorn Way Trust and local historian Alasdair Malcolm to explore King Robert’s connection to the well. In 2003, part of a sea wall at Nigg Bay on the Cromarty Firth was deliberately breached to reconnect an area of land to the sea. Rachel catches up with Steph Elliot from the RSPB to discover how the intertidal habitat created is now benefiting bird life.

The Whithorn Way follows an ancient pilgrim route from Glasgow to Whithorn in Dumfries and Galloway. In this episode, we begin on the waterfront at Irvine looking at the unique remains of an automatic tide signalling apparatus - we learn more about it at the Scottish Maritime Museum. This is followed by a walk along Irvine beach which can only be described as 'hoaching'. As they wander along the beach to Troon, Mark and Rachel contemplate the appeal of modern day pilgrimage. We also hear some reading recommendations from Christina Riley of the Nature Library. Then it's off to Prestwick to visit Bruce's Well and the site of the leper colony there. We end at St John's Tower in Ayr, a building that has seen many a significant event within its walls.

Mark visits a Moray estate to hear about the incredible rescue of 3 osprey chicks after wildfires raged through vast areas of the Highlands and neighbouring MorayCampaigner David Brown specialises in removing fishing debris from our beaches, Rachel pops along to Cairnbulg Harbour by Fraserburgh to find out about his ghost net campaignMark visits the National Museum of Flight in East Lothian as they celebrate their 50th anniversary. He speaks to curator Ian Brown about the Avro Vulcan bomber and gets himself a 1st class seat onboard Concorde.In Dundee, a new digital Whalers’ Memory Bank has been launched sharing stories from folk who were involved in the industry during the 50’s and 60’s. One of the contributors, former whaler John Alexander shares some of his experiences with Rachel alongside Helen Balfour, assistant curator from the South Georgia Museum.The rare bordered brown lacewing, is celebrating 200 years of first being discovered in Scotland. Conservation Officer from Species on The Edge, Fiona Basford joins Mark and Rachel to tell them about a special challenge looking for volunteers to report shared sightings of the invertebrate over 200 hours.Helen Needham is in a field near Dumbarton, with Maisie the horse and her owner Josie Vallely (also known as Quinie) an artist based in Glasgow. Josie spends her free time journeying with Maisie, enjoying the countryside of Scotland at Maisie’s pace.Stranraer is hosting this year’s Skiffie Worlds – an international rowing competition. Rachel is in Anstruther to meet some of those involved in what will be the largest gathering ever of St Ayles Skiffs to date!

Josie Vallely - also known as Quinie - is a multi disciplinary artist based in Glasgow. She also loves horses and spends her free time exploring the Scottish countryside - mostly on foot - with her horse Maisie. Helen goes out for a walk with Josie and Maisie near Dumbarton and tunes into their slow approach to moving through the world.

We have another excerpt from the teams Whithorn Way pilgrimage, this time Rachel meets Stuart Wilson and Brian Boyd from the Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers and hears all about a very surprising annual event!Mark has a trip on a Loch Ness with Frida Newton as they celebrate Jacobite Cruisers 50th anniversaryRachel visits the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther where they have the only Zulu fishing boat in the UK. Curator Julia Branch and musician Esther Swift - who has composed a piece of music inspired by the vessels, are there to meet her.Give Peas a Chance is a pilot project whose aim is to get locally grown organic split peas into school meals. This week, Rachel and some pupils who’ve been enjoying the peas, visited farmer Phil Swire and heard all about the journey from the soil to plate.Rachel is in Dundee to view a new whale memorial by Scottish artist Michael Visocchi. The sculpture which is heading to Georgia very soon, represents the shift from hunting whales in the past to conservation. Alison Neil from the South Georgia Heritage Trust has positive news regarding whale numbers in the area.Mark is in Cromarty to visit a very unusual cemetery nicknamed The Pirates Graveyard. David Alston explains what the engravings mean and who or what is in the oldest part of Cromarty - the Crypt!After some positive news regarding the ever elusive Capercaillie hit the headlines this week, Mark and Rachel find out more from Dr Jack Bamber from the University of Aberdeen.

The Whithorn Way follows an ancient pilgrim route from Glasgow to Whithorn in Dumfries and Galloway. In this episode, Mark and Rachel visit the Lochwinnoch Community Larder where food waste from supermarkets is re-distributed to the community. This is followed by a refreshing visit to the Lynn Sprout waterfall. Then it's off to Kilwinning to meet the Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers. Mark and Helen then take the Garnock Valley Cycle Way to Irvine, whilst Rachel stops off at the Garnock Floods Wildlife Reserve. We end on the waterfront in Irvine with ice cream and sunshine.

Mark and Helen visit Ingliston for this year’s Royal Highland Show. They meet a nurse with her prize winning Highland cow and They also explore the history of the Highland pony, and its enduring connection to Scotland’s rural heritage.A festival devoted entirely to composting is taking place in Fife. Rachel visits Cambo Gardens to discover what it's all about, with head gardener Callum Halstead as her guide.Mark and Rachel will be speaking to author Keli Tomlin about the significance of the summer solstice which marks the longest day and shortest night of the year.In Perthshire, Rachel meets scientist Dr Marion Bruce to learn about an exciting new project: The Wild Scottish Flavour Wheel. From seaweed to sticky willy, it’s a guide to the diverse—and often surprising—tastes found in Scotland’s wild landscape.Mark chats with Jim Wilson from Soil Essentials about how autonomous tractors are helping to ease the workload for farmers and transform the future of agriculture.Whatever the weather, a group of over-50s in West Lothian meets each week to take part in a variety of activities organised by the Xcite Ageing Well programme. This week, Rachel joins the Linlithgow walking group—some of whom have been coming for years—to find out what keeps them coming back.

The Perthshire scientist hopes the wheel will encourage people to rediscover some of the lost tastes and uses of our wild plants.

Rachel catches up with Nick Ray who previously kayaked around the coast of Scotland, sharing his journey and mental health challenges on social media throughout that year. He’s just completed another journey but walking this time, from far north to south via east and west. Rachel finds out why he decided to hang up his kayak for this challenge.Mark’s in Aberdeenshire and hears from Jim Wilson from Soil Essentials .who tells him how a spot sprayer is going to change the world!Bobby Motherwell, the poet in residence at RSPB Lochwinnoch has been keeping a close eye on the wildlife there. He shares a poem, inspired by his surroundings.The Mounthooly Roundabout in Aberdeen is one of the city’s busiest roundabouts and it’s a spot where hundreds, if not thousands of people pass by every day – But this is no ordinary green oasis! Recently a community group have been transforming the roundabout into a food forest – Last week, I took a wander down to Mounthooly to meet up with Graham Donald, community development officer along with some of the other folk involved in the project to see their progress.Mark and Rachel chat with Richard Reynolds, who, 21 years ago, was one of the UK’s first modern guerrilla gardeners, and ask how attitudes have changed over the years.Tucked away on the Moray Coast lies Culbin Sands, a remote stretch of fragile shoreline where the golden sands meet the crystal clear waters of Findhorn bay. It's not the easiest place to reach, unless you're up for a three-hour hike through the Culbin Forest, or you could go for the slightly less strenuous option which is to go by water taxi. Morven Livingstone and Phil Sime, along with guide dog Striker met up with Jane Campbell Morrison from Findhorn Water-Sports who gave them a tour around the bay.Sand in Your Eye are a sand sculpture group who depending on the tide are creating a sand sculpture of Beethoven on Elie Beach. Rachel pops along hoping to see the end result.Scotland’s last remaining Timeball has just been restored and is back in place at the top of Edinburgh’s iconic Nelson Monument. Once a vital tool for sailors navigating the Firth of Forth and Port of Leith, this Timeball helped ships set their clocks precisely to 1pm Greenwich Mean Time 365 days of the year. Earlier this week, Mark caught up with Karl Chapman, Head of Heritage at Cultural Venues, Museums and Galleries, to learn all about the fascinating restoration project and why this historic timekeeper still matters today.

The Whithorn Way follows an ancient pilgrim route from Glasgow to Whithorn in Dumfries and Galloway. In this episode, Mark and Rachel start with a quick stop off at Renfrew to contemplate the motivation for pilgrimage in medieval times. Then they head to Paisley Cathedral to learn about the unearthing of a drain which revealed a slate containing musical notation from the 1400's. And they end up at the RSPB's Lochwinnoch Nature Reserve for a bit of wildlife watching and poetry.