Scotland Outdoors
Society & Culture
About
A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.
Episodes
- Kites, Rivers and Maps
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.…
- Foraging and Fermenting with Janice Clyne
Rachel Stewart talks to Janice about foraging plants widely regarded as garden weeds.
- Cranes, Mast Climbing and Skunk Cabbage
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…
- From Nethybridge to Nepal with Marian Burrows-Smith
Marian discusses her toilet project for girls with Helen Needham
- The Highland Folk Museum, Get On A Bike in Elgin and Fern Restoration in the Highlands
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…
- From Raindrop to Sea with Stephen Rutt
Mark Stephen chats to writer Stephen Rutt about his new book 'The Waterlands'
- Spring Birds, Granny Pines and an Electric Boat
We hear more from Mark’s time with forager Mark Williams. They met up at Wigtown Bay on a rather wet and blustery day and headed along the coast to look for sea radish. Rachel meets up with Rosie Beetschen from Cairngorms Connect and Ross…
- A Mountain Rescue Story with Ioana Ticu
Rachel Stewart hears from an experienced mountaineer who had to call for help on Ben More
- Trig Points at 90, Dippers, Gannets and Lapwings
Dr Shane Strachan has written a poem which encourages people to explore a new poetry and artwork trail along the 53-mile Formartine and Buchan Way. Rachel meets Shane to find out how he got involved. In this week’s podcast excerpt, Mark is…
- Three Words for Forest
Mark Stephen hears about the play Three Words for Forest which explores the challenges, hopes and fears of those working in the forestry industry at a time of climate crisis
- Dry Stane Dyking, the Longest Canal Tunnel in Scotland and Foraging in the South West
Mark is in Gatehouse of Fleet with Mark Williams who has a new book out called The Coastal Forager. The pair chat about identifying coastal plants and have a nibble of a few different species. In this week’s podcast excerpt, Rachel meets A…
- 50 Years of Landward, Scotland's Farming and Countryside TV programme
Rachel Stewart meets Arlene Stuart, one of the presenters of Landward, Scotland's Farming and Countryside TV programme which celebrates five decades on air
- The Oldest Munro Bagger, A Secret Bunker and Bikes Galore
Calum Maclean meets Kerry MacPhee and Beth Legg of Bike Trossachs at the Gravelfoyle event in Aberfoyle, where the gravel bike racing season started with a race called the Gravelfoyle 10. The Nevis Range mountain bike season has just kicke…
- Bervie Brow Cold War Bunker
Mark Stephen meets Harry Fleming, owner of a cold war bunker on the Aberdeenshire coast. He hears the story of the bunker from the 1950s to present day
- The Saint, The Sheep and The Sycamore
Mark recently visited the Solway Firth to find out more about some invasive species. Nic Coombey from the Solway Firth Partnership at Brighouse Bay, near Kirkcudbright explains how these species are being monitored. Rachel meets Fran Loots…
- Lunan Bay Footsteps
Mark Stephen speaks to Kate Britton about the race to preserve a 2000 year old footprint.
- White Hens, Bere Barley and Migrating Toads
Mark meets Gordon Whiteford at his farm in Buckie and finds out why white eggs are making a comeback. Bere barley is an ancient crop once grown all over the country, but today it’s mostly found in the Highlands and Islands. Scientists are…
- Connecting with Deep Time, a Special Volcano and Planet Mars with Artist Ilana Halperin
Helen Needham hears from artist Ilana Halperin in Newlands Park in Glasgow
- Corbetts, Snowdrops and a Talkative Raven
Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors
- Corbetts, Snowdrops and a Talkative Raven
Mark meets Christopher Valentine-Allan who is growing mushrooms for the restaurant market in a repurposed nuclear bunker in Edinburgh. Rachel learns the art of grass whistling with listener Mike Hendry and his sons, 7 year old Innes and 10…
- Corbetts, Snowdrops and a Talkative Raven
Mark meets Christopher Valentine-Allan who is growing mushrooms for the restaurant market in a repurposed nuclear bunker in Edinburgh. Rachel learns the art of grass whistling with listener Mike Hendry and his sons, 7 year old Innes and 10…
- Living with Fable the Raven
Mark Stephen meets Amy Buckley and her Raven called Fable
- A Cornucopia of Wildlife including Bees, Dolphins and Beetles
The impact of cruise ship light pollution on bird species is the focus of research presented at Scotland’s Nature Student Conference at Stirling University. Rachel chats to Adam Woodward who explored the issue as part of his master’s degre…
- Crovie - A Village on the Edge
Rachel Stewart talks to poet Anne Wiseman about Crovie's past and its fragile future.
- A Cairngorms Soundscape, Harvesting Sap and Cycling from Boring to Dull
Cyclist Mark Wedgwood has completed some enormous challenges, including a journey from America to Scotland. Rachel meets him in Aberdeenshire to find out more about his adventures. People across the UK are being invited to celebrate the un…
- Bikepacking with Somhairle Johnston
Mark Stephen meets cyclist and content creator Somhairle Johnston to discuss his new series on BBC Alba 'Somhairle Spins' in which he undertakes five different bikepacking adventures in Scotland.
- Tawny Owls, Pearl Mussels and Jelly Ears
The iconic ash tree on Glasgow’s Argyle street won UK Tree of the Year last year and is now nominated for European Tree of the Year. Mark looks up at the giant ash with arborist David Treanor and discovers why the 170-year-old tree is so c…
- Women of the Cairngorms
Rachel Stewart meets storyteller Sarah Hobbs to hear how women have shaped the landscape.
- Here Comes the Sun, Europe's First Feminist Bird Club and Eating Jellyfish
Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors
- Murmurs of Spring
Mark Stephen visits the Murmurs of Spring art exhibition at the Scottish Ornithologists Club in East Lothian
- 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…
- 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
- Harmony in Nature, a Festival of Light and the World's Toughest Row
A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.
- The Role of the Corn Bunting in Scotland's Ecology
Mark Stephen speaks to Professor Will Cresswell about the welcome rise in corn buntings.
- 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 Cairngorm…
- 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
- Cairngorm Mountain Ski Resort
This week we’re live from Cairngorm Mountain and joined by a myriad of guests connected by the adventures of the slopes. Snowboarder, mountain biker and climate activist Lauren MacCallum joins Mark and Rachel to talk about Cairngorm 2030,…
- Queer Ecology with Dr Em Merrin May Armstrong
Helen Needham meets interdisciplinary plant resercher Em Merrin May Armstrong in Glasgow
- Snow, Camping in Winter and a New Air Ambulance
Some people have found themselves unable to get out and about due to heavy snowfall this week. Rachel meets Cameron Black based in Inverurie in Aberdeenshire who has been voluntarily clearing streets with his own plough. Scotland’s Charity…
- Drawing Ancient Trees with Tansy Lee Moir
Mark Stephen goes out sketching old trees at Haddo with artist Tansy Lee Moir
- A Bucket Mill, Yule Day and Rowing the Atlantic
he Quadrantid meteor shower will be peaking in the UK around 3rd and 4th January. Elizabeth Tindall shares her experience of observing fireball meteors which are associated with this type of shower. Rachel catches up with Milli Abram as sh…
- A Walk on the Wild Side with Zeki Basan
Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone go wild foraging in the Highlands with outdoor survival instructor Zeki Basan. Along the way, Zeki introduces them to essential bushcraft skills, from food preservation and shelter building to the ancient a…
- A Ryvoan Bothy Special
Mark and Rachel celebrate 60 Years of the Mountain Bothy Association with a trip to Ryvoan Bothy to get a sense of the very lively bothy culture in Scotland.
- In Search of Bird Song with Neil Ansell
Helen Needham discusses hearing loss and his search for bird song with writer Neil Ansell
- Alpacas, Robins and a Christmas Treasure Hunt
Farmer Simon Johnson offers tours and experiences with alpacas. Rachel heads to Bowbridge Alpacas in Fife and begins by taking a look at some alpaca babies sheltering from the cold. It’s National Robin Day on the 21st of December. Mark mee…
- Crystal Hunting on Cairngorm with Mark Diggins of the Scottish Avalanche Information Service
Mark Stephen joins Mark Diggins from the Scottish Avalanche Information Service on Cairngorm to search for snow.
- Squirrel Detection, Ice Swimming and Cattle Droving
This episode of Scotland Outdoors covers diverse topics including wildlife conservation efforts at Gight Wood, a significant decline in peregrine falcon pairs in the Cairngorms, and a modern cattle droving event in the Highlands.
- The Findhorn Foundation
Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone visited the Findhorn Foundation and met with Jonathan Caddy.
- The Super Moon, Fungus and the Highest Village in Scotland
Scotland Outdoors covers diverse topics including land recovery after a wildfire, the protection of knitting crafts, the reopening of Mills Observatory, a rewilding project in Aberdeenshire, and discussions on outdoor access policies in Sc…
- Twenty Years of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code
Mark and Rachel attended the Scottish Outdoor Access Network conference, gathering insights from delegates on the occasion of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code's twentieth anniversary.