Scotland Outdoors

Last week Rachel was in Aberfoyle where the Scottish Countryside Rangers Association was celebrating their 50th anniversary. The organisation brings rangers together to share ideas and highlight potential challenges facing the sector. She chatted to some of those who’ve recently retired, and those who are still working, about the history of the association and the importance of rangers across the country.Mark catches up with photographer Frank McElhinney whose work forms part of an exhibition called A Fragile Correspondence. It’s currently on show at the V&A in Dundee after travelling to the Venice Architecture Biennale. He tells Mark what it was like taking a little bit of Ravenscraig to Venice.A cottage where Queen Victoria enjoyed picnics will open to the public next year after being restored by the National Trust for Scotland. The cottage on Mar Lodge Estate had been in a state of disrepair for some years and Mark went along to see its transformation.Over the last few weeks, we’ve been chatting to the

Mark follows the route through Glencoe, Kinlochleven and Rannoch Moor.

Rachel is in Fife to meet a woman who is leading the charge on making the outdoors accessible to all. Jan Kerr set up a rambling group for those who rely on wheels, particularly mobility scooters. She tells Rachel how it came about.Over the past few years, a group of badger enthusiasts has been surveying the Central Belt to track the number of setts they can find. Having completed the length of the River Clyde, the group are now surveying between Glasgow Green and Arthur’s Seat. Mark went along to meet them as they checked a site near the M8 motorway.In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast Helen meets up with professional woodworker Callum Robinson. We hear an excerpt where he explains where his passion for wood came from.Next week the winners of the BBC’s Food and Farming Awards will be unveiled at a ceremony in Glasgow. Out of Doors and Landward have our own category – the BBC Scotland Food Hero award. Over the past few weeks, Rachel has been visiting the three finalists, and this week we hear from Lisa Ho

Helen Needham meets woodworker and author Callum Robinson

The Forth Bridges Trail is a five-mile circular route which brings together various points of interest in North and South Queensferry and crosses the Forth Road Bridge. New stops were added onto the route earlier this year, so Mark took a wander along part of it to hear about the area’s fascinating history.When you think of Beaver reintroduction sites you probably imagine the Cairngorms, Knapdale or rural Tayside but certainly not the heart of London. A few weeks ago, Rachel went to visit The Ealing Beaver Project where beavers are making their home right beside a retail park! Dr Sean McCormack gave her a tour and explained how they hope the beavers, who have been relocated from Scotland, might help with flooding in the area.At the end of the summer Mark visited Loch Katrine, home to the Steamship Sir Walter Scott. But the Loch is also home to other boats and Mark went to speak to one man who’s been restoring his very own steamship.We're joined live by Dr Cat Barlow, project manager with the South of Scotland

In this section, Mark leaves Mull and crosses over to Morven before heading to the site of the famous Appin Murder and the monument to mark this bloody event near Ballachulish Bridge.

Moray Ocean Community is a group of citizen scientists aiming to raise awareness of the importance of marine habitats and species. A couple of weeks ago, Mark joined members as they conducted seagrass surveys in Findhorn Bay and learned all about the range of work they carry out.Rachel is in Leven in Fife where a multi-million pound project is underway to refurbish a former flax mill. She hears about the plans including a visitor centre, a community hub and an area to show off the mill’s history.Scotland's first Alpine Coaster has opened at the Midlothian Snowsports Centre at Hillend near Edinburgh. We sent our rollercoaster expert Paul English along to experience the new way to enjoy the rolling Midlothian hills.Next month the winners of the BBC’s Food and Farming Awards will be unveiled at a ceremony in Glasgow. Out of Doors and Landward have our own category – the BBC Scotland Food Hero award. Over the past few weeks Rachel has been visiting the three finalists and this week we hear her trip to the Stranra

Helen Needham speaks with climate activist and writer Matt Sowerby

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors

We've dug into our archive to bring you a programme originally broadcast in 2012 when Mark Stephen followed the route taken by protagonist David Balfour in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, 'Kidnapped'.In this first section, it's a brief visit to the Hawes Inn in South Queensferry before taking a boat to the Island of Erraid - which sits off Mull - and the magnificent beach where Davey found himself shipwrecked.Mark is following the Stevenson Way.

A recent report showed that almost a quarter of all ancient pinewoods are at risk of disappearing altogether. Earlier this week, Mark attended Scotland’s Pinewood Conference in Fort William to find out what’s being done to preserve these woodlandsIt’s prime cider making time. Rachel visits Digby Lamotte at his cider making business in Perth to follow the process of producing this increasingly popular drinkIn the late 1700s, Dr James Mounsey, a physician, is said to have smuggled out several pounds of rhubarb seeds - worth more than gold - out of Russia to his home of Edinburgh, where he was soon honoured with the Freedom of the City. Author Barclay Price has written about James Mounsey and others in his new book Honoured by EdinburghThe North Coast 500,a hugely popular tourist route in the North of Scotland, attracts thousands of visitors each year. David Richardson of the NC 500 joins the programme to talk about the new NC500 pledge - an initiative created to encourage visitors to experience the route respon

Mark is back at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Montrose Basin site, but this time it isn’t geese he’s looking for, it’s mosquitos. Mark hears about the monitoring programme that the Basin is part of and why it’s important to track mosquitos for human health and also bird health.Back in 2021 Storm Arwen wreaked havoc on the North East causing lots of damage including to some of the buildings at the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses in Fraserburgh. Recently Rachel went for a visit to see how the repair work was progressing.The archipelago of St Kilda, the most westerly islands of the UK, is a wild place with a fascinating history. It was inhabited until 1930 by very hardy folks, many of whom were adept at climbing the cliffs and sea stacks to hunt for birds and their eggs. St Kilda’s climbing history is now being explored in a new film by professional climber and filmmaker Robbie Phillips. Helen Needham met up with Robbie to hear about how the film came about.Earlier in the week, it was announced that Jim McColl ha

Mark Stephen meets Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, Head of Restoration at the Beaver Trust. They meet at the Argaty Beaver Project near Doune in Perthshire to discuss her love of the mammal and how the reintroduction of the species is progressing

Mark and Rachel with the second part of their visit the island of Islay, the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides.The RSPB has two reserves on the island, one at Loch Gruinart and one at The Oa, which is where Mark and Rachel met warden David Dinsley to try and spot one of the bird species Islay is known for, the chough.Artist Heather Dewar was born on Islay in the 1940s, and although she moved away as a child, she returned regularly until she retired there. We chat to her about what makes Islay such a special place and hear some of her childhood memories.Islay is in a strategically important place in terms of shipping and trade. And between 1914 and 1918 the waters around it were an important route for troopships. Two incidents brought the First World War to the doors of the islanders, and author Les Wilson tells us about one of them and the impact it had on Islay. We also hear about a rather remarkable American flag which was made on the island and has been returned there after spending quite some time

Mark and Rachel visit the island of Islay, the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. They take a walk with gamekeeper turned outdoor guide, DJ MacPhee, to get an overview of the island which has a diverse range of landscapes and habitats.They then head to Loch Finlaggan, the seat of the Lord of the Isles, a site of huge significance for hundreds of years, and hear all about its history from Mairead Mackechnie of the Loch Finlaggan Trust.Next they visit a re-discovered ancient lifting stone on the shores of Loch Gruinart. Niall Colthart tells them about the legends attached to it and Mark tries his hand at lifting it.

Slugs are sometimes regarded as a garden pest, but they are more important than people might think. Rachel meets with retired teacher and slug expert Chris Du Feu after one of his workshops in Rosyth run by the Fife Nature Records Centre to ask whether he had noticed more slugs than usual this year.It’s rare these days to see a mature elm tree be it in the countryside or in our towns and cities. That’s because of Dutch Elm Disease which, over the past sixty years, has killed millions of trees throughout the UK. In this week’s Scotland Outdoors episode, Helen Needham visits Max Coleman of the Royal Botanic Gardens who has been involved in a Scottish project to create resilient elms for the future.Montrose Basin have recently been welcoming annual visitors pink-footed geese, who migrate from Iceland every year. Mark hears more about these spectacular birds from Visitor Centre Manager Joanna Peaker and freshwater ecologist Rachel Mackay-Austin.The harbour in Stranraer is at the heart of much of the regeneration

Dutch Elm disease has killed millions of elms across the world over the past century. But there is still hope that this mighty tree can be saved. Helen hears from David Shreeve of the Conservation Foundation about his new book Great British Elms. And from Max Coleman of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh about a conservation project in Scotland to plant resilient elms.

In this week’s Scotland Outdoors episode, Mark meets Tim Simons of Scotways to learn more about the history of outdoor access in Scotland.Celebrations were held last month to mark the 60th anniversary of the Forth Road Bridge and honour the structure, which at the time of construction was one of the longest in the world. Recently, Rachel was invited to view it from a slightly different angle on a Forth Boat Tours trip with Alastair Baird as her guide.To mark 40 years since they took over the running of Fyvie Castle, the National Trust for Scotland has appointed Architects to develop a masterplan for the castle and its 123 acres of landscaped grounds and gardens which will inform future investment in conservation, storytelling, engagement and enhanced visitor facilities. Mark visited the castle to find out more from project director Annie Robertson and community engagement officer Sarah Eggleton.The first-ever Glasgow Tree Hugging Tournament is coming to Dams to Darnley Country Park on Sunday, October 6th. Thi

Mark Stephen meets Tim Simons of the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society

ScotWays (Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society) have published the sixth edition of Scottish Hill Tracks in around 100 years. The book launches on Saturday 28th September. Over the last five years hundreds of volunteers have helped to compile the book. Mark meets with ScotWays Director Tim Simons to discuss the book and its importance.The importance of seed saving is increasingly being recognised across the world as a way of establishing resilience in the natural environment. It is also the principle behind the tree nursery at Corrary Farm near Glenelg where there is a big push to expand native woodland cover in the area using trees grown from locally collected seed. Rachel went there recently and met Manager Rowan Doff who explained their approach.Last year, Mark visited Loch Katrine in the Trossachs to hear about an ambitious plan to build a look-out tower to give splendid views over the loch and hills beyond. The build was completed a couple of months ago and has already attracted many visitors to the