Love Scotland: Stories of Scotland's History and Nature

In the first of a two-episode partnership between the National Trust for Scotland and the National Trust, join host Jackie Bird as she uncovers the life of a leading general in the Battle of Culloden. Historian and National Trust for Scotland Trustee Professor Murray Pittock reveals the story of Lieutenant General George Murray, a nobleman and soldier who was involved in each of the 18th century Jacobite Uprisings. His relationship with Charles Edward Stuart and the Jacobite soldiers, not to mention his shifting allegiance, make him a compelling figure from the period. Later in April 2025, we’ll also release an episode produced by the National Trust detailing the life of Jams Wolfe, a British Army general who fought for the government at Culloden. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on Culloden, click here. If you’d like to support our work protecting Scotland’s wild places, please join the Wild Scotland campaign. You may also like some of our previous episodes on Culloden. Scroll through our podcast feed to find instalments on Flora MacDonald, Scotland’s most consequential battles, and how the events of Culloden influenced the world. If you’d like to help the Trust protect the battlefield and the views that surround it from the increasing threats of development, you can donate to the Culloden Fighting Fund. Find all the details you need here.  

Do you know your Adam Smith from your Adam Ferguson? What was it that sparked a historical period overflowing with ideas, intellect and philosophical musings? And what did Enlightenment ever do for Scotland? Jackie is joined by Dr Alasdair Raffe, senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, to unpick the tapestry of this fascinating era, meeting some of the key thinkers, makers and doers who made their impact during the 18th century. No matter how familiar you are with the Scottish Enlightenment, this episode covers the very basics, leaving you with a better understanding of an important and consequential period of European history. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on Newhailes, click here. For more information on the wildlife at Trust places, click here. --- Alasdair’s book, Scotland in Revolution, 1685-1690, is available now.

Known to many through his work on nature documentaries, Gordon Buchanan is one of Scotland’s foremost wildlife filmmakers and presenters. This week, he joins Jackie in the studio to share stories of his time in the natural world. From a childhood spent daydreaming about the world outdoors and enjoying risky adventures in nature, to a career that has taken him to some of the planet’s most biodiverse places, Gordon has seen it all. He shares how nature has influenced him, how it has seen him through difficult times, and how he first found himself behind the camera. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on the Treshnish Isles, click here. For more information on the wildlife at Trust places, click here. If you’d like to support our work protecting Scotland’s wild places, please join the Wild Scotland campaign. You may also like some of our previous episodes on Scottish wildlife. Scroll through our podcast feed to find instalments on seabirds, mountain birds, and the life of an island ranger. --- Gordon’s book, In the Hide: How the Natural World Saved My Life, is available now from all good bookshops.

As we get ready for Burns Night on 25 January, we’re delving into the Love Scotland archives to bring you three episodes that reveal the life and legacy of Robert Burns. - Jackie gathers two companions to discuss the “song that everybody sings”: Auld Lang Syne. With lyrics penned by Robert Burns in 1788, but origins dating back further, it is now a global anthem of friendship, celebration, yearning and nostalgia. Mairi Campbell, a Scottish musician whose version appeared in the Sex and the City film and has since created a show inspired by the song, is the first of Jackie’s two guests. Also joining the conversation is Professor Gerard Carruthers, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow.  To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, click here. Explore the National Trust for Scotland’s Robert Burns Collection online here. - A brand new series of Love Scotland will appear in your podcast feed later this spring.

As we get ready for Burns Night on 25 January, we’re delving into the Love Scotland archives to bring you three episodes that reveal the life and legacy of Robert Burns. - Robert Burns, born in 1759, died just 37 years later – an early passing attributed to alcoholism. However, recent advances in medical knowledge have raised questions about the accuracy of this diagnosis. Professor David Purdie, co-author of The Burns Encyclopaedia and a doctor of medicine, has used his clinical expertise to analyse Burns’ physical symptoms. His research touches on a character assassination in the immediate aftermath of Burns’ death, the truth of his alleged alcoholism, and new theories as to what really caused the poet’s death. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, click here. Explore the National Trust for Scotland’s Robert Burns Collection online here. - A brand new series of Love Scotland will appear in your podcast feed later this spring.

As we get ready for Burns Night on 25 January, we’re delving into the Love Scotland archives to bring you three episodes that reveal the life and legacy of Robert Burns. - We all know the songs and poems written by one of Scotland’s most famous sons – but who were the people that most influenced his life and his writing? Host Jackie Bird is on a mission to find out. This week, she’s joined by Christoper Waddell, learning manager at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, and Professor Gerard Carruthers, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow. Together, they look at poets, family members, friends and educators who made their mark on the Bard. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, click here. Explore the National Trust for Scotland’s Robert Burns Collection online here. Use of Green Grow The Rashes, O by Bill Adair, courtesy of University of Glasgow. - A brand new series of Love Scotland will appear in your podcast feed later this spring.

In our final episode of 2024, Jackie Bird heads to Edinburgh to take a look at Stitched: Scotland’s Embroidered Art – a new exhibition that tells the nation’s story through textiles. The result of a two-year research and conservation programme by the National Trust for Scotland, Stitched puts many delicate pieces of needlework on public display for the first time. Joining Jackie are Trust curator Emma Inglis and Celia Joicey, director of Dovecot Studios, which is hosting the exhibition. Together, they discuss how such fragile items are cared for, where they come from, and what they tell us about the people who once owned them. Stitched: Scotland’s Embroidered Art runs at Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh, until 18 January 2025. For more information, and to book tickets, click here. National Trust for Scotland members can enjoy 50% off a full price ticket. 

This week, Jackie Bird is in Culloden to join the team of archaeologists hoping to unlock more of the battlefield’s historic secrets. With the National Trust for Scotland’s Head of Archaeology Derek Alexander, Jackie discovers how modern techniques are helping to unearth musket balls, coins and buttons. Though the battle on 16 April 1746 may have lasted just a short time, it was hugely consequential and new elements of its story continue to be discovered through archaeological digs. Find out how decisions are made on where to excavate, and what inspires people to devote their time to the quest for hidden artefacts. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  For more information on Culloden, click here. You might enjoy some of our past episodes on Culloden. Simply scroll back through the Love Scotland feed to hear about the battle and its aftermath. To support our work, you can donate to the Culloden Fighting Fund, which helps our collaborative approach to managing the battlefield and protecting the site for future generations. And if you’re a resident of the USA, you can show your support through the National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA.

When we think of a queen of Scots, Mary is very much the first one who comes to mind. But her grandmother, Margaret Tudor, played an equally crucial role in 16th-century Scotland. Here, her story is told. Linda Porter, author of The Thistle and the Rose, which tells the story of this overlooked historical figure, joins Jackie to discuss the life and legacy of Henry VIII’s sister. From a young pawn to a powerful and protective queen, Margaret certainly made her impact on history.  To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  For more information on Falkland Palace, click here. You might enjoy some of our past episodes on Mary, Queen of Scots. Simply scroll back through the Love Scotland feed to hear about Margaret’s granddaughter.

The idea of Scotland being caught up in the story of the Spanish Armada may seem bizarre, and yet wrecked off Fair Isle is one of the Spanish fleet’s flagship vessels. How did this 650-ton ship come to end up in the North Sea? And how do the activities of the Armada relate to, among others, Mary, Queen of Scots? Jackie Bird is on a mission to find out.  This year marks 70 years since the National Trust for Scotland acquired Fair Isle, the most remote inhabited island in the UK. While now perhaps best known as a seabird paradise and the home to world-renowned knitwear, Fair Isle is also the site of Iron Age settlements, a Second World War German plane, a Stevenson lighthouse… and not far offshore, the remains of El Gran Grifón. Joining Jackie to discuss the Spanish ship and how it came to be so far north is Dr Colin Martin, a marine archaeologist who, with his colleague Sydney Wignall, excavated the wreck in 1970.  To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  For more information on Fair Isle, click here. You might enjoy some of our past episodes on island history. Simply scroll back through the Love Scotland feed to hear instalments on Canna House’s archive and the evacuation of St Kilda. If you would like to support our work helping others through education, access and outreach activities, please click here. Actor: Scarlett Mack