Love Scotland: Stories of Scotland's History and Nature

In this captivating conversation, Sam Heughan, the talented Dumfries and Galloway-born star of Outlander, shares his journey from actor to New York Times bestselling author. He reflects on how the series has ignited global interest in Scotland's history and landscapes. Sam reveals his love for the outdoors while discussing his transformative hike along the West Highland Way. Listeners will also enjoy personal anecdotes from his career and insights from his book, Waypoints: My Scottish Journey, blending nature, heritage, and identity.

Discover Scotland's iconic film locations from Harry Potter to James Bond. Uncover the reasons behind filming in LA instead of Scotland. Dive into the impact of Scotland's landscapes on the film industry and explore the intriguing narratives of Scottish films.

This week, we’re going all the way back to Roman times – an an episode first released in 2023 – to find out about the Antonine wall and why Scotland was ‘Rome’s Afghanistan’. What led to the speedy evacuation of the Antonine wall, which was once garrisoned by thousands of Roman soldiers? What was Rome’s relationship with the lands beyond the wall really like? And just how did a small, stubborn nation see of a continental superpower? To find out, Jackie visited the nation-spanning wall herself and then met Dr John Reid, author of The Eagle and the Bear: A New History of Roman Scotland, to get a deeper insight into this fractious period of history and its long-lasting legacy. Next week, as the Oscars get under way in LA, we revisit Scotland’s relationship with the silver screen. New episodes of Love Scotland will return later in 2024.

This week, we’re returning to one of our most popular episodes, which was first released in May 2022. Jackie was joined by Dr Ciaran Jones, the lead researcher and author of a report on the links between NTS properties and the witch trials of the 16th-18th centuries. Why did Scotland try to execute five times as many so-called witches as the rest of the Europe? What fuelled 4,000 people, the vast majority of them women, to be accused of witchcraft? Why were wires inserted into suspected witches? And what was it that finally drew this dark chapter of Scottish history to an end? This episode looks at the dark past of witch trials – a story that may sound like it belongs in the history books – and the relevance they have to the way we live – and let live – today. Next week, we go further back in time to find out more about the Roman invasion of Scotland. New episodes of Love Scotland will return later in 2024.

Production is underway on the next full series of Love Scotland, but in the meantime, we’re diving into the archives to highlight five of the top episodes of all time. This week, we’re returning to two episodes that – when combined – offer a full look at the Massacre of Glencoe. Some 332 years ago this week, around 30 members of Clan MacDonald were killed by Scottish government forces, many while they slept. This tragic and bloodthirsty event was significant in Jacobean history and has had a long-lasting legacy. To find out more, Jackie is joined by Derek Alexander, NTS Head of Archaeology, and Scott McCombie, senior ranger. To find out more about Glencoe, click here.  Next week, we revisit another dark chapter in Scottish history: the witch trials. New episodes of Love Scotland will return later in 2024.

As another series of Love Scotland draws to a close, 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 of the song appeared in the Sex and the City film and who has since created a show inspired by Auld Lang Syne, is the first of Jackie’s two guests. Also joining the conversation is Professor Gerard Carruthers, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow.  With just a few weeks to go until people sing Auld Lang Syne on Hogmanay, Mairi and Gerard reveal their personal connections to the song and its words, how it came to international significance, and how it has evolved since its very early origins.  To find out more about Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, click here.

Seals and other winter wildlife at St Abb’s Head This week, Jackie makes a return to St Abb’s Head in the Scottish Borders, just months after she last visited to investigate the summer’s avian flu outbreak. In the winter, many of the seabirds may have disappeared – but there are still a lot to be found. Joined once again by Head Ranger Ciaran Hatsell, Jackie spends some time getting to know the seal pups on the beach, two years after the population was devastated by Storm Arwen. She also finds out what has happened at St Abb’s Head since the flu outbreak, and how the seals signal the wider health of the local ecosystem. Weather warning report by Alex Deakin courtesy of the Met Office. To find out more about St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve, click here.

While Charles Rennie Mackintosh has become a singular icon in Scottish art, his legacy is so almighty that in many accounts, the achievements and contributions of his wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, are often overlooked. Described by Charles as being “more than half – she is three quarters – of all I’ve done”, Margaret’s artwork, and her place in the Glasgow art scene, deserve their own glory. In particular, Margaret’s involvement in the designing of the National Trust for Scotland’s property, the Hill House, gives us a key insight into her own unique artistic style and the importance of her contributions to Scottish architecture.  This week, Jackie speaks to expert Robyne Calvert about Margaret’s life and legacy.  To find out more about the Hill House, click here.

Author and National Trust for Scotland chair, Janet Brennan-Inglis, discusses Scottish castles' history and architects MacGibbon and Ross' documentation work. The podcast explores the evolution of castles, their connection to colonialism, and the preservation efforts by the National Trust for Scotland. Janet also shares captivating stories behind Scotland's castles and the importance of safeguarding these historic sites.

The Case of Osgood Mackenzie  This week, Jackie’s turning her attention to Inverewe Garden in the northwest highlands. A tropical oasis bolstered by the nearby gulfstream, it is a true jewel for lovers of all things floral. However, its creator Osgood Mackenzie, the author of A Hundred Years in the Highlands, was left in the shade by a family court case that attracted much attention in the newspapers of the day. His wife, meanwhile, has been all but written out from history. The story of this period of Osgood’s life has been dramatised in a new play, which was performed at Inverewe this year. Rob Mackean, the playwright, joins Jackie to pick through the history of the garden and its one-time owner, whose life was as colourful as his flowers. To find out more about Inverewe Garden, click here.