Love Scotland: Stories of Scotland's History and Nature

In this week’s episode, Jackie steps beyond the National Trust for Scotland’s most beautiful stately homes to discover what treasures can be found in the nation’s gardens. Recorded from Greenbank Garden – an 18th-century walled garden just outside Glasgow city centre – Jackie is joined by the National Trust for Scotland’s head of gardens and designed landscapes, Ann Steele.  Together, they discuss what constitutes a heritage garden, why they were so important to the residents of stately homes, and how these outdoor spaces were used. Then, they turn an eye to the future, looking at what must be done to protect the gardens for generations to come. To find out more about Greenbank Garden, click here. You can also discover more on NTS gardens here.

This week’s episode looks at the life of Scipio Kennedy, an enslaved African boy who lived in Culzean in the early 18th century. The events of his early years have been pieced together by Hannah Lawrence from the National Trust for Scotland and affiliate researcher at the University of Oxford, and she joins Jackie to discuss her research into his life. Together, they discuss what is known about Scipio Kennedy’s life in Ayrshire. Hannah also describes what historical records have helped her to uncover the past. Then, Outlander actor Colin McFarlane joins Jackie to discuss his own interest in Scipio Kennedy and the research he did for his role as an enslaved person in the hit TV show.

Doug Allan is a world-renowned wildlife cameraman, with film credits for some of the most influential documentaries ever made and a trophy cabinet full of BAFTAs and Emmys. He’s contributed to David Attenborough’s Blue Planet and Frozen Planet, and has spent more time than nearly anyone else diving into the world’s iciest oceans in search of wildlife. In this week’s episode of Love Scotland, he sits down with Jackie to discuss his eventful career, including a dangerously close encounter with a walrus. He also reveals his eyewitness account of how a changing climate is affecting underwater wildlife, and some of his favourite experiences shooting in Scotland’s wild places. To find out more about some of the sites mentioned in this episode, visit the National Trust for Scotland website. For the latest information on The Hermitage, click here, or for St Kilda, click here. For more information on Wild for Scotland, as mentioned in the episode, click here.

In a captivating discussion, Sir Tom Devine, Professor Emeritus of Scottish History, explores the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden and its transformation of clan culture. He delves into the internal strife and religious tensions that plagued Scottish clans during the Jacobite risings. The conversation highlights the romanticization of Highland culture and how it evolved into a symbol of national pride amid 18th-century changes. Devine also reveals the profound impact of clan identity on Scotland's modern heritage and the global Scottish diaspora.

In the first episode of season five of Love Scotland, Jackie and her guest Sir Tom Devine take a look at the origins of the Scottish clans. Over the course of their discussion – which will be continued in a second instalment next week – they reveal how the clans came to be, how they organised themselves, and what united them. Has the reality of clan life been romanticised? What were the key moments in these crucial centuries of Scottish history? And how, ultimately, did the system of kinship give way to a modern world of capitalism. Next week, Jackie and Sir Tom look to the years beyond the Battle of Culloden. To find out more about some of the locations discussed in this week’s episode, visit the NTS website. You can also learn more about Culloden here, Glencoe here, and Killiecrankie here.

In this week’s episode of Love Scotland, Jackie is getting ready to deck the halls with boughs of holly. As people across Scotland prepare for their own festive celebrations, we take a look at how the National Trust for Scotland creates authentic Christmas displays in its properties. Dr Jo Riley from Castle Fraser has been leading a research project into traditional decorations and how they have changed over time. From garlands to gifts, candles to clementines, Jo has examined exactly how previous residents in homes like Castle Fraser would have celebrated. To mark the end of the current series of Love Scotland, Jackie and Jo discuss the pagan roots of the festive season, why mistletoe didn’t always mean romance, and who it was that first brough yule logs to Scottish shores. Find out more about Dr Jo Riley’s research by clicking here. You can also get the latest visitor information on Castle Fraser, and all of our properties, on the National Trust for Scotland website. Love Scotland will return in the New Year. Please remember to follow, rate and review the podcast on your podcast platform of choice.

In this week’s episode, Jackie is joined by adventurer, film-maker and campaigner Cal Major to discuss Scotland’s coasts and the challenges facing them. Cal has built a reputation as one of the UK’s top stand-up paddleboarders (SUP), completing the first ever SUP from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 2018. In 2021, she paddled 800 miles of Scotland’s coastline. As someone who has spent so long at sea, Cal knows only too well the real-world implications of the climate and biodiversity crises. She is now a keen campaigner and advocate for action that will help protect Scotland’s coasts, including the Our Seas campaign of which the National Trust for Scotland is a member. To find out more about Our Seas, click here. To find out more about Cal Major, click here. Check the latest visitor information for some of the Trust’s coastline properties: St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve, Inverewe, Balmacara Estate, Rockcliffe, and more.

This week, Jackie is joined by actor and presenter Alan Cumming to discuss his life, career, and love of Scotland. Fresh from the critically acclaimed run of Burn – a dance-theatre piece that re-examines Robert Burns using his own words – Alan discuss where his passion for Scottish history and culture comes from. As a long-standing supporter of the National Trust for Scotland and as one half of Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland and Beyond, Alan has seen many of the nation’s most beautiful and fascinating places. He reveals all about his recent stay at the House of Dun and Fyvie Castle, and what he learned about Robert Burns through his letters. For more information on the House of Dun, click here. For more information on Fyvie Castle, click here. For more information on Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, click here.

The Vikings may be most closely associated with Norway, but the fearsome warriors made their mark on Scotland, too. Throughout the 1st century, they sailed the choppy seas to raid monasteries, including on Iona, pillaging and plundering wherever they went. In this week’s episode of the podcast, Jackie discovers what brought the invaders from the north to Scotland, and what encouraged them to stay. Joined by Dr Adrián Maldonado, the Glenmorangie Research Fellow at National Museums Scotland and an expert in the Scottish Viking Age, Jackie looks at how the pillagers interacted with the Picts, how they knew which islands to attack, and what happened to the last of the Vikings. Iona and Fair Isle both have connections to the Vikings, and you can find out more about the places here and here.   If you enjoyed this episode, you might enjoy previous Love Scotland instalments too. For more island history, try the July 2022 episode called Inside Canna House. Or, if you’d like some sea-faring adventure, try the September 2021 episode called The Smugglers’ Caves of Culzean.