Scotland Outdoors

Tennants of Elgin is a family quarrying business that has been operating out of the North East of Scotland for fifty years. They have had numerous impressive contracts across Europe, but have recently begun some work that’s a little closer to home – providing the granite for Aberdeen’s Union Street works. Mark went along to meet with Director Gavin Tennant, and find out more about the quarrying process.Muirburn is a polarising issue at the moment in Scotland, particularly in light of recent wildfires across the country. Helen Needham met with Stuart Smith from the James Hutton Institute to find out more about the latest research on these land management practices.Buckhaven on the East coast of Fife was once a thriving fishing port, although the town’s harbour has since been lost to time. Pupils at the Mountfleurie Primary School have been uncovering their local history in conjunction with the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther. Rachel met up with the head curator Linda Fitzpatrick to find out more about the town’s hidden history.Rachel visited a community woodland in Gifford, East Lothian, to try her hand at some birch tapping. She met with Rupert Waites from Buck and Birch, who use birch sap in a number of ways, combining it with other foraged materials to make liquors and spirits, that harness the taste of the Scottish landscape.Kris King joins Mark and Rachel on the programme to tell us more about the Highland Ultra taking place next week. This race takes place in three stages, across the Knoydart Peninsula - what he calls the UK's last true wilderness. We hear more about what inspired the race, but also how the race aims to give back to the local rural community.The Corbenic Camphill Community is a residential care home for adults with learning disabilities. This year marks the 10th anniversary of their Poetry Path, which winds through the surrounding grounds and showcases the work of some of Scotland’s greatest poets, as well as the work of some of the care home’s residents. Mark met with Jon Plunkett, the Community Director, to find out more about the inspiration behind this project, and how they are celebrating this anniversary.Aberdeen and Stonehaven Yacht Club have begun their spring season of sailing upon the Loch of Skene. Mark headed out on the water with them, to find out more about the club, their history, and the exciting events they host throughout the year.

Mark Stephen visits the poetry path at Corbenic with its founder Jon Plunkett

The Elsick Mounth is an ancient trackway, linking the River Dee to the Mearns, and is one of the routes featured in the new Scotsways guide on hill tracks. Mark and Rachel both met up with Colin Young, a Scotsways volunteer, who guided them along part of the route to point out some of the important historical and archaeological sites that can be seen from the track.Scotland’s peatlands are an iconic part of the landscape, and have been undergoing targeted restoration across the country for the last fifteen years. Rachel visited Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, and met with their Peatland Action Project Officer, Tasha Craven, to find out more about the importance of this habitat.Edinburgh’s New Town is full of important buildings and some exemplary stonework. Andrew McMillan is a member of the Edinburgh Geological Society, and has recently put together a guided tour of the area around St Andrew’s Square, and Mark met with him to hear more about the area’s impressive geoheritage.Lorraine McCall has an impressive list of mountain achievements to her name, having completed all the Corbetts and Munros, and being the first known woman to summit all the Grahams in a single journey – all while overcoming three separate cancer diagnoses. Rachel joined her on the Moray Coast to find out more about how she fared during these challenges.Mark and Rachel are joined by Iain Hepburn from Bright Spark Burning Techniques, to share his expertise on muirburn and it's use in fighting wild fires.Hedgehogs are beginning to emerge again in Scotland after their long hibernation, and the ‘Pledgehog’ project, based in Dunbar, are gearing up for another year of helping to raise awareness of the little garden mammals. Rachel went along to meet up with Jen Walker, to find out how they are utilising trail cameras as part of local conservation efforts.

Lorraine McCall, a trailblazing adventurer from the Highlands, has faced cancer three times and became the first woman to climb all the Grahams in Scotland in one journey. She shares her thrilling coastal adventures and the challenges of hiking in tough weather, emphasizing the beauty and resilience found in nature. Lorraine discusses how her outdoor experiences have proven therapeutic, fostering personal growth and laughter amid trials. Join her as she reflects on achievements and the transformative power of embracing the great outdoors.

The Scottish Crannog Centre on the banks of Loch Tay is a bustling model Iron Age village, filled with various craftspeople to demonstrate ancient crafts and technologies. Mark went along to find out how the site has grown over the past few years, and how the construction of the crannog over the water is coming along.Jenny Graham follows the Postie’s Path – a route once taken by “Big John MacKenzie”, a post runner in the early 19th century, which runs along Strathconon Glen in the West Highlands, finishing at Achnasheen. The route used to take several days for the postman to complete on foot, but Jenny has opted to trace the route – or what remains of it – on her bike.Helen Needham has been out and about in the early morning to catch the best of the spring dawn chorus. Joining her is Ian Broadbent, the North East of Scotland’s specialist bird recorder from the British Trust for Ornithology.Passing through West Lothian, it is hard to miss the huge angular mounds dotted across the landscape. However, the history of these mounds, or bings – and the shale oil industry that created them – may be lesser known. Mark met up with Nicola Donaldson from the Shale Museum to find out more about the historic industry, and how it created these man made landmarks.The Torridon Mountain Rescue Team that has been operating in the West Highlands since 1972. Jenny Graham has herself been a member of the group for 10 years, and she met up with some of the other team members to find out about the history of the team, and how mountain rescue has changed in the past 50 years.The Inchindown Oil Tanks are a relic of WWII, located near Invergordon, and are the site of the world’s longest echo. Phil Sime went along to the vast underground space, to experience this echo for himself.Mark has been along to the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, to have a look at their huge collection of pressed and preserved plants. The Herbarium is home to over three million species, and Mark meets up with Amy Porteous to find out how the collection is used.

Helen Needham meets with bird recorder Ian Broadbent to capture the April dawn chorus

Potato Enthusiast Bob Donald talks to Rachel about a community growing project in Aberdeen which has led to libraries in the north east handing out seeds and seed tatties.Mark speaks with volunteers from a walking group in Govan, who share their personal experiences with homelessness and social hardship. They’re now involved in an innovative project that aims to turn them into city tour guides.As we enter British Summer Time, Professor Danny Smith from Edinburgh University joins us to explain the importance of daylight for our body’s circadian rhythm and its impact on our wellbeing.Phil Sime, who is completely blind, offers his perspective on life without the ability to tell if it’s light or dark, shedding light on the challenges of navigating the world without sight.Helen Needham heads to the Scottish Borders to meet writer and outdoor enthusiast Kerri Andrews, who shares insights from her book about motherhood and the identity shifts that come with it.Mark talks to young farmer Nicola Wordie about the pressures and demands of farming during lambing season. Nicola also discusses her involvement in a project aimed at tackling isolation within Scotland's farming and crofting communities.Rachel visits St Fillan’s Cave in Pittenweem, where she uncovers the history behind the cave’s name and discovers that Christian services are still held at its ancient stone altar today.Mark speaks to Mike Vass, Director of the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music, to hear about his journey of blending music with maritime experiences, following an illness in 2013 that inspired him to compose music drawn from the high seas.

Kerri Andrews is the author of Pathfinding - On Walking, Motherhood and Freedom. She describes her own traumatic experience with pregnancy, birth and motherhood and draws on examples of other female writers and their experiences over the centuries. She also discusses the history of women and walking and her desire for a more communal child rearing experience in the UK.

Lambhill, in the North of Glasgow, is home to a thriving community hub, built out of an old stable block on the edge of the Forth and Clyde canal. Mark went along to visit their community garden, and find out more about what goes on there.Rachel is on the banks of Loch Lomond to find out about the issues of litter along the busy stretch of the A82, and what the local people have been doing to tackle it.Auchindoun Castle in Moray has recently reopened after some careful masonry repairs. Mark meets with Historic Environment Scotland’s District Architect for the North region, Mike Pendery, to find out more about what it takes to look after these remote ruins.Tarlair Outdoor Swimming Pool in the North East has been undergoing restoration for a number of years, but work has now been completed on the art deco pavilion. Mark met up with Pat Wain from the Friends of Tarlair community group to see the newly finished space, and find out more about the next stage of the restoration.A new multipurpose football stadium is in the planning stages in Dundee, but local people are concerned about the loss of old, established trees, and the impact this could have on the area’s wildlife. Rachel met up with Violet Fraser, one of the campaigners against this development.Mountain rescue veteran, David ‘Heavy’ Whalley, sadly passed away recently. He featured on the programme a number of times, and we pay tribute with a clip originally from 2015, where he joined Mark and Euan on a hike up Ben Wyvis.Midlothian Snow Sports has long been a hub for people with disabilities, or learning difficulties to come together and learn to ski. However, there has been a decline in uptake over recent years, which Disability Snowsport UK are hoping to change. Rachel went along to see what it is all about.Mark takes a wet and windy stroll along Coral Beach in Plockton, so called for its sand which is made up of calcified seaweed or maerl.

A shortage of volunteers means some clubs have struggled to restart following the Covid pandemic in 2020. Campaigners say more needs to be done to raise awareness of the issue.