Scotland Outdoors

Mark is in Hazlehead Park in Aberdeen hearing how the team from Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels is working to remove the grey squirrel population from the city.In June 2021 fire destroyed the replica Iron Age Crannog on Loch Tay. In the years since, the Scottish Crannog Centre has moved location to the other side of the loch and the team has been working to create a new replica Iron Age village. Rachel went to see their progress and explore the new site.The Memorial Chapel in Arbroath’s Western cemetery was designed by Patrick Allan-Fraser, who established the town’s Hospitalfield House as a centre for arts and crafts, as a memorial to his late wife Elizabeth and her parents. It’s a striking building but has never been used to its full potential. Laura Guthrie goes for a visit and hears how the Hospitalfield House team hope to use it.We continue to hear from each of the areas vying to be given National Park status. This week Mark is in Pitlochry hearing about the bid for the Tay Forest National Park.The recent stormy weather has caused a number of puffins to be stranded on North East beaches. We hear from the New Arc Wildlife Centre about why birds become stranded and what to do if you come across an injured bird.While Rachel visited the new Scottish Crannog Centre, she spoke to some of the team who are working to recreate the Iron Age village. There’s a whole host of people on site including a traditional carpenter, archaeologists and a green woodworker.It’s nearly 40 years since the Winter Garden at Saughton Park in Edinburgh was redeveloped. Rachel speaks to Craig Dunlop, Park and Green Space officer, about how the park has changed over the years.And we hear an excerpt from the recent Scotland Outdoors podcast looking back on the career of the late Charlie Allan. Charlie was a real North East Man O' Pairts - broadcaster, writer, farmer, singer and sportsman. We hear some of his archive recordings.

Helen Needham with archive recordings from Charlie Allan

Mark Stephen hears tales of bothying including some very special cookery

Mark uncovers tales from the secret howff bothy in the Cairngorms. Mark and Rachel explore the dark skies in the hills above Braemar and Rachel finds out the lengths farmers go to to decorate their tractors for a festive run through the streets of Inverurie

The twin brothers behind the music project Kinbrae were commissioned to make a soundscape of an unusual building at Crail Airfield in Fife as part of the East Neuk Festival in 2023. The building was called a cinasium - a cross between a cinema and a gym. This was the social hub for the airfield when it was still active during World War Two. Andy and Mike Truscott used field recordings and created their own sounds, without using samples, to replicate the audio that would have been heard during the war years and beyond. Their recording includes the testimony of two local residents who remember the air raid sirens and fighting off the Fife coast. The soundscape was played on speakers during the festival - bringing the building back to life through the power of the creative audio.

Mark visits Alex Brewster at his farm near Pitlochry. Ten years ago, Alex changed his approach to farming to a more regenerative one, conserving and rehabilitating the soil. He shows Mark the impact that change has made to his land and explains how it all happened.Lake District climber Anna Taylor became the first woman to complete the 'classic rock' challenge all under her own steam. She tells Rachel about how she cycled between the routes on the challenge and more about her climbing career.The Cairngorm Gliding Club, located near Kingussie, has been going for nearly 60 years. Rachel heads for a visit and of course, a flight in a glider, to see what attracts people to taking to the skies.Bad weather can certainly have an impact on how we feel mentally, but what about our physical health? Writer and psychologist Louise Kenward has put together an anthology of nature writing from the point of view of people living with disability and chronic illness. She spoke to Helen Needham for the Scotland Outdoors podcast, and we hear an excerpt where they discuss one of the contributing writers who is physically affected by rain.The Scottish Government has committed to creating at least one new National Park by the spring of 2026. This week, we hear from one of the members of the group behind the bid for Lochaber to be awarded National Park status.Sounding Line is a large-scale ceramic installation addressing the devastating effect of marine sonar, sound used for navigating, on whales and other cetaceans. Artist and ceramicist Mella Shaw has made sculptures from clay that include bone from a beached whale. Helen goes to find out more.

Helen Needham speaks with writer Louise Kenward about the anthology 'Moving Mountains'

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors

Mark Stephen meets Christian Stolte of the Wee Scottish Cider Company

Rachel is on Deeside where a rare and elusive ant which hadn’t been spotted in the area for over 70 years has been rediscovered in large numbers. She hears from the man who found it.And Rachel also chats to Dr Jenni Stockan, an insect ecologist at the James Hutton Institute who confirmed the ant discovery. She explains the process of identifying insects.We hear an excerpt from this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast which features author Peter MacQueen. Peter’s family have a hut in Argyll but to get there, you have to cross a stretch of water by boat or canoe. Mark heads out to visit the hut with Peter and his Dad.Dundee Museum of Transport is on a major fundraising drive to make their planned new home weather tight. The museum has major plans for the old Maryfield tram depot but before work to relocate can take place, Mark hears about the maintenance they need to carry out.We have not one but two rare insects on the programme this week as we also hear about the discovery of medicinal leeches in Dumfries and Galloway. Craig Macadam from charity Buglife joins us live to tell us about these fascinating invertebrates.Rachel is in Edinburgh visiting Rhyze, a community mushroom farm. She hears how the group got started in a shipping container on a former industrial site and what their plans are for the future.Paul English joins the Inverclyde Time Teamers, a group of enthusiastic amateur archaeology detectives, and hears about some of their incredible finds.And sticking with archaeology, Mark hears about the discovery of the site of Deer Monastery where it is believed the Book of Deer, possibly the earliest surviving manuscript produced in Scotland, was written. Dr Ali Cameron was part of the dig and she tells Mark about its significance.