Scotland Outdoors

Founded by Jordan Grant after he was inspired as a teenager to turn his life around, Glasgow Garden Maintenance is now offering an apprenticeship scheme for aspiring tree surgeons. Mark meets Jordan and a former apprentice to hear about how the business has gone from strength to strength supporting young people into new careers along the way. Rachel visits the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther and takes a look at one of their exhibitions- The Long Haul: a generational study of fishing in the East Neuk. We hear an excerpt from Helen Needham’s upcoming Radio 4 programme, Crossing the Cuillin Mountains. In this two part series, the writer and mountaineer Robert Macfarlane attempts to complete the Cuillin Ridge. The expedition marks twenty years since his first book 'Mountains of the Mind'.Naturalist and environmental educator Dan Puplett has seen a big increase in the number of people keen to learn more about mammal tracks. Rachel heads out with him to see what she can identify through footprints and poo! We chat live to Rick Taylor, from the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project about the recent successful translocation of Golden Eagle chicks to the area as well as the upcoming Moffat Eagle Festival.Mark visits the Sighthill Stone Circle in Glasgow along with podcast maker Matthew Magee. Matthew has been exploring some of Scotland’s fascinating neolithic sites on his bike for his series Stone Me. He explains what makes Sighthill unique.Skein Dial is a new art installation created by Hannah Imlach at RSPB Loch Lomond. It is a migration sundial carefully calibrated to mark the seasonal arrival and departure of Greenland White-fronted geese. Mark takes a look and finds out how Hannah created it.And after his chat with Hannah, Mark continues his musings on geese and what their arrival at this time of year means for us.

Rachel looks for dolphins at Spey Bay with Alison Rose from the Scottish Dolphin Centre and hears about their Shorewatch programme.In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast, Mark explores Dr Neil’s Garden in Duddingston in Edinburgh. We hear from head gardener Claudia Pottier as she shows Mark this incredible secret space.The Flow Country stretches across Caithness and Sutherland and contains the most extensive blanket bog system in the world. In recognition of its global significance, a team has been bidding to make it the planet's first peatland with world heritage status. BBC Scotland’s environment correspondent Kevin Keane visits the Flows to find out more about what a UNESCO status would mean.Lapwings Community Mill near Stonehaven works with local farmers to grow quality cereals and mill nutritious, tasty flour. As Mark finds out, their aim is to produce local sustainable food that’s available to everyone.Next weekend Scotland’s first ever 'climate-themed' film festival is taking place in Montrose. We chat live to Rachel Caplan, chair of the LandXSea film festival to find out all about their programme of events and the special guests they have attending.Lots of us have been heading to the beach during this recent spell of good weather. But if you have mobility issues, getting onto the sand can be tricky. Rachel heads to Balmedie in Aberdeenshire to find out about a beach wheelchair project which is helping people with disabilities experience the seaside.Phil Sime visits the Tain Air Weapons Range which as well as being a MOD training ground, is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. He finds out how firing practice and conservation go hand in hand on the site.There’s a buzz around Holyrood, Rachel visits the Scottish Parliament’s bee hives and hears how their population has increased since they were introduced in 2014.

Mark Stephen presents Scotland Outdoors

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart present Scotland Outdoors.

Rachel Stewart meets Stephen Corcoran of the British Dragonfly Society at Insh Marshes

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors.

Helen Needham climbs Schiehallion with Soil Scientist Andrea Britton

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart present Scotland Outdoors

Mark Stephen presents Scotland Outdoors

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with an audience at the Edinburgh Festival