Scotland Outdoors

• Inchindown Echo, Edinburgh's Herbarium and the 120 Mile Postie's Path

  1Long 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.

  --------  

  1:24:03
• The Dawn Chorus with Ian Broadbent

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

  --------  

  22:55
• Tattie Tastic Light Fantastic

  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.

  --------  

  1:23:53
• Walking and Motherhood with Writer Kerri Andrews

  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.

  --------  

  26:03
• A North East Lido, Badger Behaviour and a Coral Beach

  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.

  --------  

  1:21:49

More Science podcasts

Trending Science podcasts

About Scotland Outdoors

Scotland Outdoors: Podcasts in Family