Scotland Outdoors
A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 55 minutes
- Episodes
- 696
- Years Active
- 2018 - 2025
Wildfires, Mounth Roads and East Lothian Hedgehogs
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 Youn…
Lorraine McCall - the Trailblazing Adventurer on the Scottish Hills
Lorraine McCall from the Highlands has overcome cancer three times in recent years. She has previously climbed all of Scotland's 221 Corbetts and 282 Munros.
Inchindown Echo, Edinburgh's Herbarium and the 120 Mile Postie's Path
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…
The Dawn Chorus with Ian Broadbent
Helen Needham meets with bird recorder Ian Broadbent to capture the April dawn chorus
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 …
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…
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…
A Fresh Focus on Adaptive Skiing in Scotland
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.
Biofluorescence Walks, Reindeer in Aviemore, and Glasgow Central Mosque
The Cairngorm Funicular Railway is back up and running after some extensive structural works. Mark took a trip up to the snow-covered peak with the Interim Chief Executive Officer of Cairngorm Mounta…
Celebrating the Imperfections in Wood with Artist and Maker Duke Christie
Mark Stephen visits Duke Christie at his studio in Moray
The March of the Frogs, Heavy Lifting Stones and Boat Building
Many landowners across Scotland are engaging with large scale restoration projects. One such project, spanning 80 thousand acres, is Wildland, in the Scottish Highlands. They have a 200 year vision t…
Wild Swimming with Greg and Jules
The actors have become regular wild swimmers in recent years. In their latest BBC Scotland TV series, they visit some of Scotland's islands and try out a whole host of different dipping spots in remo…
Bracklinn Falls, Needle Felting and The Cabrach Distillery
Golf courses are often criticised for their lack of biodiversity, but at The Plock, near Kyle of Lochalsh, a community project is reclaiming the local golf course and giving it back to the wild. Mark…
Preserving Antarctica's Heritage Buildings with Conservation Carpenter Graham Gillie
Mark Stephen hears from Graham Gillie about his extraordinary working life in Antarctica
Kingfishers, a Gunpowder Mill and a Halifax Bomber Relic
Mark visits the Montrose Air Station Museum to hear about a new addition to their collection, part of a Halifax Bomber, which crashed in the Angus glens in 1944. Shan Brewis tells us the story behind…
Wildlife on the Water of Leith
During the Covid lockdown, Tom Kelly decided to stroll along the Water of Leith Walkway every single day and take photographs of the wildlife in the area. The photographer from Edinburgh has always h…
A Soutar's Shop, Jigsaws and Gorillas
Winchburgh in West Lothian is expanding rapidly, with several new housing developments underway. At the heart of these new developments is the 85 acre Authcaldie Park, where Mark visits a group of vo…
The Glasgow Seed Library with Rowan Lear
Helen Needham meets seed librarian Rowan Lear
Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Snowdrops and a Beaver MOT
Auchnerran Farm is run by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust as a demonstration farm to test and trial conservation and land management strategies. Mark visits the farm to hear about their proj…
Sunset Song - Exploring The Mearns - Part 2
The 7th February 2025 marks 90 years since the death of Scottish writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon, author of Sunset Song. In 2016, it was voted Scotland's favourite novel. In this archive programme, Mark …