Scotland Outdoors
Episodes
Summer Solstice, Royal Highland Show and Composting
21 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Helen visit Ingliston for this year’s Royal Highland Show. They meet a nurse with her prize winning Highland cow and They also explore the ...
Wild Scottish Flavour Wheel
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Perthshire scientist hopes the wheel will encourage people to rediscover some of the lost tastes and uses of our wild plants.
Findhorn Water Taxi, Roundabout Gardens and Elie Sand Portraits
14 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel catches up with Nick Ray who previously kayaked around the coast of Scotland, sharing his journey and mental health challenges on social media ...
The Whithorn Way - Part 2 - Paisley to Lochwinnoch
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Whithorn Way follows an ancient pilgrim route from Glasgow to Whithorn in Dumfries and Galloway. In this episode, Mark and Rachel start with a qui...
Shetland Dandelions, a Moray Firth Whale and a Paisley Drain
07 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new initiative in Buchan called Sma Wids to encourage farmers and landowners to plant trees, the largest surviving ice house in the UK at Spey Bay, ...
Lapwing Ringing on Deeside
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen visits Auchnerran, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust farm on Deeside to watch some lapwing chicks being ringed by research assista...
Dendrochronology, Seals and The Salt Path
31 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dendrochronology is a niche field of study, used to work out the age of trees, forests and wooden objects. However, it is not only useful for looking ...
The Whithorn Way - Part 1 - Glasgow
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Whithorn Way follows an ancient pilgrim route from Glasgow to Whithorn in Dumfries and Galloway. In this episode, Mark and Rachel focus on the st...
A Coast to Coast Backpack Challenge, Beekeeping in Kinross and the Capercaillie of Speyside
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nature-based solutions are a key tool in solving environmental problems such as flooding. Rachel met with Dr Rebecca Wade from Abertay University, who...
Nature-based Solutions and the Changing Climate
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel Stewart meets environmental scientist Dr Rebecca Wade from Abertay University.
Willow Weaving, Wild Food and the Isle of Whithon - A Dumfries and Galloway Special
17 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we are coming to you from the village of Whithorn, in Galloway, broadcasting from the replica Iron Age Roundhouse in the village.Julia Muir...
A Wild Food Journey with Mo Wilde
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mo Wilde is a forager, herbalist and author who is also founder of the Wild Biome Project. In this podcast, Helen Needham meets her at Cambo Estate in...
Vintage Buses, A Chelsea Garden in Glasgow and a Very Lucky Ship
10 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors
Professor Lorna Dawson, Forensic Soil Scientist
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen meets head of soil forensics at the James Hutton Institute, Professor Lorna Dawson. Mark meets Lorna at the Institute's research farm, ...
Peregrine Falcons in Glasgow, Loch Garten Ospreys and a Spitfire in the Borders
03 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Peregrine falcons have been in residence at the University of Glasgow’s Gilbert Scott Tower for a number of years now, with a new clutch of chicks b...
Sixty Years of the Scottish Wildlife Trust
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel Stewart speaks to Dr Kenny Taylor at the Montrose Basin about 60 years of the SWT
Birch Sap, Sailing and Boggy Marathons
26 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 imp...
The Poetry Path at Corbenic Camphill Community in Perthshire
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen visits the poetry path at Corbenic with its founder Jon Plunkett
Wildfires, Mounth Roads and East Lothian Hedgehogs
19 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 tr...
Lorraine McCall - the Trailblazing Adventurer on the Scottish Hills
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Inchindown Echo, Edinburgh's Herbarium and the 120 Mile Postie's Path
12 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Scottish Crannog Centre on the banks of Loch Tay is a bustling model Iron Age village, filled with various craftspeople to demonstrate ancient cra...
The Dawn Chorus with Ian Broadbent
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Needham meets with bird recorder Ian Broadbent to capture the April dawn chorus
Tattie Tastic Light Fantastic
05 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 se...
Walking and Motherhood with Writer Kerri Andrews
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kerri Andrews is the author of Pathfinding - On Walking, Motherhood and Freedom. She describes her own traumatic experience with pregnancy, birth and...
A North East Lido, Badger Behaviour and a Coral Beach
29 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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. Mar...
A Fresh Focus on Adaptive Skiing in Scotland
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 rai...
Biofluorescence Walks, Reindeer in Aviemore, and Glasgow Central Mosque
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 In...
Celebrating the Imperfections in Wood with Artist and Maker Duke Christie
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen visits Duke Christie at his studio in Moray
The March of the Frogs, Heavy Lifting Stones and Boat Building
15 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many landowners across Scotland are engaging with large scale restoration projects. One such project, spanning 80 thousand acres, is Wildland, in the ...
Wild Swimming with Greg and Jules
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ou...
Bracklinn Falls, Needle Felting and The Cabrach Distillery
08 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Preserving Antarctica's Heritage Buildings with Conservation Carpenter Graham Gillie
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen hears from Graham Gillie about his extraordinary working life in Antarctica
Kingfishers, a Gunpowder Mill and a Halifax Bomber Relic
01 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 gle...
Wildlife on the Water of Leith
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
A Soutar's Shop, Jigsaws and Gorillas
22 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Winchburgh in West Lothian is expanding rapidly, with several new housing developments underway. At the heart of these new developments is the 85 acre...
The Glasgow Seed Library with Rowan Lear
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Needham meets seed librarian Rowan Lear
Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Snowdrops and a Beaver MOT
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Auchnerran Farm is run by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust as a demonstration farm to test and trial conservation and land management strategi...
Sunset Song - Exploring The Mearns - Part 2
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Water of Leith Otters, Salmon Fishing on the River Tweed and a Famous North East Cow
08 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The National Farmers Union of Scotland Conference has been underway this week, and Kevin Keane is there, joined by Professor Colin Campbell from the J...
Sunset Song - Exploring the Mearns - Part 1
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The Festival of Imbolc, World Wetlands Day and the Big Farmland Bird Count
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Parts of the country are still recovering after last week’s Storm Eowyn including Jupiter Artland. The 100-acre sculpture garden on the outskirts of...
Burns on Birds, Golden Eye and How to Make Haggis
25 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We celebrate Burns Day on Out of Doors on the 265th anniversary of his birth. Mark chats to Professor Fiona Stafford from University of Oxford who wri...
Wandering Morven - A Wander up Morven with Artist and Adventurer Morven Stewart
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Needham walks up Morven in Aberdeenshire with Morven Stewart
Endurance Racing, the Ness Islands of Inverness and a Mini Kilted King
18 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel is in Lochaber where one of the biggest nature restoration projects in the country is underway. The Nevis Nature Network Project covers 22 thou...
Tam O' Shanter and the Poetry of Robert Burns
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen chooses some Burns favourites including his rendition of Tam O' Shanter
Nordic Skiing, Lynx and Mountain Rescue
11 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The weather has certainly been a big talking point for a lot of us this week. And it’s also the theme of a new exhibition at the McManus Art Gallery...
Behind the Lens with Shahbaz Majeed
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel Stewart speaks to photographer and Landward presenter Shahbaz Majeed
A Wild and Wonderful Sound Journey with Musician and Composer Cosmo Sheldrake
04 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Needham meets musician and composer Cosmo Sheldrake
Life on the Island of Jura
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart spend a day on the island of Jura to get a sense of life on the Ardlussa Estate where the Fletcher family have lived f...
A History of the Palace of Holyroodhouse
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen gets a tour of the Palace with Curators Deborah Clarke and Emma Stead
A Winter Solstice Special
21 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Rachel are joined by the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Professor Catherine Heymans who can tell us what’s actually happening to earth to ...
Kidnapped and the Stevenson Way - Part 4
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen follows the route from Balquhidder to Corstorphine in Edinburgh
Firth of Forth Oysters, Soil Cubes and Dolphin Communication
14 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark meets builder and artist Becky Little whose work is being displayed as part of an exhibition called A Fragile Correspondence at the V&A in Du...
An Orkney Hurricane, Sightings of the Loch Ness Monster in the 1930's and Terrifying Sounds from the Hamilton Mausoleum
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Needham presents some audio gems from BBC Scotland's archive
Queen Victoria's Picnic Cottage, Thick Trunk Tuesday and Swimming in the Clyde
07 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last week Rachel was in Aberfoyle where the Scottish Countryside Rangers Association was celebrating their 50th anniversary. The organisation brings r...
Kidnapped and the Stevenson Way - Part 3
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark follows the route through Glencoe, Kinlochleven and Rannoch Moor.
St Andrew's Day, Central Belt Badgers and Temperature Blankets
30 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel is in Fife to meet a woman who is leading the charge on making the outdoors accessible to all. Jan Kerr set up a rambling group for those who r...
The Hidden Histories of Scottish Wood with Woodworker Callum Robinson
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Needham meets woodworker and author Callum Robinson
Ealing Beavers, Cosaig Growers and a Wonderful Steam Ship
23 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Forth Bridges Trail is a five-mile circular route which brings together various points of interest in North and South Queensferry and crosses the ...
Kidnapped and the Stevenson Way - Part 2
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this section, Mark leaves Mull and crosses over to Morven before heading to the site of the famous Appin Murder and the monument to mark this blood...
Stranraer Oysters, Moray Firth Seagrass and a Moonlit Dip
16 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Moray Ocean Community is a group of citizen scientists aiming to raise awareness of the importance of marine habitats and species. A couple of weeks a...
Finding Hope in a Crisis with Climate Activist Matt Sowerby
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Needham speaks with climate activist and writer Matt Sowerby
The Skipinnish Oak, Laggan Wolftrax and Fair Isle
09 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors
Kidnapped and the Stevenson Way - Part 1
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We've dug into our archive to bring you a programme originally broadcast in 2012 when Mark Stephen followed the route taken by protagonist David Balfo...
Caledonian Pines, Cider and the North Coast 500
02 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A recent report showed that almost a quarter of all ancient pinewoods are at risk of disappearing altogether. Earlier this week, Mark attended Scotlan...
Montrose Mosquitoes, the Grey Lady of Glamis Castle and Life as a Lighthouse Keeper
26 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark is back at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Montrose Basin site, but this time it isn’t geese he’s looking for, it’s mosquitos. Mark hears abo...
Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, Head of Restoration at the Beaver Trust
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen meets Dr Roisin Campbell-Palmer, Head of Restoration at the Beaver Trust. They meet at the Argaty Beaver Project near Doune in Perthshi...
Islay Part Two
19 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Rachel with the second part of their visit the island of Islay, the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides.The RSPB has two reserves on th...
Islay Part One
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark and Rachel visit the island of Islay, the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. They take a walk with gamekeeper turned outdoor guide, DJ M...
Slugs, Surfing and Tattie Picking
12 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Slugs are sometimes regarded as a garden pest, but they are more important than people might think. Rachel meets with retired teacher and slug expert ...
Saving the Great British Elm with David Shreeve and Max Coleman
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dutch Elm disease has killed millions of elms across the world over the past century. But there is still hope that this mighty tree can be saved. He...
Tree Hugging, Firth of Forth Wildlife and Fyvie Castle
05 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s Scotland Outdoors episode, Mark meets Tim Simons of Scotways to learn more about the history of outdoor access in Scotland.Celebratio...
A History of Outdoor Access in Scotland with Tim Simons of Scotways
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen meets Tim Simons of the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society
Turn Table Ferry, Lady of the Lake and Tile Whipping
28 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
ScotWays (Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society) have published the sixth edition of Scottish Hill Tracks in around 100 years. The book launches o...
An Autumn Equinox Walk up Aberdeenshire's Bennachie with Ian Grosz
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A weaving of Ian's essay 'The Sacred Mountain' with a walk up Aberdeenshire's most prominent hill, Bennachie. As we pass through the Autumn Equinox i...
Saltmarshes, Shipwrecks and Honey Bees
21 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With many parts of Scotland finally getting harvest underway, and planting for 2025 harvest being undertaken, NFU Scotland is asking growers to now co...
Putting Nature at the Heart of Decision Making with Gretchen Daily of the Natural Capital Project
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Needham meets Gretchen Daily of the Natural Capital Project at Stanford University
Wildflower Meadow Skincare, the Love Tree and Newburgh Beach
14 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Phil Sime visits an RSPB reserve on North Uist where local crofters work alongside the charity to improve the habitat for birds including corncrake an...
A Sound Journey Along Scotland's National Trail with Musician Jenny Sturgeon
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 2023, Musician and Sound Artist Jenny Sturgeon spent 37 days walking the 864 km trail from Kirk Yetholm in the Borders to Cape Wrath in the North W...
Bogs, Bairns, Stovies and Scything
07 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There was much celebration in Caithness a few weeks ago when it was announced that, after decades of planning and preparation, The Flow Country has be...
Dan Richards on the Remarkable Life of Pioneering Climber Dorothy Pilley
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dorothy Pilley was a pioneering climber who wrote of her adventures in the high peaks in her book 'Climbing Days' which was published in 1935. Thanks...
Hercules The Bear, Ryeland Sheep and A Pink Tablecloth
31 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for the second Big River Watch of the year. It’s a chance to spend time observing the health of your local river between the 6th and 12th ...
Travels With A Pink Tablecloth
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen meets long distance walker Claudia Zeiske in Peterhead after the completion of her 220 km walk from the Cairngorns to the coast of Aberde...
Natural History Film Maker and Musician, Andrew O'Donnell aka Beluga Lagoon
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew O'Donnell is a natural history film maker but he's also a musician who records under the moniker of Beluga Lagoon. Maud Starts meets up Andre...
Saskatoons, a Sunken Sugar Ship, Mighty Oaks and Inverness Castle
24 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In January 2015, Margaret and Angus Mackenzie’s son Neil died in a climbing accident in Canada. Neil loved the outdoors, and to continue his memory,...
Poet and Writer Kenneth Steven on Seil Island and Wildscape Encounters
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen visits Kenneth Steven at his home on Seil Island in Argyll
Meteor Showers, A Dusk Chorus and Stone Skimming
17 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Glenmore Lodge, the Scottish National Outdoor Training Centre, has recently established Scotland’s first hill navigation training course to be deliv...
Nature-Friendly Gardening with M.T. O'Donnell
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scottish gardening expert M.T O'Donnell talks about what measures people can take to make their gardens more appealing to nature. She shows Rachel Ste...
Live from the Edinburgh Festivals
10 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart present Out of Doors live from Dynamic Earth as part of BBC at the Edinburgh Festivals. We are joined by an amazing pa...
Breaking Down Barriers in the Outdoors for Deaf People with Climbing Instructor Morag Skelton
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen meets Morag Skelton at Glenmore Lodge in the Cairngorms
Alpacas, Osprey, Stone Stacking and Rally Driving
20 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scotland’s first new vet school in over 100 years has opened to applicants. Mark went to visit the School of Veterinary Medicine at Scotland’s Rur...
Operation Osprey - 70 Years of Breeding Osprey in Scotland
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the early twentieth century, very few ospreys were breeding in Scotland. They had been persecuted for decades and their eggs stolen by collectors. ...
Pine Hoverflies, A Solar Powered Boat and a Stand Up Comedian Farmer
13 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are in East Lothian with Patricia Stephen, founder of Phantassie Organic Produce. They head out to the fields during pumpkin planting and chat abou...
Living in a Housing Cooperative with Owen Shiers
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rural Wales and rural Scotland face many of the same issues: a lack of affordable housing, limited opportunities for young people and the prospect of ...
Surfing, Swimming and Sauna on the Beach at Cullen
06 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week Out of Doors is live from the village of Cullen in Moray.The village is popular with holiday makers over the summer months but it’s home t...
A Life in Market Gardening in Scotland with Tricia Stephen
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rachel Stewart visits Tricia Stephen of Phantassie Organics in East Lothian
Swifts, Salt and Shetland Sheep
29 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The 29th of June marks the beginning of swift awareness week. Mark meets Cally Fleming of the Huntly Swift Group at the Bennachie Centre to chat about...
Ceramic Artist Lotte Glob's Sculpture Croft by Loch Eriboll in the North West Highlands
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Stephen visits Lotte Glob and learns about her deep connection to landscape and rock
Celebrity Goats, Sheep Shearing and Cold War Scotland
22 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week Rachel has been at the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston just outside Edinburgh. One of the first places she headed to when she arrived was t...
Awakening the Senses, Walking and Writing with Linda Cracknell
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Helen Needham goes for a walk in Aberfeldy with writer Linda Cracknell to discuss the new edition of her book 'Doubling Back'.