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BBC Radio Scotland


A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.


Scotland Outdoors

The swift population has seen a significant decline in recent years. Now, Scotland has become the first country in the UK to introduce a legal requirement to install swift bricks in all new buildings. Rachel meets Cally Smith of North East Scotland Swifts to discover how the bricks will help to protect the birds.

The historic Palm Houses at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh are newly restored and the team are beginning to move the plant specimens inside, starting with the largest. Mark meets Glasshouse Manager Fiona Inches to find out what it takes to move hundreds of specimens.

Rachel is at the Herpetofauna Workers Meeting in Glasgow to find out about the work being done to help our reptiles and amphibians. She chats to volunteer Cally Ullman-Smith and his mum Janet of Saving Scotland’s Amphibians and Reptiles.

Recent stormy weather is causing puffins and other seabirds to struggle and many are being washed up on Scotland’s coastlines. Rachel and Mark are joined by Paul Reynolds of New Arc Wildlife Rescue, Aberdeenshire, to discuss the pressures seabirds face.

In this week’s podcast excerpt, Mark meets master wood carver David Robinson at his studio in East Lothian to learn more about how his work is inspired by nature.

Back at the Herpetofauna Workers Meeting, Rachel speaks to ecologist and survey volunteer Stephen Corcoran whose work is related to adders and restoring peatland.

Orkney based artist Anna Charlotta Gardiner is undertaking a month long residency in Aberdeen as part of the Royal Scottish Academy’s 200th anniversary. Mark meets Anna near Aberdeen harbour to explore how her work takes inspiration from the city’s maritime heritage.

Mark takes a wander in Aberdeenshire to check out potholes exacerbated by stormy weather.

Swift Bricks, Palm Houses and Potholes

Mark Stephen meets master wood carver David Robinson at his studio in East Lothian. David's works mainly feature nature and wildlife

Master Wood Carver, David Robinson

A topical guide to life in the Scottish outdoors.

Harmony in Nature, a Festival of Light and the World's Toughest Row

Mark Stephen speaks to Professor Will Cresswell about the welcome rise in corn buntings.

The Role of the Corn Bunting in Scotland's Ecology

Rachel meets Director Robbie Synge to learn about a new film featuring young people at work and play in the landscapes of the Cairngorms. ‘Tha Sinn an Seo’ (We Are Here), made throughout 2025, explores habitat restoration work of Cairngorms Connect.

The National Trust for Scotland has purchased new land around the Drum Estate, near Banchory, Aberdeenshire to help expand the ancient tree population. Mark takes a wander with Gardens and Designed Landscape Manager, Chris Wardle.

Scientists at Aberdeen University and the James Hutton Institute are examining whether a compound found in part of the potato plant could be used in the cosmetics industry. Near Montrose, Rachel joins Grampian Growers Project Manager Sofia Alexiou and Managing Director Kirsty Spink in a tattie shed.

A stakeholder discussion on the potential reintroduction of lynx is being launched this month. Mark meets Lisa Chilton, CEO of Scotland the Big Picture, in Aviemore to find out how events across Highland and Moray will gather local views.

Rachel chats to Professor Pete Iannetta from the James Hutton Institute who explains what a large part of our diet would have consisted of in days of old.

Mark joins Aberdeen City Council Countryside Ranger Service and volunteers keeping an area of land on the outskirts of Aberdeen free of gorse.

Rare seagrass "fairy circles" have been discovered in the Sound of Barra. Rachel and Mark are joined by Sarah Cunningham of NatureScot to discuss the seagrass doughnuts.

Helen Needham meets interdisciplinary plant Researcher Em Merrin May Armstrong in Glasgow to explore Queer Ecology.

Mother and daughter Mhairi and Maisie Watson volunteer as lifeboat crew for RNLI Anstruther. Mark catches up with the pair to discover what lifeboat training involves.

Seagrass Fairy Circles, Peas and Beans and an Invasion of Gorse

Mark Stephen meets the countryside rangers and volunteers keeping a large area of land on the outskirts of Aberdeen free of gorse

The Rangers and Volunteers Keeping Gorse at Bay in Aberdeen

This week we’re live from Cairngorm Mountain and joined by a myriad of guests connected by the adventures of the slopes. 

Snowboarder, mountain biker and climate activist Lauren MacCallum joins Mark and Rachel to talk about Cairngorm 2030, the groundbreaking programme aiming to make the Cairngorms the UK’s first net-zero national park.

Rachel takes to the slopes with Cairngorm ski-patrol to hear about how they keep skiers safe on the mountain. 

Mark catches up with Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team as they enter their busiest season and discovers how rescues have changed with advances in technology. 

Cairngorm Mountain CEO Mike Gifford joins Mark and Rachel to talk about the challenges of running one of Scotland’s leading ski-resorts and his vision to transform Cairngorm Mountain into a thriving, year-round destination.

Retired geography teacher Helen Rennie chats to Mark and Rachel about the record she set in 2019 by skiing on Scottish snow every year for 120 consecutive months.

Rachel meets Director Robbie Synge to learn about a new film which features young people at work and play in the landscapes of the Cairngorms. ‘Tha Sinn an Seo’ (We Are Here) was made throughout 2025 and explores how the next generation participate in the habitat restoration work of Cairngorms Connect.

Montane woodland is set to return to the slopes of Cairngorm Mountain through the Coire na Ciste Montane Woodland Project, an initiative that has recently planted thousands of native trees and shrubs. Mark meets David Hetherington of the Cairngorms National Park Authority to find out more about the first high-altitude woodland restoration project of this scale on the mountain. 
Helen Needham takes to the slopes at Glenshee to experience a very Scottish winter’s ski.

Cairngorm Mountain Ski Resort

Helen Needham meets interdisciplinary plant resercher Em Merrin May Armstrong in Glasgow

Queer Ecology with Dr Em Merrin May Armstrong

Some people have found themselves unable to get out and about due to heavy snowfall this week. Rachel meets Cameron Black based in Inverurie in Aberdeenshire who has been voluntarily clearing streets with his own plough.

Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance has unveiled the most advanced helicopter air ambulance of its type in the UK, which operates from a base in Aberdeen. The new helicopter offers greater range and night vision technology. Mark heads to Dyce to chat to the crew.

Community Off-Road Transport Action Group is a group of volunteers in 4x4s who have been helping to deliver medication and get NHS staff to work in the snowy conditions. Rachel joins volunteer Calum Auld to learn how the group have been helping those most in need in the Northeast of Scotland.

Birds don’t have access to the same quantities of food and water in the wintery weather. Mark and Rachel are joined by Richard Humpidge, Site Manager at RSPB Loch of Strathbeg nature reserve in Aberdeenshire, to discuss what we can do to help garden birds at this time of year.

Rachel is in Govanhill in Glasgow to discover how new project Creative Canopies is aiming to create a dispersed orchard. Rachel meets Simone Stewart from Govanhill Baths Community Trust who explains how the project contributes to tree equity.

In this week’s podcast excerpt, Mark sketches old trees in Haddo Country Park, Aberdeenshire with artist Tansy Lee Moir.

Fiona MacBaine from Inverness is known online as Fiona In The Wild where she documents her solo wild camping adventures. Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone wrap up to track Fiona down on the banks of Loch Ness.

Mark takes a wander through his local area to contemplate the wintery scene and the potential impacts on people and wildlife.
4Status:

Snow, Camping in Winter and a New Air Ambulance

Mark Stephen goes out sketching old trees at Haddo with artist Tansy Lee Moir

Drawing Ancient Trees with Tansy Lee Moir

Rachel Stewart meets Tom Bowser, author of Waters of Life, Fighting for Scotland's Beavers at his farm in Perthshire where in November 2021 a family of beavers were relocated

Tom Bowser, author of Waters of Life, Fighting for Scotland's Beavers

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

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