Scotland Outdoors

• Vintage Buses, A Chelsea Garden in Glasgow and a Very Lucky Ship

  Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors

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  1:23:31
• Professor Lorna Dawson, Forensic Soil Scientist

  Mark Stephen meets head of soil forensics at the James Hutton Institute, Professor Lorna Dawson. Mark meets Lorna at the Institute's research farm, Glensaugh in Aberdeenshire to find out what exactly her job entails

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  24:17
• Peregrine Falcons in Glasgow, Loch Garten Ospreys and a Spitfire in the Borders

  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 being born again this year. Rachel met with Clarke Elsby from the university and John Simpson, from the Scottish Ornithologists Club, to get a glimpse of these magnificent birds of prey. Solsgirth Home Farm near Dollar is home to a large variety of animals, from sheep, to pigs, to emu. Owned and run by veterinarian Jan Dixon, the farm is passionate about reconnecting people to the realities of farm life. Mark went along to find out more about the ethos behind the farm. Trees are a strong source of inspiration for many creative arts, and one such artist is harpist and singer Mary McMaster, who has been working on a new composition called For the Love of Trees. Helen Needham met with Mary in the Royal Botanic Gardens to find out how woodlands have shaped her work. The Moffat Spitfire has been a local landmark for several years now. The plane has long been located in the garden of retired local GP Dr Hamish MacLeod, and has raised money for several military charities. Now, it is being given new significance, as part of a memorial for Air Chief Marshall Hugh Dowding, who was instrumental in coordinating defensive measures during the Battle of Britain. Mark met with Hamish at his home in Moffat to hear more about Dowding, and the plane itself. Ospreys are back across Scotland, and people across the world are following along on live cameras hosted at sites such as RSPB Loch Garten. Mark and Rachel hear from the Visitor Experience Manager Clark Evans about what an exciting – and sometimes drama-filled - time of year it is on the reserve. The glasshouse and walled garden in the centre of Banff was once home to fruit trees and grapes, grown for the imposing Duff House. Now, it has been transformed into The Vinery - a local community employment hub, teaching classes on all manner of topics, including gardening. Mark met with the gardener, Michelle Walker, to hear more about the opportunities The Vinery is provides to the local community.

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• Sixty Years of the Scottish Wildlife Trust

  Rachel Stewart speaks to Dr Kenny Taylor at the Montrose Basin about 60 years of the SWT

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  29:54
• Birch Sap, Sailing and Boggy Marathons

  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 impressive contracts across Europe, but have recently begun some work that’s a little closer to home – providing the granite for Aberdeen’s Union Street works. Mark went along to meet with Director Gavin Tennant, and find out more about the quarrying process.Muirburn is a polarising issue at the moment in Scotland, particularly in light of recent wildfires across the country. Helen Needham met with Stuart Smith from the James Hutton Institute to find out more about the latest research on these land management practices.Buckhaven on the East coast of Fife was once a thriving fishing port, although the town’s harbour has since been lost to time. Pupils at the Mountfleurie Primary School have been uncovering their local history in conjunction with the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther. Rachel met up with the head curator Linda Fitzpatrick to find out more about the town’s hidden history.Rachel visited a community woodland in Gifford, East Lothian, to try her hand at some birch tapping. She met with Rupert Waites from Buck and Birch, who use birch sap in a number of ways, combining it with other foraged materials to make liquors and spirits, that harness the taste of the Scottish landscape.Kris King joins Mark and Rachel on the programme to tell us more about the Highland Ultra taking place next week. This race takes place in three stages, across the Knoydart Peninsula - what he calls the UK's last true wilderness. We hear more about what inspired the race, but also how the race aims to give back to the local rural community.The Corbenic Camphill Community is a residential care home for adults with learning disabilities. This year marks the 10th anniversary of their Poetry Path, which winds through the surrounding grounds and showcases the work of some of Scotland’s greatest poets, as well as the work of some of the care home’s residents. Mark met with Jon Plunkett, the Community Director, to find out more about the inspiration behind this project, and how they are celebrating this anniversary.Aberdeen and Stonehaven Yacht Club have begun their spring season of sailing upon the Loch of Skene. Mark headed out on the water with them, to find out more about the club, their history, and the exciting events they host throughout the year.

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