Scotland Outdoors
BBC Radio Scotland
Categories: Science & Medicine
Listen to the last episode:
American Mink are an invasive non-native species which have become widespread in parts of Scotland after their release from fur farms. Rachel meets Karen Muller from the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative on the River Spey to hear why it’s important to catch the mink. They also scope out a potential site to set a mink trap.
In his day job, George Sherriffs is an acquisitions librarian with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. But in the coming week, George is going to be running an incredible 356 miles between all the RBGE sites in Scotland to raise awareness and funds for the work they do. Mark went to meet him and hear how the challenge came about.
Mark is in Dunbar Harbour with Alex Williams who discovered a passion for kayak fishing four years ago. He takes Mark for a paddle in the harbour and tells him how he got hooked on the hobby and what’s involved in fishing from a kayak.
Our BBC Aberdeen colleague Donnie Mackay heads home to Lewis every April to help with the lambing on his family croft. This year he took along a recorder and made a lambing diary for Out of Doors during what was one of the wettest and coldest seasons he could remember.
And it’s not just sheep farmers that have been having a hard time this spring. It’s been nearly impossible to get anything sown and the challenging conditions take a toll on farmers mentally as well as practically. We hear what the picture is like across Scotland from Katrina Macarthur, farming columnist with the Press and Journal.
Stanley Robertson was a traveller and storyteller from Aberdeen and in 1988 he recorded an interview with former BBC Producer Doreen Wood on the Old Lumphanan Road. Recently Mark and Helen and went to seek it out for the Scotland Outdoors podcast. We hear an excerpt of them looking for one of Stanley’s favourite oak trees.
If you’re from a farming background, you may be familiar with brose – a very traditional and simple oatmeal-based dish. In fact, it’s not too far removed from the much trendier oat milk that is a popular dairy alternative. Rachel visits a producer in East Lothian who is making Brose and show her the process.
Previous episodes
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1077 - Dreich Spring, Brose and Kayak Fishing Sat, 20 Apr 2024
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1076 - Walking the Old Lumphanan Road with the Late Stanley Robertson Wed, 17 Apr 2024
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1075 - Plants with Purpose, Pitlochry Paths and a Biomaterial Dress Sat, 13 Apr 2024
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1074 - Former paratrooper Chris Lewis is walking the coastline of the UK. Mark Stephen meets up with him in north east Scotland Wed, 03 Mar 2021
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1073 - An electrical wizard, the airships of north east Scotland and the ice mushrooms of Patagonia Sat, 27 Feb 2021
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1072 - Mark and Euan meet David Balharry, Chief Executive of the John Muir Trust to discuss the trust, his career and ice mushrooms Wed, 24 Feb 2021
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1071 - Sea Shanties a Hip-hop Crofter and more Sat, 20 Feb 2021
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1070 - Mark Stephen meets gaelic poet, musician, crofter and hip hop producer, Griogair Labhruidh in North Ballachulish Wed, 17 Feb 2021
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1069 - Celebrating Snow - Flakes, Skiing and Crunching. Sat, 13 Feb 2021
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1068 - The Importance of Connecting to the Land for Refugees - A Conversation with Professor Alison Phipps Wed, 10 Feb 2021
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1067 - The history of the humble neep, the roaring game and the iron age forts of Angus known as the cathertuns Sat, 06 Feb 2021
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1066 - Writer and Illustrator Jackie Morris shares some of her favourite Birds and Beasts from The Lost Spells and Beyond. Wed, 03 Feb 2021
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1065 - The Urban Birder, Callendar Park and Bird Table Etiquette Sat, 30 Jan 2021
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1064 - A Big Garden Birdwatch Special from Mark Stephen's Bird Feeders. Wed, 27 Jan 2021
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1063 - Mark and Euan celebrate Robert Burns through poetry and song and visit his local drinking den, The Globe Inn in Dumfries Sat, 23 Jan 2021
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1062 - A Robert Burns Special with Valentina Bold Wed, 20 Jan 2021
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1061 - Salt, Wassailing and More Doric Poetry Sat, 16 Jan 2021
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1060 - Naturalist Roy Dennis on a lifetime dedicated to conservation. Wed, 13 Jan 2021
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1059 - Ice, Wanderings, a Submarine Tale and Playing Outside Sat, 09 Jan 2021
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1058 - A Journey in Sound with Jez Riley French - Part 2. Cable cars, swans on ice and the sound between buildings in Japan. Wed, 06 Jan 2021
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1057 - Favourite podcast moments of 2020 including Frank Gardner and Karine Polwart, stone circles and some Shetland mythology Sat, 02 Jan 2021
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1056 - Boxing Day Out of Doors Sat, 26 Dec 2020
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1055 - A Journey in Sound with Jez Riley French - Part 1. Wed, 23 Dec 2020
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1054 - Birds, Books and Myrrh Sat, 19 Dec 2020
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1053 - Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin on their passion for wildlife and the natural environment. Wed, 16 Dec 2020
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1052 - A fungi foray at Arbroath, a special rowan tree near Moffat and the origins of frankincense Sat, 12 Dec 2020
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1051 - Long Distance Walking, Homelessness and the Power of Nature with Raynor Winn. Wed, 09 Dec 2020
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1050 - Cold Water, Gold and Dr Valentina Bold Sat, 05 Dec 2020
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1049 - Slavery Derived Wealth and Land Ownership in the Highlands and Islands Wed, 02 Dec 2020
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1048 - LIfe on the island of Rum, mountaineering legend Hamish MacInnes and the beauty of Forvie nature reserve Sat, 28 Nov 2020
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1047 - Winter Woolies with Louise Scollay. A Guide to Scottish Wool - from Sheep to Shawl. Wed, 25 Nov 2020
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1046 - A secret bothy, creatures that glow in the dark and the wayfaring tree Sat, 21 Nov 2020
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1045 - The Living Mountain with Jenny Sturgeon - Nan Shepherd's masterpiece and Jenny's new album inspired by it. Wed, 18 Nov 2020
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1044 - Urban Wildlife, Freedom Lands and Meteors Sat, 14 Nov 2020
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1043 - Photographer Colin Prior on the Fragile World of Birds' Eggs Wed, 11 Nov 2020
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1042 - Mark and Euan explore the darkness and hibernation, galoshans and hurchins Sat, 07 Nov 2020
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1041 - Mark Stephen speaks to writer and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch about her latest book, Huts - A Place Beyond Wed, 04 Nov 2020
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1040 - A Halloween or Samhain special with history and many a spooky tale to send shivers up your spine. Sat, 31 Oct 2020
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1039 - Urban Witch and academic, Alice Tarbuck, shares her approach to magic through connecting to the natural world and folklore. Wed, 28 Oct 2020
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1038 - The Joys of Winter Sat, 24 Oct 2020
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1037 - Day 6 - The West Highland Way at 40 - Mark Stephen walks Scotland's first long distance trail in its 40th year Wed, 21 Oct 2020
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1036 - Day 5 - The West Highland Way at 40 - Mark Stephen walks Scotland's first long distance trail in its 40th year Mon, 19 Oct 2020
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1035 - Mark Stephen meets broadcaster, singer songwriter and outdoorsman, Jimmie Macgregor Sat, 17 Oct 2020
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1034 - Day 4 - The West Highland Way at 40 - Mark Stephen walks Scotland's first long distance trail in its 40th year. Wed, 14 Oct 2020
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1033 - Day 3 - The West Highland Way at 40 - Mark Stephen walks Scotland's first long distance trail in its 40th year. Mon, 12 Oct 2020
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1032 - Day 2 - The West Highland Way at 40 - Mark Stephen walks Scotland's first long distance trail in its 40th year. Sat, 10 Oct 2020
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1031 - Day 1 - The West Highland Way at 40 - Mark Stephen walks Scotland's first long distance trail in its 40th year. Wed, 07 Oct 2020
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1030 - The Bass Rock: Gannets, Geese and a Chatty Jackdaw Sat, 03 Oct 2020
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1029 - Island Dreaming - exploring the allure or otherwise of islands around the world with author Gavin Francis. Wed, 30 Sep 2020
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1028 - St Cuthbert's Way Sat, 26 Sep 2020