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The Book of Deer, Mousa Broch and Outdoor Swimming

Mark Stephen and Euan McIlwraith with stories from the great outdoors.

Earlier this week land reform minister Mairi McAllan announced a public consultation on the Scottish Government's Land Reform Bill. Euan speaks to Calum MacLeod from Community Land Scotland about what the consultation hopes to achieve and why it’s important.

Helen chats to a group of women heading off for a swim in Loch Clunie near Blairgowrie about the joys of outdoor swimming.

The Pitfour Observatory in Drinnie’s Wood near Mintlaw in Aberdeenshire is a fascinating octagonal building originally built so that the laird of Pitfour could survey his estate. Mark goes for a visit to find out more.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority has committed to taking a lead role in bringing Eurasian beavers to the park. Euan hears about how that could work and what impact beavers would have on areas of the park.

Dandelion is a six-month creative celebration of growing, music and community with sustainability at its heart. Driven by the concept of ‘Sow, Grow, Share’, we hear more about what events are happening across Scotland and in the particular the floating garden on a canal boat.

Calum Maclean is a well-known outdoor swimmer here in Scotland as well as being a broadcaster and Gaelic language enthusiast. For the Scotland Outdoors podcast Helen met up with him for a chat and a swim to get some hints and tips about embracing outdoor swimming.

Mousa Broch is one of the best-preserved Iron Age buildings in Europe. As well as being an incredible historic building, it’s also home to hundreds of breeding pairs of storm petrels. Our Â鶹ԼÅÄ Shetland colleague Eva Runciman headed out late one evening to see if she could spot any birds.

The Book of Deer has been called ‘Scotland’s most important manuscript’ and this weekend it will go on display in Aberdeen Art Gallery until September. It’s on loan from Cambridge University but has strong links to the North East of Scotland. Mark visits Deer Abbey near Mintlaw where it’s thought the important Gaelic notations on the book’s margins were added.

Once again Euan is teasing us with a mystery bird, can you guess what it is?

1 hour, 30 minutes

Broadcast

  • Sat 9 Jul 2022 06:30

Landward

Landward

Scotland's farming and countryside programme