Caledonian Pines, Cider and the North Coast 500
Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors.
A recent report showed that almost a quarter of all ancient pinewoods are at risk of disappearing altogether. Earlier this week, Mark attended Scotland’s Pinewood Conference in Fort William to find out what’s being done to preserve these woodlands.
It’s prime cider-making time. Rachel visits Digby Lamotte at his cider-making business in Perth to follow the process of producing this increasingly popular drink
In the late 1700s, Dr James Mounsey, a physician, is said to have smuggled out several pounds of rhubarb seeds - worth more than gold - out of Russia to his home of Edinburgh, where he was soon honoured with the Freedom of the City. Author Barclay Price has written about James Mounsey and others in his new book Honoured by Edinburgh.
The North Coast 500, a hugely popular tourist route in the North of Scotland, attracts thousands of visitors each year. David Richardson of the NC 500 joins the programme to talk about the new NC500 pledge - an initiative created to encourage visitors to experience the route responsibly and respectfully.
Kiri Stone is the person behind woodswoman workshops in Fife. Rachel went along to one of the outdoors workshops
Tracey Howe has just embarked on a 5000 mile walk round the UK coastline. Following the death of her wife of nearly 40 years, Tracey found herself depressed and unable to leave the house, but owning a dog forced her to get outside. Linda Sinclair met Tracey on one her final training walks.