Out of Doors

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Out of Doors: The River Tay

The River Tay

BBC Radio Scotland - Out of Doors, The River Tay

Mark Stephen and Euan McIlwraith with a special programme following the River Tay.

Mark and Euan are following the River Tay from Loch Tay to Dunkeld. They start on Inchbuie Island in Killin, the resting place of members of the Clan MacNab and are shown round by Donald, keeper of the island.

Then it’s off to Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve to admire the rare flora and fauna and hear about the long-term restoration plans from the rangers, Helen and Andrew.

From there they head onto the loch in a boat along with Rich Hiden from the Scottish Crannog Centre who tells them about what the loch would have looked like during the Iron Age.  Then we travel even further back in time when storyteller Claire Hewitt recounts the folklore of how Loch Tay was created.

Then it’s back to the present day when they meet Linda Cracknell and Adam Harrison from the Loch Tay Skiff club and the beautiful St Ayles Skiff that they have built.

The Tay is synonymous with salmon fishing and Duncan Pepper is a fishing guide who tells Mark and Euan he believes that fishermen and beavers can co-exist peacefully.  

Continuing downstream we reach Aberfeldy where broadcaster and outdoor swimming enthusiast Calum MacLean lives.  He takes Mark for a dip in the river and talks about what makes outdoor swimming so enjoyable.

Also in Aberfeldy is furniture maker Angus Ross whose work is all made with wood sourced from a sustainable local source just outside the village.

And from Angus’s wood we’re off to Dunkeld where we meet fiddler Pete Clark on the banks of the Tay at the Birnam Oak to find out about renowned 18th century composer Niel Gow.

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