Out of Doors

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Factual: Science & Nature

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Out of Doors: Curlew, Goldfinch and the Battle of Littleferry

Curlew, Goldfinch and the Battle of Littleferry

BBC Radio Scotland - Out of Doors, Curlew, Goldfinch and the Battle of Littleferry

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

Euan speaks to NatureScot chief executive, Francesca Osowska, about their recently launched vision for the next four years, setting out an ambitious plan to protect, restore and value nature.

Mark meets smallholder Martin Beard just outside Arbroath and hears all about the rare breeds he keeps. And Martin is also vice chair of the Rare Breed Survival Trust, which has recently launched new awards to celebrate the people and businesses in Scotland’s farming and food industry who are focussing on environmental sustainability.  Martin explains more. 

Producer Phil Sime meets Ross-shire based musician Peter Noble who has been inspired by the sounds of nature for his new album. 
		
Mark and Euan mark Macduff Aquarium’s 25th Anniversary. 

Galloway based farmer and author Patrick Laurie has launched a survey of curlew, after noticing a decline in the birds in his local area.  We chat to him live about why he started the survey and what the findings have been so far. 

Helen Needham visits Fair Isle, the island which lies about halfway between mainland Shetland and Orkney.  She hears about the recent avian arrivals, goldfinches. 

Mark finds out about the Battle of Littleferry which happened just the day before Culloden during the Jacobite Rising but has been largely forgotten about.  He visits the site of the battle near Golspie on its 276th anniversary as a memorial stone is unveiled.  

The Gold Duke of Edinburgh award requires participants to undertake a residential trip.   The idea of the residential is to get the chance to learn how to work with people from different backgrounds and build confidence living in new environments.  For our Scotland Outdoors podcast, Mark spent time with a group, some with additional support needs, as they carried out their residential on the Mar Lodge Estate in Aberdeenshire.  We hear an excerpt of him chatting to one of the participants about the challenges she’s faced during the trip. 

And Euan has another mystery bird for us.

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