Out of Doors

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Factual: Science & Nature

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Out of Doors: Whithorn, Avian Flu and Orkney Grasses

Whithorn, Avian Flu and Orkney Grasses

BBC Radio Scotland - Out of Doors, Whithorn, Avian Flu and Orkney Grasses

Mark Stephen and Helen Needham with stories from the great outdoors.

Ahead of next week’s Royal Highland Show, Mark speaks to John Sleigh, the Northern editor of the Scottish Farmer newspaper about what issues are concerning the farming community.   

Helen visits Orkney and spends time with artist Rebecca Marr who has been looking at different types of grasses for an online exhibition ‘When the Grass Dances’.
						
Mark is in Whithorn in South West Scotland where he hears about the work of the Whithorn Trust.  He also finds out about the Whithorn Way, a newly mapped 143 mile walking and cycling route.

Avian flu has been killing seabirds in quite large numbers over the past couple of weeks.  Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and beaches along the North East have been affected with thousands of dead gannets and other seabirds appearing on the shore.  Mark is at Aberdeen beach speaking to Kirsty Nutt from RSPB Scotland about the impact of the disease. 			

We’re joined live by David Urquhart from the Portsoy Traditional Boat Festival as the festival returns at full scale for the fist time in three years.  He tells us what’s on over the weekend as well as how important the event is to the local area. 

Our midweek Scotland Outdoors podcast this week features Helen chatting to Orkney based author, Cal Flyn.  Her book ‘Islands of Abandonment’ focuses on places around the world which have been abandoned and reclaimed by nature.  She tells Helen about some of the examples in Scotland. 

While Helen was in Orkney with Rebecca Marr, they came across a swan nest quite near the road, and another made of seaweed.  We hear about what they saw and then chat to Alan Leitch from the RSPB in Orkney about whether this is typical swan behaviour. 

And as we gear up to return to the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston next week, we delve into the archives to listen to a favourite piece from the last time we were at the show in 2019 where Mark uses pedal power to help clip a sheep.

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