Out of Doors

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Factual: Science & Nature

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Out of Doors: Victorian Tourist Gems, Blueberries and the Flow Country

Victorian Tourist Gems, Blueberries and the Flow Country

BBC Radio Scotland - Out of Doors, Victorian Tourist Gems, Blueberries and the Flow Country

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

Mark is at the James Hutton Institute on the outskirts of Dundee, finding out about the importance of research into soft fruit, in particular, blueberries.

The high temperatures earlier this week sparked wildfires in parts of England, and the fire risk in some parts of Scotland is also very high at the moment. Euan finds out what happens to the flora and fauna of an area after a wildfire and what work can be done, if any, to help encourage the land to recover. 

In our Scotland Outdoors podcast this week, Mark spent some time exploring the sounds of Glasgow in the company of Soundthought, a collective who present curated soundwalks in the West End of the City.  We hear an excerpt of him chatting to two of the sound artists involved.   

Pitmedden Garden in Aberdeenshire was originally designed in 1675, and the parterres, a masterpiece of intricate patterns and fragrant flowers, are at the heart of it.  They have been undergoing a redesign under the watchful eye of Chelsea Flower Show gold award-winning gardener Chris Beardshaw. Mark went for a preview ahead of the gardens re-opening this weekend. 

The Flow Country is a vast expanse of blanket bog in the north of Scotland, and ahead of International Bog Day next week, Euan went for a visit to find out more about this important landscape.	
				
What role do trees play in providing us with shade and keeping our towns and cities cool?  We chat live to Jon Stokes from the Tree Council about trees in hot weather.					

Wemyss Bay railway station is a rather impressive Victorian building that sits on the Clyde Coast. It’s the gateway from the mainland to the ferry crossing over to Rothesay. Maud Start caught up with Greg Beecroft from Friends of Wemyss Bay Station, who showed her around and told her more about the station’s history.  
						
Mark visits Loch Katrine and hears about plans to build a watch tower on a site that was one of the earliest tourist hotspots in Scotland. 

And can you guess this week’s mystery bird?

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