Out of Doors

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Out of Doors: Earth, Water, Fire and Air

Earth, Water, Fire and Air

BBC Radio Scotland - Out of Doors, Earth, Water, Fire and Air

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors.

Toying with the elements this week, Mark singes his microphone at a forge, Rachel hunts for eggs in the earth, and they both feel the air in their sails as they glide up Loch Ness on the Provident. 

Rachel has been out collecting Goldeneye Duck eggs with Dr Peter Cosgrove and Stephen Corcoran from the Strathspey Goldeneye Study group. Speyside is surprisingly successful for breeding pairs, and they explain why that could be. 

Mark is playing with fire as he visits Eden Jolly at his peripatetic forge, near Rhynie. Eden shows a few ancient tricks he uses as part of his business, Fire Forge and Furnace. 

We chat with Sarah Raymond, who works with The Road Lab, a group dedicated to collecting and analysing data on Road Kill, to try to identify which species are most vulnerable to losing their lives on the road, and when.

At 75 years old, Stephen Payton recently completed the Etape Loch Ness challenge. Rachel met up with him to see how he completed the 66 mile feat, whilst living with liver and lung cancer. He chats about how previous heart problems and a brain tumour spurned him out on his bike in the first place, and how cycling has kept him alive. 

We hear an extract from the midweek podcast, where Mark learns all about the colony of Natterjack Toads living at the Caerlaverock Salt Marshes on the Solway Firth. He chats with reserve manager David Pickett about the rare habitat, and what makes it home to these impressive toads. 

Part of the National Historic Fleet, The Provident is the last sailing Brixham trawler, built in 1924. She’s back on the water, thanks to Morag and Steve Slesser, who have been lovingly restoring the historic vessel. Mark and Rachel join the group for a sail up Loch Ness, to get a handle on what makes the Provident so special.

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