Out of Doors

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Out of Doors: Hedgelaying, Seed Tatties and Granite

Hedgelaying, Seed Tatties and Granite

BBC Radio Scotland - Out of Doors, Hedgelaying, Seed Tatties and Granite

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

Situated in a valley between Biggar and Peebles is a 56-hectare area of woodland called Broughtonknowe.  The Friends of Broughtonknowe, made up of people who visit the wood regularly, are in the process of buying it.   Mark went to find out more from John Hart, founder of the group.

Hedges are great for all kinds of birds and wildlife but there aren’t as many of them around as there used to be.  Rachel met up with a group of volunteers in Symington in Ayrshire, who are trying to change that by having a go at conservation hedge laying.

In this week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast we delve into the archives to a programme Mark made 20 years ago about Schiehallion.  We hear an excerpt where Mark chats to the couple who own half the mountain about what it means to them. 

The RRS Discovery is an important part of Dundee’s heritage.  It was the ship that carried Captain Scott and Shackleton to the Antarctic in the early 1900s.  Mark went for a look around her last week to hear about an upcoming programme of repairs to secure her future.  

Earlier this week there was an amazing discovery of a ship wreck washed ashore on the island of Sanday in Orkney.  The use of the wooden pegs suggest it could be as old as the 16th century.  But what happens once a wreck like this is discovered?  We chat live to Ben Saunders, a senior marine archaeologist with Wessex Archaeology in Edinburgh to find out what the next steps might be to preserve the amazing find. 

The personal recollections of those involved in the granite industry in Aberdeen are at the heart of a new exhibition in the city’s art gallery.  Rachel went along to have a look and hear some of the tales of those who worked with granite. 

For those of you keen on a boiling of new tatties in early summer, it’s now time to get your seed potatoes planted.  One man who knows all about the humble tattie is Andrew Skea, an organic seed potato grower and supplier based near Dundee.  Mark went for a visit to hear more about this important sector of Scottish agriculture. 

A fundraising campaign is underway for a fishing boat to be docked at Loch Inch specifically for veterans and serving personnel of the armed forces.  Rachel caught up with Tony Brown, who’s behind the project and runs the nearby Forces Manor, an accommodation facility for those linked to the services.

We learnt of the sad and sudden death of our former colleague at BBC Radio Orkney Dave Gray this week.  Dave was a real friend of Out of Doors, even presenting the programme on a couple of occasions. We’ve put together a tribute to Dave featuring a podcast he recorded with Mark and Euan and some of the readings he did for an Out of Doors special on George Mackay Brown.

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