Love Scotland: Recent Episodes
The National Trust for Scotland
Love Scotland is a podcast series from the National Trust for Scotland.
From coastlines to castles, art to architecture, wildlife to wilderness, the National Trust for Scotland cares for and protects some of Scotland's most significant places and spaces, allowing them to be enjoyed today while protecting them for future generations.
Hosted by former BBC Reporting Scotland anchor Jackie Bird, and featuring experts and enthusiasts from across the country, each episode delves deep into the detail of the Trust’s people and places to showcase how everything they do is for the love of Scotland.
You can find out more about the National Trust for Scotland's work and how to support them at http://www.nts.org.uk.
In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic began, many people looked back to the influenza epidemic of 1918 for historical context. However, going further back in time reveals centuries of viral diseases – and a bizarre list of supposed medical concoctions that would protect you from them.
Scotland’s “plague man” Richard Oram, a professor of history at Stirling University, knows a lot about these dark chapters of Scottish history. He guides Jackie through how the plague was viewed by a religious society, what comparisons can be drawn between responses to the historic outbreaks and the modern Covid-19 pandemic, and how the medical community reacted to the horrific viruses.
Plus, Jackie goes to Gladstone’s Land to learn more about the herbal remedies produced in desperation centuries ago.
To find out more about Gladstone’s Land, www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/gladstones-land
On a drizzly summer’s day, Jackie heads out to Ben Lomond to meet two people who feel at home in the hills. First, Jackie, president of the National Trust for Scotland, goes for a stroll with Zahrah Mahmood, president of Ramblers Scotland and an online influencer known as the Hillwalking Hijabi.
As they stretch their legs, they discuss the joys waiting to be found on Scottish slopes, and Zahrah tells the story of how she first discovered a passion for hiking as an adult. Then, Jackie meets Alasdair Eckersall, ranger and property manager at Ben Lomond, who has been working at the site for 31 years.
He reveals how he keeps Ben Lomond’s 50,000 annual visitors on the right path and gives his top tips for a safe day in the hills.
To find out more about Ben Lomond, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/ben-lomond
For more outdoors inspiration, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/search?place-category=Outdoors#results
Following last year’s episode investigating the 2022 outbreak of avian flu among Scottish seabird colonies, Jackie returns to St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve in the wake of new cases being reported. Joined by ranger Ciaran Hatsell, Jackie learns how this year’s cases have been identified and exactly how the disease is impacting kittiwakes at St Abb’s Head and beyond.
Listen in to find out how Ciaran and other NTS staff are helping in the fight against avian influenza, and discover more about what you can do to report dead seabirds.
To find out more about St Abb’s Head, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/st-abbs-head
To find out more about the Save Our Seabirds campaign, visit www.nts.org.uk/campaigns/seabirds
If you see a dead or dying bird, do not approach or touch it. Instead, report it to the DEFRA helpline on 03459 33 55 77 and alert a member of National Trust for Scotland staff if possible.
You can also report findings of sick or dead birds through the UK Government website (www.gov.uk/guidance/report-dead-wild-birds), and, if you recognise the species, via the British Trust for Ornithology (www.bto.org/our-science/projects/birdtrack).
Keep dogs on leads whenever you’re in an area where there is a chance of dead seabirds.
An icon of Scottish culture, Robert Burns is best known for his beautiful, moving, and humorous poetry. Born in 1759, he died just 37 years later – an early passing attributed to alcoholism.
However, recent advances in medical knowledge have raised questions about the accuracy of this diagnosis. Professor David Purdie, co-author of The Burns Encyclopaedia and a doctor of medicine, has used his clinical expertise to analyse Burns’ physical symptoms.
His research touches on a character assassination in the immediate aftermath of Burns’ death, the truth of his alleged alcoholism, and new theories as to what really caused the poet’s death.
To find out more about the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/robert-burns-birthplace-museum
An icon of Scottish culture, Robert Burns is best known for his beautiful, moving, and humorous poetry. Born in 1759, he died just 37 years later – an early passing attributed to alcoholism.
However, recent advances in medical knowledge have raised questions about the accuracy of this diagnosis. Professor David Purdie, co-author of The Burns Encyclopaedia and a doctor of medicine, has used his clinical expertise to analyse Burns’ physical symptoms.
His research touches on a character assassination in the immediate aftermath of Burns’ death, the truth of his alleged alcoholism, and new theories as to what really caused the poet’s death.
To find out more about the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/robert-burns-birthplace-museum
Jackie is joined by Jonathan Grant, who after 13 years is about to retire as a ranger on three Hebridean islands. Earlier this year, when news of his resignation was announced, it was headline news around the world. Now, he has time for a proper discussion about his experiences on Mingulay, Pabay and Berneray.
He reveals why he feels he became part of nature, what life is really like when you’re the only person living on an island, and how he took on the responsibilities of caring for such important places.
Find out more about the Love Our Islands campaign at www.nts.org.uk/campaigns/love-our-islands. We already work very hard to protect our islands, but we still need to do more. With your help, we can protect the history and wildlife in these very special places. If you can, please donate today.
In this week’s episode, Jackie follows the story of Lady Aberdeen – a woman born into wealth who became a lifelong social reformer, healthcare advocate, and champion of the underdog. By the time she died in the 1930s, the riches were gone – but a legacy remained.
Joining Jackie is Simon Welfare, the author of Fortune’s Many Houses: A Victorian Visionary, a Noble Scottish Family, and a Lost Inheritance, which charts how Lady Aberdeen and her husband used their wealth for good.
The episode was recorded in the grand surroundings of Haddo House, which was presented to Lady Aberdeen on the occasion of her husband finishing his service as Governor-General of Canada in 1898.
To find out more about Haddo House, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/haddo-house
This week, Jackie is at Falkland Palace to learn more about the early years of James VI, one of the most influential monarchs in British history.
Crowned at an early age, and separated from his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, James would go on to be the first king of the whole British Isles.
But focusing on his later achievements misses out on many remarkable and life-threatening experiences endured by the young king, who was kidnapped, held hostage, and fought over by rival factions.
Joining Jackie is Steven Reid, the author of The Early Life of James VI: A Long Apprenticeship, 1566–1585, which recounts the details of these extraordinary years.
To find out more about Falkland Palace, head to nts.org.uk
This week, Jackie’s in Edinburgh to find about one of the city’s leading lights of the enlightenment era: Sir Henry Raeburn. His work depicted some of the key figures of that time, creating an overall portrait of how Edinburgh’s top circles would have looked during the 1700s.
Now, to mark 200 years since his death, the National Trust for Scotland is holding an exhibition at The Georgian House in Charlotte Square. It’s comprised of artworks from across the Trust’s Raeburn collections, from properties including Craigievar Castle, Fyvie Castle, Alloa Tower, and Hill of Tarvit.
Viccy Coltman, professor of 18th century history of arts at Edinburgh University and editor of the book Henry Raeburn: Context, Reception and Reputation, joins Jackie to discuss Raeburn’s life, his artworks, and the Edinburgh he called home.
To find out more about the exhibition or for more on The Georgian House, head to nts.org.uk
As a new season of Love Scotland begins, host Jackie Bird is joined by Outlander author Diana Gabaldon to discuss her best-selling books, its TV adaptation, and how the Outlander effect has shaped global perceptions of Scotland.
Outlander tells the story of a time-travelling nurse from the 20th century who falls in love with an 18th century Highland warrior. The early books span several places now cared for by the National Trust for Scotland, including Culross, Falkland Palace, and Culloden.
In this episode, Diana reveals the origins of the Outlander story, her visceral reactions to visiting Culloden herself, and her first thoughts on the new series of the popular TV adaptation which begins airing on 16 June.
Plus, she reveals some secrets from the future of the franchise, including the next book instalment.
To find out more about some of the places mentioned in this episode of Love Scotland, click here.
In this week’s episode, Jackie is joined by adventurer, film-maker and campaigner Cal Major to discuss Scotland’s coasts and the challenges facing them. Cal has built a reputation as one of the UK’s top stand-up paddleboarders (SUP), completing the first ever SUP from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 2018.
In 2021, she paddled 800 miles of Scotland’s coastline. As someone who has spent so long at sea, Cal knows only too well the real-world implications of the climate and biodiversity crises. She is now a keen campaigner and advocate for action that will help protect Scotland’s coasts, including the Our Seas campaign of which the National Trust for Scotland is a member.
To find out more about Our Seas, click here.
To find out more about Cal Major, click here.
Check the latest visitor information for some of the Trust’s coastline properties: St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve, Inverewe, Balmacara Estate, Rockcliffe, and more.
This week, Jackie is joined by actor and presenter Alan Cumming to discuss his life, career, and love of Scotland. Fresh from the critically acclaimed run of Burn – a dance-theatre piece that re-examines Robert Burns using his own words – Alan discuss where his passion for Scottish history and culture comes from.
As a long-standing supporter of the National Trust for Scotland and as one half of Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland and Beyond, Alan has seen many of the nation’s most beautiful and fascinating places. He reveals all about his recent stay at the House of Dun and Fyvie Castle, and what he learned about Robert Burns through his letters.
For more information on the House of Dun, click here.
For more information on Fyvie Castle, click here.
For more information on Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, click here.
The Vikings may be most closely associated with Norway, but the fearsome warriors made their mark on Scotland, too. Throughout the 1st century, they sailed the choppy seas to raid monasteries, including on Iona, pillaging and plundering wherever they went.
In this week’s episode of the podcast, Jackie discovers what brought the invaders from the north to Scotland, and what encouraged them to stay. Joined by Dr Adrián Maldonado, the Glenmorangie Research Fellow at National Museums Scotland and an expert in the Scottish Viking Age, Jackie looks at how the pillagers interacted with the Picts, how they knew which islands to attack, and what happened to the last of the Vikings.
Iona and Fair Isle both have connections to the Vikings, and you can find out more about the places here and here.
If you enjoyed this episode, you might enjoy previous Love Scotland instalments too. For more island history, try the July 2022 episode called Inside Canna House. Or, if you’d like some sea-faring adventure, try the September 2021 episode called The Smugglers’ Caves of Culzean.
In this week’s episode, released on Armistice Day 2022, Jackie is looking at a small but crucial part of the First World War effort: the stately homes that were requisitioned to become hospitals. In particular, she’s keen to find out how the National Trust for Scotland’s Pollok House was used at this time.
The property in the south of Glasgow became an auxiliary hospital and helped to treat wounded soldiers throughout the conflict. Harriet Richardson Blakeman, an architectural historian with a special interest in hospitals, joins Jackie to discuss how Pollok and properties like it were converted into make-shift hospitals.
Jackie discovers who benefitted from the hospitals, what steps were taken to ensure the best healthcare possible was being provided, and what happened to these new hospitals at the end of the war.
What does Sam Heughan love about Scotland? The Outlander star and author of new book Waypoints joins Jackie in the studio to discuss some of his recent adventures. Together, they chat about some of Scotland’s most important historical sites, the value of spending time in the great outdoors, and how Outlander has helped to rejuvenate interest in the nation’s past.
Having filmed in several National Trust for Scotland locations, Sam has become well-acquainted with some of the most beautiful places the nation has to offer. He reveals some of his favourite places to film, how the experience of Outlander has affected him personally, and what drives his passion for Scottish history. Plus, he reads a short extract from Waypoints.
In this week’s episode, Jackie is off to the pictures to discover the story of Scotland on screen. Joined by Scottish film and TV critic Siobhan Synnot and the National Trust for Scotland’s Film Manager Anna Rathband, Jackie embarks on a whistlestop tour of some of the most influential Scottish films.
Along the way, she finds out which movies have had the biggest impact on Scotland and the Trust, including Skyfall, the Wicker Man, and franchises like Harry Potter and the Avengers. Anna reveals why film-makers love coming to Scotland to shoot their scenes while Siobhan gives behind-the-scenes stories from the sets of some of the biggest Scottish productions in history.
To find out more about Trust properties and sites that have been immortalised on film, click here.
With just over a week to go until Halloween, Jackie is on a mission to find out more about Scotland’s ghostly history. How have ghost stories changed over time? Who told these spooky tales, and why?
In this episode, she’s joined by Dr Martha McGill, who has been leading research into what Scotland’s ghosts of years gone by tell us about ideas of religion, philosophy and identity. Martha is a British Academy Postdoctural Fellow at the University of Warwick and the secretary of the Scottish History Society.
We discover when haunted houses first emerged, which ghosts are said to haunt National Trust for Scotland properties, and why there have been so many variations of ghost stories over the years.
For more ghost stories from Trust sites, click here.
She’s one of Scotland’s most famous monarchs and continues to be the focus of huge interest today. Yes, she’s Mary, Queen of Scots – but why is it that her story has resonated for so long?
In this week’s episode, Jackie sits down with writer Rosemary Goring to discuss Mary’s life and legacy. Why did the Queen love her time in Falkland Palace so much? What was it that meant she had to spend her childhood in France? And what role did she have to play in the brutal murder of her first husband?
Rosemary Goring is the author of the 2022 book Homecoming: The Scottish Years of Mary, Queen of Scots (Birlinn).
If you’d like more royal Scottish history, scroll back in your Love Scotland feed to our July 2021 episode on Robert the Bruce.
In this episode, Jackie is at St Abb’s Head Nature Reserve in Berwickshire to meet ranger Ciaran Hatsell. They’ll discuss bird flu in Scotland, as the UK’s worst ever avian flu outbreak leaves thousands of seabirds dead.
Ciaran reveals its impact on St Abb’s Head and explains how the virus first took hold on the cliffs. Plus, Jackie asks how Ciaran and his colleagues are working behind-the-scenes to better understand the virus and protect other birds from the outbreak.
For more information on how the virus is impact National Trust for Scotland sites, click here.
If you come across a dead or dying bird, do not touch it. Instead, report it to DEFRA on 03459 33 55 77, and report it to a member of National Trust for Scotland staff if you’re at one of the sites.
Whenever making a visit to an area affected by the virus, keep your distance from birds, use disinfectant when you arrive and when you leave, and sanitise your hands before eating, drinking, or smoking. The risk to human health is very low.
For other episodes on Scotland’s bird life, scroll back through your Love Scotland feed to our “Mountain birds”, “Seabird city” and “Caring for Scotland’s environment with Jeff Waddell” episodes.
The tale of the evacuation from St Kilda in Scotland is legendary – but what of the ordinary people who had called the island home for generations?
In this week’s episode, Jackie sits down with author and journalist Roger Hutchinson to unpack the final years of the archipelago’s population. She discovers the alarming death rate among St Kilda’s children, why the archipelago can be considered like Machu Picchu, and traces the rise and fall of island life that led to the 1930 evacuation.
You’ll also hear about how seabirds were eaten by the islanders, the impact of war on St Kilda, and what life was really like on the UK’s most remote inhabited island.
In the first episode of the fourth series of Love Scotland, Jackie Bird sits down with historical writer Flora Fraser to discuss the life and legacy of Flora MacDonald.
MacDonald is best known for her part in assisting Prince Charles Edward Stuart’s escape from Bebecula to the Isle of Skye in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden. Aged just 24, and from a pro-government family, MacDonald is as unlikely a Jacobite heroine as you could imagine. And yet, her actions helped Charles evade detection and, eventually, flee to safety.
These events have been immortalised by the Skye Boat Song, but despite her crucial role in Charlie’s escape, Flora is all-too-often relegated to the background. So, who really was she? What led her to take on the risky mission of smuggling Charles to Skye? And what happened in the years that followed?
Flora Fraser is the author of Pretty Young Rebel: The Life of Flora MacDonald, out now (Bloomsbury).
To find out more about the National Trust for Scotland’s Jacobite sites, click here.
This episode of Love Scotland is produced for the National Trust for Scotland by Think and The Big Light Studio.
Presenter: Jackie Bird
Post-production: Brian McAlpine
Producer: Cameron Angus Mackay
Executive Producer: Fiona White
Research: Ciaran Sneddon
This week, our host Jackie Bird heads out to Branklyn Garden to join in with its 100th birthday celebrations. The garden was created by Dorothy and John Renton, a couple who converted what was then a hillside orchard into a colourful, tropical haven, just a short walk from Perth’s city centre.
John’s design genius and Dorothy’s green-fingered talents turned this patch into what was described by the Regius, or Royal, Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh as the “finest two acres of private garden in the country”.
Fifty-four years ago, the National Trust for Scotland took over care of the garden, ensuring that not only would the Rentons’ principles be maintained for future generations, but that adaptations would be made to keep the flowers as fresh as ever before.
So, how does head gardener and property manager Jim Jermyn keep the garden fresh? What are the challenges of caring for a heritage garden? And what will the future hold for Branklyn?
In this episode of Love Scotland, our host Jackie Bird takes a look – and a listen – through one of Scotland’s most precious cultural archives: the Canna House collection.
Gathered by Canna’s former residents John Lorne Campbell and Margaret Fay Shaw in the mid 20th century, the archive bulges with an array of Gaelic and Celtic songs, stories, and poetry. When united with Margaret’s not insignificant photography portfolio and the time capsule of household items, furnishings, furniture, and diaries, they tell the story of not just Canna, but of the Hebrides, Gaelic-speaking communities, and Scotland itself.
Canna House is itself about to get a facelift which guarantees better and more open access to the archives for the future. While that work gets underway, Jackie finds out what lies inside the archives. What can be learned from them? How much is really stored there? And what memories have been rediscovered by Fiona Mackenzie, Canna House manager and archivist, as she prepares for the renovation project?
In this episode, our host Jackie Bird heads to the Georgian House in Edinburgh, where the finishing touches are being made to a new exhibition about the life and legacy of a man who helped to shape the city’s musical landscape.
Felix Yaniewicz’s name may not be familiar to many, but the Polish-Lithuanian composer and musician was a key player in the Georgian concert halls. Having fled revolution and political upheaval in his homeland of the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, he arrived in Britain as a young musician determined to prove himself.
Now, his great-great-great-great granddaughter is telling the story of his life, thanks to a chance encounter with one of his square pianos. Who really was Felix Yaniewicz? What was life like for him in Britain? And what is the legacy of his music today?
For more information on the exhibition, click here.
For more information on the December concert series, click here.
Nicknamed mountain blackbirds, ring ouzels have become a rare sight in Scotland. The migrating species has seen a huge population decline in recent decades, mostly due to habitat loss. However, Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve is an outpost for population recovery, thanks to long-term conservation efforts.
Our host Jackie Bird heads to Ben Lawers to meet Andrew Warwick, the site’s ranger, in search of these elusive mountain birds. As they scan the skies for ouzels, they discuss the pioneering conservation work that has helped to reverse habitat decline and offers new hope for the future.
Meanwhile, we also join Andrew Painting at Mar Lodge Estate to search for another vulnerable species, the dotterel, amongst other mountain birds.
How does the National Trust for Scotland care for the many objects in its collections? Lesley Scott is one of the conservators constantly battling against environmental factors to preserve artefacts, furniture and artworks for future generations.
Jackie meets her at the House of the Binns to get a sneak peek at a major renovation project which is currently being carried out there. The 17th century home has been closed to the public since the start of the pandemic, but work is now being done to prepare it for reopening.
In their conversation, they discuss how conservation work is done and what challenges must be overcome. How does modern science help a conservator? What does a renovation project involve? And what can visitors expect to see when the House of the Binns opens its doors once more?
For the latest information on the House of the Binns’ reopening, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/house-of-binns.
What does the future of the National Trust for Scotland look like? To mark the launch of the Trust’s new strategy – Nature, Beauty and Heritage for Everyone – we united young eco reps with Chief Executive Phil Long.
In a special episode of Love Scotland, three primary school pupils from Glasgow meet up with Phil to discuss the environment, and what can be done to protect it. Their conversation, in the city that hosted COP26 less than six months ago, touches on sustainability and what role the Trust can play in preserving Scotland’s climate and natural spaces.
How will the Trust take on the challenges of climate change? What is already being done? And what can be achieved before the Trust’s centenary in 10 years’ time?
To find out more about the new strategy, visit the website.
Take a listen…
The witch trials of the sixteenth, seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries form one of the darkest chapters in Scotland’s history. More than 2,500 people – the vast majority of them women – were executed and more than 4,000 accused of witchcraft during this time, and yet their stories have largely gone untold.
Recently, though, that has started to change. Earlier this year, on International Women’s Day, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon issued an apology to all those who had been persecuted. And last year, the National Trust for Scotland published a report detailing the links between its properties and the witch trials.
Dr Ciaran Jones, the lead researcher and author of the report, joins Jackie Bird to discuss his findings and what they say about Scotland’s wider cultural and societal issues at the time.
In an exciting and invigorating year for Glasgow’s art scene, Jackie heads to Pollok House to find out more about one of the city’s most prominent artists of the late 19th century. Edward Atkinson Hornel was a Glasgow Boy – a group of radical young painters who transformed the city’s art and planted the seed of modernism. Inspired by the work of Dutch and French realism, the Boys found both commercial and critical success with landscapes and portraits that displayed everyday life.
A new exhibition at Pollok House tells the story of Hornel’s two visits to Japan and the work he created there.
How did these visits shape his point of view? What do they tell us of western views of Asian nations at the time? And what fuelled Glasgow’s close artistic links to Japan? Take a listen…
For more information about Love Scotland, go to: www.thebiglight.com/lovescotland
As wildfires take their toll on Scottish mountainsides, it's more important than ever that we all take care of our wonderful wilderness. Jackie heads to Glencoe to meet ranger Scott McCombie and hear how the National Trust for Scotland’s dedicated staff can help you learn about – and look after – the great outdoors.
Hear about how you can see everything from native forests to golden eagles on a trip to Glencoe and take part in a guided walk or even a Land Rover safari to get as close as possible to Scotland’s outstanding natural heritage. Ranger Scott McCombie also talks us through the steps he and his team are making to help ensure the great outdoors stays great, as more of us take the time to enjoy what Scotland has to offer. There’s so much to see and do at Glencoe and at all of the Trust’s wild places. Head to their website at nts.org.uk to find out more (and even book a slot on that Land Rover tour…).
Violet Jacob (1863-1946), born Violet Augusta Mary Frederica Kennedy-Erskine at the House of Dun, in Angus, was a poet and writer whose contributions to the Scottish literary canon are too often overlooked. In this second episode of our Women’s History Month specials, Jackie Bird speaks to academic and writer, Dr Carol Anderson about the unsung heroine of Scottish literature.
We hear how Jacob’s upper-class childhood in the House of Dun affected her later work, and how she broke with conformity to deeply examine the role of society at the turn of the century. With readings from some of her best-known poems – including ‘Wild Geese’, and a thorough look at her travels and private writings, Anderson reveals why Jacob deserves better recognition.
How did Jacob’s intercontinental travel influence her? Why did she adopt Scots in her writing, despite not speaking it herself? And what was it about the House of Dun and the surrounding area that captured her imagination long after she left?
Take a listen…and if you’d like to visit the birthplace of this fascinating poet, head to the House of Dun page on the Trust’s website.
To mark International Women’s Day, our host Jackie Bird hears how Scotland’s leading suffragettes plotted to bomb Burns Cottage, the birthplace of the national bard.
We hear about Ethel Moorhead, the first woman to be force fed in a Scottish jail, and her co-conspirator Frances Parker, on how they led the fight for women’s votes north of the border. Professor Pederson tells how the women cycled in dead of night with home-made bombs, to the birthplace of Robert Burns.
What happened to the two women? How did their struggle win and lose support in society at the time? And how did the poetry of Robert Burns play a part in their defence?
Take a listen…
Call us inquisitive, curious or just plain old nosy, but there’s nothing more thrilling than uncovering a detail that’s often overlooked. And it’s this spirit of discovery that’s the driving force behind today’s special bonus episode, where we’re placing the spotlight on our favourite Hidden Secrets from Love Scotland so far.
From a ticket to Lord Lovat’s grisly execution on display at Culloden Visitor Centre and signs of beaver activity along the banks of the River Tay, to Brodie Castle’s two ancient Egyptian mummies, which pre-date Christ by 300 years, each fascinating secret is safeguarded by National Trust for Scotland staff and volunteers.
Ready to unearth our most-loved hidden secrets? Let’s dive in!
Jackie Bird heads to Glencoe with the National Trust for Scotland’s Derek Alexander and Lucy Doogan.
To mark 330 years since the massacre of the MacDonald clan at Glencoe, Jackie Bird heads north to see how work on a recreated turf house will help to tell the full story of one of the most harrowing moments in Scottish history.
On 13 February 1692 38 men, women and children were murdered in cold Scottish army companies of Argyll’s Foot Regiment. For two weeks prior to the bloodshed, clan members had played host to the soldiers in their modest turf-dwellings on the slopes of the glen.
As the Trust opens its faithfully restored turf house at the site, we hear how a better insight into the way the clans of Glencoe lived will bring the history of the massacre to new generations of visitors.
Also in this episode, Cameron hears about a wonderful plaything on show at Helensburgh’s Hill House.
Located just outside of Glasgow’s Southside, Greenbank Garden is an urban oasis with woodland walks and more than 3600 species of beautiful plants – including over 500 varieties of daffodil.
Our host Jackie Bird heads to Greenbank to talk daffodils and see the first signs of spring. Jackie chats to the property’s Head Gardener, Andrew Hinson, about the highlights and challenges of caring for Greenbank’s impressive horticultural collection, why the yearly arrival of this bright yellow flower never gets any less exciting, and the signs we should look out at Trust properties across the country that tell us spring is well and truly springing.
Find out more about Greenbank Garden at: www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/greenbank-garden
Also in this episode – Cameron hears about the traces of beavers living along the banks of the River Tay, as part of our regular slot, Hidden Secrets.
This year, the National Trust for Scotland’s Burns Big Night In returns. Radio DJ and personality Edith Bowman will be presenting a night of music, song and verse direct to living rooms across the land from Burns Cottage in Ayrshire.
For Love Scotland, we join host Jackie Bird for a very special chat with two of the Burns Big Night In guests – leading contemporary poets, Janette Ayachi and Michael Pederson.
Janette Ayachi is based in Edinburgh, born in London, with Scottish and Algerian heritage. She’s a regular on BBC Scotland arts programmes and has published work in nearly a broad range of literary journals.
Michael Pederson writes in English and Scots and performs at festivals everywhere from Edinburgh to Indonesia. He co-founded Neu! Reekie!, an arts collective that spans events, publishing and a record label.
Janette and Michael tell how Burns and how his legacy has found a place in their poetry – and read some of their new poems.
Find out more about Burns Big Night in at www.burnsbignightin.org
And in Hidden Secrets, Cameron speaks to Ann Middleton (tour guide) who discusses two etchings recently discovered around Drum Castle.
Back in 2019 the National Trust for Scotland launched an unprecedented fundraising campaign to protect the Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece, the Hill House, from the weather.
The result was the Box – a ground-breaking steel structure that was built to shelter Mackintosh’s architecture from the elements and allow time for conservators to come up with new ways to safeguard it for the future.
Two years on, Jackie Bird visits the Hill House. She meets the Trust’s Head of Building Conservation, Bryan Dickson, to hear how the Box, and the house it protects, have fared – and what comes next.
Find out more about the Hill House, and the history of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s architecture at www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/the-hill-house
Also in this episode – Cameron hears about Brodie Castle’s mysterious and ancient Egyptian figures, as part of our regular slot, Hidden Secrets.
For this special episode of Love Scotland Jackie Bird heads to Glasgow’s Pollok House to meet the one and only Mrs Claus. Yes, that’s right, every year Santa’s better half comes to Pollok to make children’s Christmas wishes come true – all thanks to longstanding Trust volunteer Jennie MacLeod. Jackie Bird meets Jennie (and her alter ego, Mrs Claus) to hear about the magic of playing such an important role, and what it’s taught her about the true meaning of the festive season.
Also in this episode – assistant producer Cameron Angus Mackay hears a fascinating story from Culloden Battlefield, as part of our regular slot, Hidden Secrets.
Find out more about Pollok House, one of the National Trust for Scotland’s grandest properties, at www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/pollok-house
All across Scotland, National Trust for Scotland staff are making the most of the winter months to clean, conserve and maintain the properties in their care. For this episode, Jackie Bird heads to the Enlightenment mansion of Newhailes where she meets visitor services supervisor Eleni Kolokytha to learn about the rhythms, rituals and routines of keeping Trust places amazing for generations to come.
You can find out more about the National Trust for Scotland's work and how to support them at: www.nts.org.uk
Who doesn’t love a dram? Call it uisge beatha, the water of life, whisky… Scotland’s national drink is known worldwide as a very special part of our culture. But what does it have to do with archaeological digs and the National Trust for Scotland? In this episode, Jackie Bird chats with Trust archaeologist Dr Daniel Rhodes and The Glenlivet’s Master Distiller Alan Winchester about Pioneering Spirit, a unique project to unearth the real history of whisky.
You can find out more about the National Trust for Scotland's work and how to support them at: www.nts.org.uk
If you haven’t got your walking boots on yet, you will do by the time you’ve listened to this episode. Jackie Bird hears from rangers Ciaran Hatsell and Ruth Alexander about the National Trust for Scotland’s cold weather wonderlands that are great for body, mind and soul – from Perthshire’s big tree country to the seal pups of St Abbs.
You can find out more about the National Trust for Scotland's work and how to support them at: www.nts.org.uk
For a special Halloween episode Jackie Bird follows in the path of blockbusting TV series Outlander to the historic village of Culross, where she finds out why some former residents can still be encountered today. Visitor Services Supervisor (and expert in all things supernatural) Linda Whiteford is her guide.
You can find out more about the National Trust for Scotland's work and how to support them at: www.nts.org.uk
It took three years, copious amounts of gold leaf and a team with a keen eye for detail, but now Alexander Greek Thomson’s domestic masterpiece, Holmwood House, is restored and in full glory. Jackie Bird asks curator Emma Inglis just why the Glasgow home is so special.
For more information about Love Scotland, go to: www.thebiglight.com/lovescotland
You can find out more about the National Trust for Scotland's work and how to support them at: http://www.nts.org.uk
Beneath the grand walls of Culzean Castle lies a dark and dramatic discovery – a network of caves used by smugglers in the heyday of the illicit alcohol trade. Jackie Bird gets her headtorch on to explore with Head of Archaeology Derek Alexander.
As COP26 comes to Glasgow, there are lessons to be learned from the ancient pine forests of the Cairngorms. In this episode, Jackie Bird chats to the Trust’s Conservation Manager Shaila Rao about the vital regeneration taking place at Mar Lodge Estate.
Our host Jackie Bird is in Angus for this episode, visiting the elegant Georgian mansion, House of Dun, near Montrose which reopened in the summer of 2021 after a major ‘re-imagining’. She meets Iain Hawkins, our General Manager for the North East, to find out what that means.
In this episode, our host Jackie Bird talks to Dr Callum Watson, Battle Coordinator at the Battle of Bannockburn visitor centre, about one of Robert the Bruce’s boldest gambles. Before the massed ranks of the English and Scottish armies on 23 June 1314, Bruce risked his life, his throne and Scotland’s independence in a moment of deadly single combat. We relive the Bruce v de Bohun and the fight which helped define the greatest King of Scots.
In this episode, our host Jackie Bird is in Helensburgh, diving into family life inside The Hill House - Charles Rennie Mackintosh's domestic masterpiece. In this episode, Jackie learns all about The Hill House as a family home, with Taylah Egbers, Visitor Services Supervisor who shares an insight into the Blackie family who lived there.
In this episode, our host Jackie Bird is in Edinburgh at one of the oldest buildings on the Royal Mile. Gladstone's Land is a six-storey tenement and has been a fixture on the Lawnmarket for 500 years. In this episode, Jackie travels through time, from the 16th Century to present day, with Dr Kate Stephenson to learn about the real-life stories of the people that lived at Gladstone's Land and the property's trading history.
1 May marks a milestone birthday for the National Trust for Scotland. Founded in 1931, the charity has been safeguarding natural and built heritage across Scotland for 90 years. In this episode, Jackie is joined by Phil Long, the Chief Executive of the charity.
Every year, seabirds gather in their millions across Scotland after migrating from across the globe, and their arrival can signal the first signs of spring. In this episode, NTS Rangers Ciaran Hatsell and Emily Wilkins join Jackie Bird to talk about two great wildlife spectacles.
A new alliance of organisations is working together to find out how we best react to the impact of climate change and safeguard the Scotland we love. In this episode, Jackie speaks to Stuart Brooks, the National Trust for Scotland’s Head of Conservation and Policy and co-chair of Scotland’s Landscape Alliance about the alliance's work and hopes for the country’s future.
Tenement House is a time capsule of life in early 20th century Glasgow. In this episode, Jackie Bird meets Ana Sanchez, who cares for the Tenement House. Ana tells Jackie about the fascinating women who lived in the flat, including Miss Agnes Toward who was among the first generation of independent women.
In this episode, Scott McCombie, Senior Ranger at Glencoe National Nature Reserve, takes us through the events leading up to the Glencoe Massacre of 1692, a poignant and tragic chapter in Scotland's history. Derek Alexander, the Trust's head of Archaeology also joins Jackie to talk about a project to recreate a Turf House that would have existed at the time.
While Burns is Scotland's National Bard, he enjoys a legacy across the globe. How is that legacy faring today? Jackie Bird speaks to Chris Waddell, the Trust's Learning Manager to find out.
National Trust for Scotland locations have welcomed many film and tv productions, from music videos, documentaries and photo shoots to international drama series and feature films. In this episode, Jackie is joined by Anna Rathband, the National Trust for Scotland's Film Manager who chats about the importance of film tourism.
They might look beautiful, but some non-native plant species can be extremely damaging to our natural ecosystems. Jackie is joined by Rob Dewar, the Trust's Natural Heritage Adviser, who talks about Wipeout - a project to eradicate invasive plant species across Scotland.
Helen Cole, Property Manger at Ben Lawers, has spent 30 years caring for the National Nature Reserve. In this episode, she talks to Jackie about the huge increase in footfall on Scotland's upland paths during Covid 19 and how visitors can do their bit to protect our wild spaces.
Jackie Bird is joined by Jennifer Melville, as the Trust embarks on a new project that will explore the role that the slave trade has played in the histories of Scotland and some of the Trust’s most-loved properties.
On the 90th anniversary of the evacuation of St Kilda, the Trust's Western Isles Manager Susan Bain, tells Jackie Bird why Scotland should be extremely proud of this archipelago and how it came to be uninhabited on 29 August 1930. This podcast features music by Garefowl - Cumha Hirteach (Cliffs) is a reinterpretation of a traditional St Kildan folk song.
19 August 2020 marks the 275th anniversary of the Raising of the Jacobite Standard by Charles Edward Stuart at Glenfinnan. Professor Murray Pittock, Trustee and history advisor to the National Trust for Scotland, takes Jackie Bird through this hugely important moment in Scotland's history.
Jackie Bird is joined by Trust supporter and endurance athlete Mark Beaumont, who talks about some of his favourite places in Scotland and why it's important that they're looked after for future generations to experience and enjoy.
Raoul Curtis-Machin, Operations Manager at Culloden, talks to Jackie Bird about the story of Britain's last pitched battle and the findings of the National Trust for Scotland's Culloden 300 consultation.
Jeff Waddell, the National Trust for Scotland's environmental expert takes Jackie Bird on a tour of some of Scotland's most beautiful walking routes and shares the vital work to protect and conserve the country's natural heritage.
Jackie Bird meets the National Trust for Scotland's head of archaeology, Derek Alexander, as he talks about some of his most fascinating finds and why he loves being in the field.