Love Scotland: Stories of Scotland's History and Nature

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...

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 th...

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 f...

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 wh...

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...

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.