Outside In Podcast

John D. Burns talks to Dave Barter about his new book Great Scottish Bike Rides. (Available to pre-order now) Released 6 July. Scotland has some of the most spectacular scenery in the world yet many cyclists have yet to explore its wild roads. David has selected 25 of the finest routes available for all abilities. The book brings together twenty-five carefully curated road routes that showcase the...

Derek Williams Sound Editor John D. Burns talks to Stuart Younie, CEO of Mountaineering Scotland and Ewan Watson, Project Manager for the Outdoor Access Trust Scotland about their three year project to restore the path network on An Teallach, one of Scotland's most iconic mountains. Stuart Younie (Helen Gestwicki) Ewan Watson (James Roddie) Stuart Younie CEO of Mountaineering Scotland said "This c...

For better or worse, the Internet has changed all our lives. Dan Bailey talks to John D. Burns about the influence the influence social media has had on how we relate to the outdoors. Dan is the editor of UKHillwalking and Gear editor for the site, the biggest on line network for climbers and hillwalkers in the UK. A service that has had more influence than any other on the outdoor community in Br...

Sound Editor Derek Williams In this podcast Bobby Motherwell talks to John D. Burns about his deep connection with wild places and how this inspires his music and poetry. There are times we all need to reaffirm our relationship with a timeless landscape. Bobby's writing speaks of how much it means to him not only to be in touch with the hills but also to take time to appreciate the small things li...

Sound editor Derek Williams The development of big wall climbing in Yosemite in the second half of the twentieth century was a seminal moment in the development of of rock climbing. In this podcast Dennis Gray talks about some of the climbers who made those ascents possible and were at the forefront of developing new techniques on the immense Yosemite walls. Dennis Gray Dennis recalls a unique per...

John D. Burns talks to Martyn Howe about his remarkable journey along the King Charles III coastal path. In this interview Martyn reveals an intimate connection with nature inspired by his days walking in the remote areas of Britain's coast. His book is as much about an inward journey to find peace in the natural world as it is about a walk along one of the UK's most varied walks. Sound editor Der...

John D. Burns talks to author and adventurer, Matt Heason, about his new book, Wild Rock, which explores some of the great scrambling routes across the British Isles. Scrambling is best described as moving without ropes across rocky terrain. Fundamentally scrambling is easy rock climbing and is an activity that spans the gap between hill walking and climbing. In writing this book Matt travelled th...

Sound editor Derek Williams One of the things that we often forget when we travel through wilderness areas is the sound of the wild. We often talk about stunning views and the rugged cliffs that we see and perhaps the visual impact of wild places often makes us forget the soundscapes we walk through. In his book, The Edge of Silence, Neil Ansell, explores this world of sound by identifying the ico...

The organisers of Fort William Mountain Festival have announce an exciting line-up for the 2026 programme, taking place in Fort William and across Lochaber, the Outdoor Capital of the UK, from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 February 2026.This year’s festival promises a packed schedule of inspirational speakers, thought-provoking films, creative workshops, outdoor activities, live performance, competitio...

Dennis Gray is a legend of British mountaineering. Now, aged ninety and with failing health, he talks to John D. Burns about his life in the mountains. Despite his years, his intelligence and his love of climbing and the climbers he has known, shines through this interview. Dennis Gray. Photo Ned Kelly From his early beginnings as a boy of eleven when a chance meeting on a bus led him to his first...