Scottish Field
By Scottish Field
Scottish FieldSep 29, 2021
Scottish Field podcast episode 44
Scottish Field is joined by three special guests in this week's podcast.
Our web editor Kenny Smith chats with Scots actor, comedian and writer Sanjeev Kohli, as they discuss how he became a performer and writer, as well as being a voice of a Couch to 5K, the Electric Brae and much more.
Then, we preview the forthcoming Boswell Book Festival, an event in Ayrshire celebrating biography and autobiography, and we speak with husband and wife actors Martin Jarvis and Rosalind Ayres.
Scottish Field podcast episode 43
We've got whisky and writing in the 43rd episode of the Scottish Field podcast.
We're just over two weeks away from the return of the Spirit of Speyside whisky festival. This year, there will be more than five hundred events within the Festival, which runs from 27 April to 2 May.
This year, there's a new chairman at the helm, as George McNeil has taken on the post, and he joins us now, on the Scottish Field podcast.
You can find the Spirit of Speyside whisky festival website at www.spiritofspeyside.com
Our second guest this week is a man who featured on our second-ever podcast, way back in March last year. Now, author D V Bishop is back, to tell us about his new novel, The Darkest Sin, the sequel to the outstanding City of Vengeance.
You can find his website at www.dvbishop.com
Scottish Field podcast episode 42 - NYC Tartan Day Parade and Charles E McGarry
In this week's Scottish Field podcast, we're crossing the Atlantic to find out about the New York City Tartan Day parade, when tens of thousands are expected to attend this weekend's event.
The New York City Tartan Day parade came from humble beginnings. In 1999, two pipe bands and a small but enthusiastic group of Scottish Americans, led by Grand Marshal and Academy Award-winning actor Cliff Robertson, marched from the British Consulate to the UN in the first New York City Tartan Day Parade. Since then, the annual NYC Tartan Day Parade has brought together thousands of people from across NYC, the United States, and Scotland by providing meaningful connections through the celebration of Scottish heritage and culture.
This year's event will seeaward-winning Scottish actress Karen Gillan, famous for Doctor Who, Jumanji and Guardians of the Galaxy star Karen Gillan, as Grand Marshal.
The event, entering its 24th year, will be held in midtown Manhattan on Saturday, April 9, 2022, returning in person for the first time since 2019. Karen will helm the parade, followed by a lively procession of Pipe & Drum bands, Highland dancers, Scottish family clans, Shetlander Vikings and more. The annual celebration of Scottish heritage and culture brings together a rich tapestry of participants along with many thousands of spectators.
Kyle Dawson. President, National Tartan Day New York Committee, spoke with Scottish Field about it.
You can find out more at www.nyctartanweek.org
We're joined by a second guest this week, in author Charles E McGarry. He is the co-author of The Road to Lisbon.
More recently, his Leo Moran series of psychic detective fiction is published by BackPage Press. The Ghost of Helen Addison and The Shadow of the Black Earl were published to rave reviews. The third in the series, The Mystery of the Strange Piper, was released late last year.
Scottish Field podcast episode 41 - The Burrell Collection
Glasgow's Burrell Collection has reopened this week following a £68.25m refurbishment - and we've been along for a look.
The museum, which opened in Pollok Park in 1983, has been closed since October 2016, but as of this week, visitors can view items and collections which have not been seen for decades.
The collection - which includes objects from Europe and Asia, as well as closer to home - was donated to Glasgow by art collector Sir William Burrell in 1944.
We visited the collection before it reopened, and met with David Scott, who is Glasgow Life's digital media manager, about bringing the exhibition into the 21st century.
You can find out more and visit The Burrell Collection website at www.burrellcollection.com
Every month Scottish Field bring you the best of all things Scottish - heritage, interiors, antiques, gardens, wildlife, motoring, whisky and country news, as well as interviews with famous Scots names.
In the April edition we put our magnifying glass on beautiful Perthshire.
The artistic director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre talks with SF about her creative plans for the future, while Perthshire artist Claire Harkess shares how she crafts her beautiful paintings of flora and fauna.
Astrid Wilson goes on a trip down memory lane by revisiting Perthshire, the place she fled to from Estonia.
Just before The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant earned its first Michelin star, the Mystery Diner was treated to a world-class meal, and they share their thoughts.
In our other features, award-winning crime writer Denise Mina speaks of her latest release and her obsession with all things historical, while in our Credo column, leading stage star Maureen Beattie talks of her love of Scotland, then explains why 1Direction singer Harry Styles is her hero.
Landscape and natural history photographer Duncan Fraser seeks to conserve Scotland’s wilderness, while in wildlife, Cal Flyn explains how we can all take action to protect our country’s bumbling pollinators.
And the Bad Girl Bakery’s Jeni Iannetta shares some scrumptious recipes from her new baking bible.
The April edition priced £4.75 is now available in shops and online, and can be purchased from HERE.
Scottish Field podcast episode 40
Scottish Field chief sub-editor Rosie Morton and web editor Kenny Smith go through the April 2022 edition of the magazine and present their highlights.
They look at Perthshire, which features heavily in the magazine, with the Pitlochry Festival Theatre, the Bad Girl Bakery and much more.
And Kenny presents a chat with one of his acting heroes, Paul McGann, who was in Scotland on Sunday for Hippfest, the silent film festival at the Hippodrome Cinema in Bo'ness. The fact he played Doctor Who is an added bonus for Kenny!
Scottish Field podcast episode 39: Sam Heughan
Series six of Outlander is currently showing in the UK on STARZPLAY, starring Sam Heughan once again as Jamie Fraser.
Last year, Scottish Field's chief sub-editor Rosie Morton had a lengthy chat with Sam, and this week, we've compiled the best bits of her chat with Sam into one episode!
So, sit back, relax and enjoy!
Scottish Field podcast episode 38
The Scottish Field podcast is this week joined comedian and farmer Jim Smith, to talk about his first foray into TV presenting, on Loggerheads.
Jim, a farmer in rural Perthshire, is the host of Loggerheads, a new BBC Scotland show, which takes us into the great outdoors and around the Scottish countryside.
It pits two teams against each other in a timed competition to create something spectacular from their freshly felled timber in just 24 hours.
As Jim tell us, to get the feel of it, think of The Great British Bake Off... but with chainsaws!
Every month Scottish Field bring you the best of all things Scottish - heritage, interiors, antiques, gardens, wildlife, motoring, whisky and country news, as well as interviews with famous Scots names.
Our current issue is still in the shops for a couple more days, before the new one is released. If you've not got a copy yet, you'd better hurry down to the shops!
Scottish Field podcast episode 37
We're joined this week by a Scots actress who has been nominated for a prestigious award.
Tracy Wiles grew up on Islay, the daughter of a gamekeeper, is nominated in the Autobiography/Memoir section of the Audio Publishers Association, as the finalists for the 2022 Audie Awards programme was recently revealed, celebrating the best titles in audio publishing and spoken-word entertainment, honouring a varied group of actors, musicians and politicians, ahead of the Audie Awards Gala on March 4 in the USA.
Industry professionals will determine the winners across 25 different categories. Nominees include Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey.
Fits and Starts: A Memoir of Living With Epilepsy was written by Franziska Thomas, and is narrated by Tracy and Franziska. It is published by Almost Tangible, and we have a brief clip from this, courtesy of Almost Tangible.
In the History/Biography section, Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other has been shortlisted, which was written and narrated by Outlander stars Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish, with a foreword written and narrated by Diana Gabaldon
The latest Scottish Field is still in shops, priced £4.75. To find out more about how to subscribe, just visit www.scottishfield.co.uk/subscriptions
Scottish Field podcast episode 36
The best of Scotland is at the heart of the March 2022 edition of Scottish Field, which we discuss in our new podcast - and chat wthcomedy legend Mark Thomas.
Our chief sub Rosie Morton and web editor Scottish Field chat their way through their highlights of the edition. Rosie tells us about when she met Gordon Ramsay, as the straight-talking multi Michelin starred celebrity chef and TV star talks about his new restaurant and why he always loves coming home to Scotland.
JJ Fenton is a Royal Marine turned photography aficionado, and he shares some stunning snaps of Scotland, including the charming coo that graces our cover this month.
We also look at the stories of inspirational Scots who have seen an epic challenge and jumped in head first.
Kenny also speaks with Mark Thomas about his latest show 50 Things About Us, which combines his trademark mix of storytelling, stand-up, mischief and really, really well researched material to examine how we have come to inhabit the United Kingdom - and asks how united it really is in 2022.
Mark will also be bringing the highlights of his TV show The Mark Thomas Comedy Product to Scotland, in which he looks back at the best moments from the Channel 4 programme which exposed arms deals and other corruptions in public lift.
Please note: this chat briefly includes some very strong language.
The March edition priced £4.75 is now available in shops and online, and can be purchased from HERE.
Scottish Field podcast episode 35
Scottish Field has two guests in our 35th podcast episode.
Our first guest this week is a John Savournin, who's directing a new Scottish Opera Highlights production, which is touring to 18 venues around the country this spring.
Starting on February 8 at Websters Theatre in Glasgow’s West End the tour visits Birnam, Midmar, Fochabers, Tain, Wick, Harris, North Uist, Isle of Barra, Ardfern, Lochranza, Cove, Newton Stewart, Melrose, Lockerbie, Troon, Killin and finishes at Cumbernauld Theatre on 19 March.
John directs a cast that includes Scottish soprano Monica McGhee, former Scottish Opera Emerging Artists Margo Arsane and Shengzhi Ren, who were both in Così fan tutte earlier this year, and Dan Shelvey (The Gondoliers 2021). This is a great chance for audiences to see Margo and Shengzhi perform in Opera Highlights, as they were originally scheduled to take part in the tour last year, before it was cancelled because of the pandemic. Mark Sandon joins the singers as pianist and Music Director.
The Edwardian-inspired production, designed by Janis Hart, is an opportunity to hear a whole range of music in just one evening, and curated by Scottish Opera’s Head of Music Derek Clark. audiences can enjoy much-loved classics including Hansel & Gretel, Die Fledermaus and La bohème, as well as lesser known gems. The production also features the world premiere of a new piece by Scottish composer, Lucie Treacher. The quartet, entitled ‘To the Lighthouse’, weaves together scenes from the 1927 novel by Virginia Woolf.
Tickets are on sale now for the new vaudeville-inspired show at www.scottishopera.org.uk
Our second guest is someone who's represented his country on the football field.
The board of Walker’s Shortbread Ltd last week announced that Nicky Walker has been appointed managing director with immediate effect.
Nicky had a career as a footballer, which started in Leicester, took him to Motherwell, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness and Dingwall, playing in goal for clubs including Motherwell, Rangers, Partick Thistle, Hearts, Aberdeen and Ross Country, before retiring in 2002 after a spell with Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Nicky joined the family firm 25 years ago, was appointed to the Board in 2007 as production director and has been instrumental, working alongside his late father, Joe, in developing the company’s world-class facilities in Aberlour and Elgin.
But, of course, Nicky had a career of his own before joining the family firm, which was founded in 1898 by Joseph Walker in the Speyside village of Aberlour, with the ambition to bake ‘The World’s Finest Shortbread’.
Walker’s products are now sold all over the world and the company bakes the most extensive selection of pure butter shortbreads available, as well as producing a wide range of other Scottish delicacies.
The company employs over 1400 people across its sites in Elgin and Aberlour and holds a Royal Warrant for Shortbread & Oatcakes, by appointment to Her Majesty the Queen.
You can order the latest Scottish Field, priced £4.75, or subscribe, at www.scottishfield.co.uk/subscriptions
Scottish Field podcast episode 34
Comedian Ed Byrne joins the Scottish Field podcast for a chat this week.
A TV household name, Ed has been seen on pretty much every TV programme in the UK including Mock The Week, Top Gear, Have I Got News For You, The Graham Norton Show, Live At The Apollo, The One Show and The Great British Bake Off.
He's returning to Scotland next month with his show If I'm Honest..., where he takes a long hard look at himself and tries to decide if he has any traits that are worth passing on to his children.
Ed, who's one of the UK’s finest observational comics, tells us why he's delighted to be back on the road with his biggest tour to date.
If you're a fan of Ed, you may well have seen him at the festival in Edinburgh in 2019 when he debuted this show, but, thanks to the pandemic, it's been on hold for a long time.
He will be in Stirling at the Macrobert Arts Centre on February 26, then in March, he'll be in Perth on the 9th, Motherwell 10th, Dunfermline 11th, Aberdeen 12th and Inverness 13th.
You can find out more about his tour and where to get tickets from his website, which is www.edbyrne.com
We also tell you about our February 2022 edition, in which we dangle from Scotland’s sea cliffs with rock climbing enthusiast Guy Robertson, and meet one of the hardest working women on Tiree, local crofter Rhoda Meek, who has taken on Airbnb.
We chat with Perthshire’s Michael Yellowlees, who, with his four-legged friend Luna, completed a 5000-mile trek across Canada, and ask if the real Macbeth would please stand up. Having been made out to be a villainous, tyrannical king, there was much more to Macbeth than meets the eye.
All this and much more is in the latest Scottish Field, priced £4.75. To find out more about how to subscribe, just visit www.scottishfield.co.uk/subscriptions
Scottish Field podcast episode 33
Scottish Field's podcast returns for its first episode of 2022 - and we're rambling on!
This week, we're joined by actor Iain Robertson, who played Lex in cult Glasgow gang film, Small Faces, played Gash in Rab C. Nesbitt, and is currently Stevie O'Hara in River City.
Last year, you may have seen two episodes of Iain Robertson Rambles, in which he tackled the West Highland Way.
Now, the show has returned with a new six part series, this time tackling two long distance walks.
First off, Iain takes on the daunting 215 mile challenge of the Southern Upland Way. Trekking Scotland from the west coast to the east he sets off from Portpatrick.
Later in the series he takes on an extended version of the Speyside Way, from source to sea and tacking on a stretch of the Moray Coast Trail.
We join Iain as he rambles his way through some of the most incredible scenery Scotland has to offer.
He treats us to his unique and irreverent perspective and shares the sights and hidden gems he discovers, including remote and charming bothies and some diversions off the beaten track.
You can find Iain Robertson Rambles on BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer HERE.
We also tell you about our February 2022 edition, in which we dangle from Scotland’s sea cliffs with rock climbing enthusiast Guy Robertson, and meet one of the hardest working women on Tiree, local crofter Rhoda Meek, who has taken on Airbnb.
We chat with Perthshire’s Michael Yellowlees, who, with his four-legged friend Luna, completed a 5000-mile trek across Canada, and ask if the real Macbeth would please stand up. Having been made out to be a villainous, tyrannical king, there was much more to Macbeth than meets the eye.
All this and much more is in the latest Scottish Field, priced £4.75. To find out more about how to subscribe, just visit www.scottishfield.co.uk/subscriptions
Scottish Field podcast episode 32
Scottish Field meets the Scots composer who has worked one of this year's big Christmas TV specials, in our latest podcast.
This week our guest is Blair Mowat. Blair, originally from Edinburgh, spoke with Scottish Field from his home in Los Angeles about his career so far, being nominated for a BAFTA award, and working on The Amazing Mr Blunden for Sky, the music for which was recorded in Glasgow.
Sky's new adaptation of 1970s classic The Amazing Mr Blunden is a yuletide ghost story with a time-travel twist, adapted by League of Gentlemen and Sherlock star Mark Gatiss, with music from Blair, who has worked on a host of other programmes, including Doctor Who, its spin off Class, and documentaries by David Attenborough, and another on a fellow Scot, Andrew Carnegie.
You can find out more about Blair and his work at www.blairmowat.co.uk.
To find out more about how to subscribe, to Scottish Field, just visit www.scottishfield.co.uk/subscriptions
Scottish Field podcast episode 31
Scottish Field would cycle 500 miles, and we would cycle 500 more... just to be the podcast that brings something new and exciting to your door!
The 31st Scottish Field podcast sees us meet two members of the Adventure Syndicate.
This week our guests are Alice Lemkes and Philippa Battye, who tell us about their cycling adventure to recreate the 1936 cycling and Hostelling holiday of Mary Harvie.
As part of their 90th anniversary celebrations and in support of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022, Hostelling Scotland have teamed up with the Adventure Syndicate, a group of female adventurers and storytellers who promote mental and physical wellbeing through their outdoor endeavours, to recreate an epic 500-mile cycle and youth hostelling adventure.
The original two-week, two wheeled holiday was carried out by 17-year-old hosteller Mary Harvie, from Shotts in North Lanarkshire, with her two older sisters, Ella and Jean, in 1936. This epic journey, that began in Glasgow and saw the women explore the North West Highlands, Skye, Highland Perthshire, and Stirlingshire, was documented in Mary’s diary.
Now, their route has been partly followed - and partly improvised on - in the 21st century by a trio of cyclists from The Adventure SYndicate, Lee Craigie, Alice Lemkes, and Phillipa Battye from the Adventure Syndicate set out from Glasgow Youth Hostel on their own seven-day, 500-mile, on and off-road cycle adventure, an appreciation of the Harvie sisters’ incredible cycling trip.
You can find out more about The Adventure Syndicate at www.theadventuresyndicate.com, and for more details about Hostelling Scotland, their website is www.hostellingscotland.org.uk.
To find out more about how to subscribe to Scottish Field, just visit www.scottishfield.co.uk/subscriptions
Scottish Field podcast episode 30
The Scottish Field podcast this wees chats with an author who had a five-star review in our own pages.
This week our guest is John Gerard Fagan. Readers of Scottish Field may recognise his name, as he was the author of the book Fish Town, which received a five-star review in our October edition.
Fish Town, which was released through Guts Publishing, tells John's story, having been workinh in factories and call centres or unemployed. Approaching 30 and disillusioned with life in Glasgow, he sold everything heI had and left for a new life in a remote fishing village in Japan. He knew nothing of the language or the strange new land that he would call home for the next seven years. Fish Town is an eye-opening true story that paints the reality of living in Japan as an outsider.
This debut memoir, written entirely on his phone, reads like a book of poetry or perhaps a long text message, and captures the experience of a Scottish man living in Japan - with humor, wit and honesty.
John appears this Sunday on the Big Scottish Book Club, reading a short extract from the book, as host Damian Barr chats with guests including former Scots Makar Jackie Kay, and the one and only Miriam Margolyes.
At the end of the episode, John read a short extract from his book, and now, in this week's Scottish Field podcast, he tells us how the whole book came about, how he enjoyed reading his book in front of Harry Potter and Blackadder star Miriam, and much more.
You can buy the latest issue of Scottish Field, priced £4.75. To find out more about how to subscribe, just visit www.scottishfield.co.uk/subscriptions
Scottish Field podcast episode 29
This week we're talking chocolate on the Scottish Field podcast.
We meet Pure Heavenly founder, Stephen Conway, was inspired to launch the brand for his daughters, who are both dairy and gluten intolerant. He's created a bar that's got less than 1% sugar, and no dairy, gluten, soy or palm oil - and is made in Arbroath
We discuss our December issue, which highlights the best of the best in Scotland, whether food, drink, places to stay, and incredible items to purchase.
Our Christmas issue, which is packed full of festive gift ideas - for him, for her, for your pets, and everyone else.
We also mark 150 years since Henry Morgan Stanley found the missing Dr David Livingstone in Africa, and speak with Grant MacKenzie, interim director of the the David Livingstone Birthplace Museum, which re-opened in July this year after a lengthy £9.1 million revamp.
All this and much more is in the latest Scottish Field, priced £4.75.
Scottish Field podcast episode 28
The 28th Scottish Field podcast is just murder to listen to…
This week, we tell you about a fantastic crime writing competition which you could enter – and win £1000 with Glencairn Crystal.
For the past two years, the world’s favourite whisky glass – The Glencairn Glass – has featured as headline sponsor of the prestigious McIlvanney and Bloody Scotland Debut crime-writing prizes, celebrating the finest in Scottish crime writing talent.
The Glencairn Glass is building on this creative collaboration by launching its very own crime short story competition, in partnership with Scottish Field.
The Glencairn Glass is looking to celebrate up-and-coming literary talent through this exclusive competition, which is open for entries until December 31, inviting all budding crime writers to build their stories around the theme: ‘A Crystal-Clear Crime’ in no more than 2000 words.
The judging panel for the inaugural competition will comprise Deborah Masson, 2020 winner of the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year with her book ‘Hold Your Tongue’, Peter Ranscombe, Scottish Field’s drinks columnist and author of the historical thriller ‘Hare’, as well as Glencairn’s marketing director Gordon Brown, who has written eight crime novels with his latest, ‘Thirty-One Bones’, written under the pseudonym Morgan Cry. Gordon is also one of the founding directors of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival.
All short story entries must be uploaded at www.whiskyglass.com/crime-short-story-competition with the competition closing at midnight on the Friday December 31 2021.
Our current issue also features Scotland’s national drink, as chief sub editor Rosie Morton and web editor Kenny Smith discuss the Scottish Field whisky challenge.
Scottish Field podcast episode 27
This week's Scottish Field podcast marks an important moment in history.
One hundred and fifty years to the day since Henry Morgan Stanley found the missing Dr David Livingstone in Africa, and reputedly greeted him with the words 'Dr Livingston, I presume?', we commemorate the life of the great Scottish explorer.
From his humble beginnings in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, we speak with Grant MacKenzie, interim director of the the David Livingstone Birthplace Museum, which re-opened in July this year after a lengthy £9.1 million revamp.
Grant talks us through the highlights of Livingstone's life, and puts his life in context, revealing how he fought against the slave trade.
Scottish Field's Kenny Smith and Rosie Morton also discuss our latest edition, our Christmas issue, which is packed full of festive gift ideas.
Scottish Field podcast episode 26
The December issue of Scottish Field will be appearing in shops any day now, and this week we preview one of the features in it.
We look at Dr David Livingstone, the famous Scots explorer. This month marks 150 years since four of the most famous words ever uttered between two people are reputed to have been said - 'Dr Livingstone, I presume?'
It was on November 10, 1871, when Scots explorer Livingstone, who had been missing in the deepest depths of Africa for six years, met New York Herald journalist Henry Morton Stanley who, according to legend, greeted the Scotsman with the now legendary phrase.
You can read this feature, and much more, in the latest Scottish Field, priced £4.75. To find out more about how to subscribe, just visit www.scottishfield.co.uk/subscriptions
We also have a chat with Damian Barr, host of the Big Scottish Book Club, currently airing at 10pm on BBC Scotland on Sundays. Each week, he is joined by three guests to discuss their work, in themed episodes.
The show is a must-watch for bibliophiles, and here, we speak with Damian, who was our first guest back on episode one of the podcast talking about BBC Scotland's Shelf Isolation series.
Scottish Field podcast episode 25
Halloween is on the way - we're going to be getting in the mood for the spooky season in our latest podcast.
In our podcast today, we're heading to Kilduff Farm in East Lothian.
Kilduff farm is located in East Lothian, in between Haddington and North Berwick and home to our guest today, Lucy Calder, as well as her husband Russell, and their three children, Maisie, Louisa and Charlie.
Literally thousands of pumpkins are grown at Kilduff Farm each year, and Lucy tells us about the process - and the fact that there's much more to this fruit than just carving it for October 31. You can find out more at www.kilduff.co.uk
Don't forget, you can still buy the latest Scottish Field, our November green-themed issue, priced £4.75, which is still in shops. To find out more about how to subscribe, just visit www.scottishfield.co.uk/subscriptions
Scottish Field podcast episode 24
We're going green and heading to the great outdoors in the latest Scottish Field podcast.
Our November issue is currently in shops, as every month Scottish Field bring you the best of all things Scottish - heritage, interiors, antiques, gardens, wildlife, motoring, whisky and country news, as well as interviews with famous Scots names.
Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, Scottish Field goes green as we look at the issues affecting Scotland today. We travel all over the country this month as we look at what Scots are doing to battle the danger of climate change across the land, in various forms.
This month, Aberdeenshire- based Martin Bennie tells of the meditative qualities of landscape photography, we look at twelve of the most forward-thinking enterprises tackling the climate crisis head-on, while Alladale’s zero-waste Aquaponic Gardens is proof that ecology and entrepreneurialism can work hand-in-hand.
All this and much more is in the latest Scottish Field, with 164 packed pages, priced £4.75. To find out more about how to subscribe, just visit www.scottishfield.co.uk/subscriptions
Joining us as our special guest today are wildlife filmmaker Andrew O’Donnell and his colleague Mark Taylor, whose TV adventures in the wilds of Scotland are currently on our screens each Wednesday at 8pm on BBC Scotland.
A first series of Roaming in the Wild grew out of short online pieces Andrew made for BBC Scotland’s The Social. The first three-part series featured Andrew and Mark’s travels across Rannoch Moor, Lochaber and across the north of Scotland from John O’Groats to Cape Wrath. For the second series, the run has doubled and the two friends are taking an amble across the country, camping and walking and canoeing but all at a leisurely pace.
Their travels in this new series include the Borders, Assynt, Cairngorms, Loch Shiel, and Loch Ness, starting in the first episode with a bit more of an urban foray down the River Kelvin to Glasgow.
Scottish Field podcast episode 23
We've got a bumper podcast for you this week.
We chat with actor Mark Bonnar, who's starred in some of the biggest shows on TV, including Line of Duty, Casualty and Doctor Who, and is about to return for the second season of Guilt, as well as the sixth run of Shetland.
And we also meet Kathi Kamleitner, who hosts and writes a podcast, Wild for Scotland, as well as her own travel blog.
We've a packed 40 minute episode for you to enjoy.
Scottish Field podcast episode 22
The Scottish Field podcast turns to the world of music this week, as we preview the return of Scottish Opera.
Podcast host Kenny Smith meets Derek Clark, head of music at Scottish Opera, ahead of their imminent productions of The Gondoliers and Utopia, Limited.
A new Scottish Opera production of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Gondoliers opens at Theatre Royal Glasgow on Saturday 16 October before touring to Edinburgh, Inverness and London's Hackney Empire for a total of 24 performances.
To find out dates and venues of the upcoming productions, visit www.scottishopera.org.uk
Every month Scottish Field bring you the best of all things Scottish - heritage, interiors, antiques, gardens, wildlife, motoring, whisky and country news, as well as interviews with famous Scots names.
And each year our October issue highlights the best of the best in Scotland, and is still available now
The latest Scottish Field, with 292 packed pages, is priced £4.75. To find out more about how to subscribe, just visit www.scottishfield.co.uk/subscriptions
Scottish Field podcast episode 21
The Scottish Field podcast is this week joined by Edinburgh resident and explorer Mollie Hughes.
Mollie became the youngest woman to ski solo from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole in early 2020, and is the first woman president of Scouts Scotland.
She is backing a major TV, radio and digital campaign to encourage people across Scotland to come together to tackle the climate emergency has been launched ahead of COP26 in Glasgow later this year.
The Let’s do Net Zero campaign highlights the benefits a net zero society will bring for our economy, health and environment.
It also aims to raise greater awareness of the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, and the transformation that is required across all corners of our economy and society in order to end Scotland’s contribution to climate change.
You can find out more about Mollie, her exploits and her work at www.molliehughes.co.uk, and you can find out more about the campaign at www.netzeronation.scot.
Podcast host also Kenny Smith chats about the current edition of Scottish Field, our annual luxury edition, which brings you the best of all things Scottish - heritage, interiors, antiques, gardens, wildlife, motoring, whisky and country news.
Scottish Field podcast episode 20
The Scottish Field podcast this week marks our annual luxury edition.
Join chief sub Rosie Morton and web editor Kenny Smith, as they chat about the contents of this month's bumper 292 page edition.
They reveal their highlights of the edition, celebrating the very best in all things Scottish - heritage, interiors, antiques, gardens, wildlife, motoring, whisky and country news.
Rosie reveals which whisky she recently discovered, while Kenny shares the mixer that he likes with his.
Later on, Kenny has a chat with Stuart Leslie, the head chef at the Cook School Scotland in Kilmarnock, where he headed to do some hands on cooking.
Scottish Field podcast episode 19
In this week's edition, we celebrate the south of Scotland in our September issue, which is still in shops, priced £4.75.
We're also joined by Glenys Andrews, president of Perthshire Open Studios. The organisers of Perthshire Open Studios have revealed the 200 artists and makers taking part in this year’s nine-day event.
They include everyone from painters and photographers through to jewellers, furniture makers, ceramicists and many more.
Visitors will be able to meet them and see their work in 140 different locations across every part of Perthshire and Kinross-shire and the brand new Perthshire Open Studios website has eight suggested routes to follow in order to get the very best from the event.
Taking place from 4-12 September, everything has been organised with COVID safety in mind.
Scottish Field podcast episode 18
It's back - the Scottish Field podcast has returned after a short summer break.
In our 18th edition, Scottish Field chief sub Rosie Morton and web editor Kenny Smith discuss the September issue of the magazine, which is currently on sale.
This edition looks at the south of the nation, and highlights its famous sights and people, past and present.
They mention our celebration of one of the most famous sons of the south, as we celebrate 250 years of Sir Walter Scott, the man who ‘invented’ Scotland.
And they also discuss our interview with writer and historian Alistair Moffat, who tells us how he is always happiest in his Borders home.
They also mention the Mystery Diner's latest foray, as he ventures to try Nick Nairn's latest restaurant in Stirlingshire, Nairns at Port of Menteith.
Then, Kenny has a chat with Scots actress Joyce Falconer, about her earliest jobs, appearing in Taggart, and her imminent return to BBC Scotland soap River City.
Scottish Field podcast episode 17
If you like your gin and competitive sport, then this week's Scottish Field podcast is just the one for you.
This week, our podcast sees Scottish Field's own John Boyle join web editor Kenny Smith, as they have a chat about the magazine's annual gin challenge.
The 2021 results appear in this month's magazine, where you can find out who the winners are in the three categories.
If you love your Scottish sport, then you'll be interested learn that filming of The Great Game, the feature-length documentary telling the story of the first rugby international, is underway. This match held in March 1871 between Scotland and England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh.
The film will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of international rugby, and will follow the development of international rugby from its birth in Edinburgh across the world.
Joining us to talk about it is one of the creative forces behind the project, Richard Bath, a respected voice and authority on rugby - and he's also the editor of... Scottish Field!
Scottish Field podcast episode 16
This week's edition of the podcast is co-hosted by Scottish Field chief sub Rosie Morton and web editor Kenny Smith.
The dynamic duo discuss and digest the contents of the August edition of the magazine, which is available now, priced £4.75.
They highlight their favourite features this month, including some stunning photography, seafood recipes and book reviews, and columnist Guy Grieve pops by to share his thoughts and preview his feature.
Later, Kenny chats with writer Alison Page, who has written three books based on her late West Highland Terrier, Corrie, The Westie Fest, Curling Capers and The Tattoo Toorie.
Scottish Field podcast episode 15
Scottish Field's award-winning columnist Guy Grieve joins us in this week's episode of the podcast, to chat about his life as a scallop fisherman.
Also popping by for a chat is Alistair Moffat, who tells us why, after years writing factual books, he's dipped his toe into the water to write fiction for the first time.
Scottish Field podcast episode 14
Scottish Field's weekly podcast goes inside our own website this week, as well as highlighting a fascinating new podcast series.
Website editor Kenny Smith chats about what goes into the making of our site, and how it reflects the magazine, as we have sections covering homes and gardens, food and drink, the outdoors, travel, culture, fashion and beauty, and living, as well as other sections, such as for competitions and subscriptions.
Our guest this week is Col Gordon, who is set to present a new podcast, Landed - a personal exploration of land ownership and colonial legacy, from the point of view of a Scottish farmer’s son as he returns home to his family farm.
Launching on 29 June, Landed, by Farmerama Radio is produced by Katie Revell and Col, a 34-year-old baker and seed researcher who grew up on a 270 acre livestock farm in the Highlands - an area known to have the highest concentration of land ownership in Western Europe.
For more details, you can also visit www.farmerama.co
Scottish Field podcast episode 13
In our 13th edition of the Scottish Field podcast, Morag Bootland has a chat with actress Kate Dickie. She is known for her television roles as Lex in the BBC series Tinsel Town and Lysa Arryn in the cult series Game of Thrones.
More of this interview appears in the July issue of Scottish Field, which is in shops now.
And later, Simon Welfare discusses his new book Fortune's Many Houses, a unique and fascinating look at Victorian society through the remarkable lives of an enlightened and philanthropic aristocratic couple, the Marquess and Marchioness of Aberdeen. They tried to change the world for the better but paid a heavy price. This is a true tale of love and loss, fortune and misfortune.
Scottish Field podcast episode 12
This week, we're joined by Scottish Field's Morag Bootland to chat about our July issue, which is out this week.
We discuss Olive, Mabel and Me, our lead feature this month, which highlights the book looking at the pet dogs of TV sports commentator Andrew Cotter.
We also enjoy some of the fantastic food on offer in Edinburgh as brunch has become the new thing post-lockdown, and as well as learning about Scotland's ice age survivor, the Ferox Trout.
Our second guest Peter Wohlleben joins us from his home in Germany as the bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees, has written a new book, Heartbeat of Trees.
Drawing on new scientific discoveries, The Heartbeat of Trees reveals the profound interactions humans can have with nature, exploring the language of the forest, the consciousness of plants, and the eroding boundary between flora and fauna.
Peter's book is receiving a virtual launch in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh and Portobello Bookshop. This is the UK launch event and will take place on Thursday 10 June at 7pm when he will be in conversation with David Knott and Vicky Allan.
You can find out more from at https://theportobellobookshop.com/event/the-heartbeat-of-trees/
Scottish Field podcast episode 11
Scottish Field's weekly podcast returns with its eleventh edition.
This week, we're joined by Fiona Armstrong, one of Scottish Field's regular columnists, who is also the wife of a Scots clan chief.
And later Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, the principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Glasgow, to tells us how they are continuing to produce the next generation of actors, musicians, dancers, film makers and more. You can find out more from at www.rcs.ac.uk
We also have two special subscription offers. You can subscribe to the print magazine for £10.69 per quarter, saving 25% on the cover price or the magazine.
Or, for just £50 you get a three-year digital subscription and a free bottle of Arran Malt while stocks last. If you enter the code Maclean, £10 will be donated to the Duart Castle roof restoration appeal for each subscription purchased. Scottish Field is proudly supporting this year's Maclean Gathering, normally held on the Isle of Mull. To register to attend for FREE, which open online on Tuesday June 8, visit www.macleangatherings.com
Just visit www.scottishfield.co.uk/subscriptions
Scottish Field podcast episode 10
In the tenth Scottish Field podcast, we're heading to the east coast.
This week, we're joined by Rosie Morton, the chief sub-editor at Scottish Field, to tell us about her recent trip when she went foraging for seaweed with East Neuk Seaweed's Jayson Byles in Fife.
You can read all about it in the current edition of the magazine, and find out more about Anstruther-based East Neuk Seaweed at www.eastneukseaweed.com
And also joining us is Alison Elliott, the manager of Murton Farm, Tearoom and Nature Reserve, and chair of the Angus Tourism Cooperative
From vast sandy beaches to historic Pictish stones, Arbroath Smokies to wildlife hot spots like Montrose Basin, Visit Angus has today launched the Insider’s Guide to Angus – 100 Unmissable Experiences, shining a light on the vast range of attractions Angus has to offer.
You can find out more from at www.visitangus.com/insiders-guide
Scottish Field podcast episode nine
The ninth episode of the Scottish Field podcast brings you more exclusive interviews and chat.
This week you can find out about the Scottish Field whisky challenge and how to join us for the awards night, as well as how to take advantage of a special offer to subscribe to our digital edition - AND get a free book.
John Boyle, Scottish Field's man for all things whisky, spirits and drink, joins us to chat about the whisky challenge and tells us how YOU could be there when the winners are revealed (and you can join us by clicking HERE).
He also tells us about the Cask & Still app, which is the perfect companion for any trip to Scotland, and you can download it HERE for Android from the Google Play store, or HERE for the Apple app store.
Later, popping in will be Elizabeth Newman, Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s artistic director, who will be telling us about their events over the summer months.
It's all in this week's episode!
Scottish Field podcast episode eight
The June edition of Scottish Field is now available in shops and to order online, and this week, we're joined for the very first time on the podcast by the man responsible for ensuring that we have a magazine to read each month, our editor, Richard Bath. Also popping in is Gordon Bruce, the Knockdhu Distillery manager, who is also the host of a new monthly podcast series from anCnoc whisky.
Scottish Field podcast episode seven
Scottish Field talks Bond, James Bond, with actor Sam Heughan in this week's podcast.
We present the final excerpt from Rosie Morton's exclusive chat with the Outlander star, which is in our May 2021 edition which is still in shops and available to buy digitally online.
Sam has been tipped to take over the dinner suit and Aston Martin from Daniel Craig, by playing 007, and he reveals his favourite actor to play the part, and comment on rumours linking him with the world-famous role.
Our second guest this is Fiona MacKinnon, from the Perthshire Festival of the Arts.
Each May, the festival becomes a highlight in Scotland’s cultural calendar. With performances in Perth Theatre, Perth Concert Hall and other venues, the Festival features the best in classical music, opera, theatre, rock, folk, jazz, comedy, literature and visual art.
This year's event is taking place virtually, from May 20-29. You can find out more at www.perthfestival.co.uk
Scottish Field podcast episode six
We head to Orkney to meet Scottish Field's wildlife writer Cal Flyn, we have another excerpt from Rosie Morton's exclusive chat with Outlander star Sam Heughan, which is in our latest edition that's still in shops, as well as meeting book publisher Kay Hutchison. And we'll have a some brief clips of Scots actors Bill Paterson and the late, great John Sessions too!
We also have very a special subscription offer, which is valid until the end of May 2021. For just £50 you get a three-year digital subscription and a free hardback copy of Sam Heughan’s book Clanlands (worth £20), while stocks last.
To subscribe and access this very special offer, visit https://www.mymagazinesub.co.uk/scottish-field/promo/clubsub01
Scottish Field podcast episode five
This week, we get green fingers as we speak with Scottish Field's garden writer Antoinette Galbraith, we have more of Rosie Morton's exclusive chat with Sam, as well as meeting Brian Cunningham, who is not only the head gardener at Scone Palace, but is one of the presenters on BBC Scotland's Beechgrove.
This week's episode also features a special offer where, until the end of May 2021 we are offering a very special subscription deal on Scottish Field, Scotland's finest monthly lifestyle magazine. For just £50 you get a three-year digital subscription and a free hardback copy of Outlander star Sam Heughan’s book Clanlands (worth £20), while stocks last. Our current issue features an exclusive eight-page interview with Sam, as well as in-depth and lavishly illustrated features on Scottish life and heritage from the nation’s finest writers and photographers. To subscribe and access this very special offer, visit https://www.mymagazinesub.co.uk/scottish-field/promo/clubsub01
Scottish Field podcast episode four
Podcast host Kenny Smith is joined by Scottish Field's chief sub-editor Rosie Morton, who talks about her recent interview with Outlander star Sam Heughan, and we hear from the man himself. Sam is the main interviewee in the May 2021 issue, which is available now in print and digital versions, and we bring you an excerpt of our exclusive chat with him, in which he talks about growing up in the south of Scotland, coming home after shooting in America, and how Outlander has changed his life.
We also speak to Roy Dennis, an ornithologist, conservationist and arguably the driving force behind the UK’s reintroduction agenda, about his new book which is out this month, Restoring the Wild: Sixty Years of Rewilding Our Skies, Woods and Waterways.
Scottish Field podcast episode three
In our third Scottish Field podcast, we bring you a look at the contents of the May edition of the magazine, which includes an exclusive interview with Outlander's Scottish star Sam Heughan, who plays Jamie Fraser in the internationally-acclaimed drama - and we feature a brief excerpt from it this week. Rosie Morton and Kenny Smith discuss their highlights of the magazine, which is now in the shops, priced £4.75.
We're also joined by architect Michael Angus, who is one of the judges on Scotland's Home of the Year, with the new series starting on BBC Scotland this week. The new 10-part series begins at 8pm tonight, Wednesday, April 7, and we spoke with Michael, who, in his day job, is a Senior Teaching Fellow in Architecture at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.
Scottish Field podcast episode two
The second episode of the Scottish Field podcast sees web editor and podcast host Kenny Smith joined by Peter Ranscombe. Peter, the magazine's wine expert, shares his experiences of how he became an authority in the field, as well as the drinks that he most enjoys - and if James Bond is right to judge whether someone is a gentlemen or not, depending on whether they take red wine with fish...
Kenny also speaks with author David Bishop about his new novel, City of Vengeance, which has recently been released. David's book was completed with the assistance of the Scottish Book Trust, which saw him spending time in France to write it.
Scottish Field podcast episode one
In the first episode of Scottish Field's podcast, web editor Kenny Smith and writer Stephanie Abbot look through the April 2021 edition of the magazine, picking out their highlights. Steph also shares her experiences of wild swimming, which feature in the print edition. Later, Kenny is joined by Damian Barr, the host of BBC Scotland's Shelf Isolation, to discuss the second run of the series, as well as his highlights from the first.