Love Scotland: Stories of Scotland's History and Nature

Apr 25 2024 255
Love Scotland: Stories of Scotland's History and Nature Podcast artwork

Love Scotland is a podcast series from the National Trust for Scotland. Hosted by TV star, expert broadcaster and National Trust for Scotland president Jackie Bird, Love Scotland features big names, experts and enthusiasts from all walks of life. Each episode delves deep into the detail of Scotland’s history, its wildlife and its landscapes. This season, listen out for episodes on Mary Queen of Scots, Robert the Bruce and a dive into the world of the Georgian Tea Room.

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A beginner's guide to Scotland's early monarchs

Apr 25 2024 31 mins  
So far this series we’ve looked at two of Scotland’s most famous monarchs: Robert the Bruce and Mary, Queen of Scots. Today, we step back further in time to meet the rulers whose names have become more forgotten to time. Helping Jackie to acquaint herself with the earliest kings and queens of Scotland is Richard Oram, a professor of medieval and environmental history at Stirlin

The Afterlife of Mary, Queen of Scots

Apr 17 2024 42 mins  
Arguably the most famous monarch in Scottish history, Mary, Queen of Scots remains a figure of global intrigue more than 400 years after her death. One question, then: why? In a previous episode of Love Scotland, Jackie explored the life and times of Mary. Today, she’s on a mission to find out why Mary’s story and legacy have been pored over in such detail for centuries. Joinin

Robert the Bruce: Battles of a King

Apr 12 2024 30 mins  
In the second part of a two-episode biography of Robert the Bruce’s life, Jackie returns to the studio with Professor Dauvit Broun of the University of Glasgow. Last week, we looked at the early life of Robert and how his canny abilities, not to mention his tendency to switch allegiance at opportune moments, helped him to secure power. But what came next? Picking up their convers

Robert the Bruce: Fact and Fiction

Apr 05 2024 26 mins  
Welcome to a new series of Love Scotland. In this week’s episode, Jackie is joined by Professor Dauvit Broun of the University of Glasgow to discuss the life of Robert the Bruce. Robert, King of Scots from 1306-1329, led a fascinating life full of changing allegiances, shifting power and military victories. How much of our common understanding of this Scottish ruler is based in

Season 8 Trailer

Mar 29 2024
Jackie gives a brief introduction to brand-new season of the Love Scotland podcast. We're going across the centuries to delve into the stories of Mary Queen of Scots and Robert the Bruce, then skipping ahead to the tales of the Georgian Tea Room. Jackie also hears from the Trust's archaeology team about wartime relics beind unearthed across the country.

For Auld Lang Syne: how a song of friendship became a global anthem

Dec 15 2023 39 mins  
As another series of Love Scotland draws to a close, Jackie gathers two companions to discuss the “song that everybody sings”: Auld Lang Syne. With lyrics penned by Robert Burns in 1788, but origins dating back further, it is now a global anthem of friendship, celebration, yearning and nostalgia. Mairi Campbell, a Scottish musician whose version of the song appeared in the Se

Winter wildlife at St Abb's Head: Scottish Borders seal pups recover after Storm Arwen

Dec 08 2023 29 mins  
Seals and other winter wildlife at St Abb’s Head This week, Jackie makes a return to St Abb’s Head in the Scottish Borders, just months after she last visited to investigate the summer’s avian flu outbreak. In the winter, many of the seabirds may have disappeared – but there are still a lot to be found. Joined once again by Head Ranger Ciaran Hatsell, Jackie spends some tim

The story of Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, and why the wife of architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh deserves equal recognition

Dec 01 2023 36 mins  
While Charles Rennie Mackintosh has become a singular icon in Scottish art, his legacy is so almighty that in many accounts, the achievements and contributions of his wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, are often overlooked. Described by Charles as being “more than half – she is three quarters – of all I’ve done”, Margaret’s artwork, and her place in the Glasgow art sc

Scottish castles: a complete history of iconic historic buildings and their role in Scotland's story

Nov 24 2023 30 mins  
The National Trust for Scotland cares for a dozen Scottish castles, all of which have unique histories and origins. In this week’s episode, Jackie sits down with author Janet Brennan-Inglis, who also chairs the Trust’s Galloway group, to discuss some of these buildings and their influence on Scotland’s story. Janet also guides Jackie through the tale of MacGibbon and Ross,

The colourful case of Osgood Mackenzie, plant pioneer and creator of Inverewe garden

Nov 17 2023 30 mins  
The Case of Osgood Mackenzie This week, Jackie’s turning her attention to Inverewe Garden in the northwest highlands. A tropical oasis bolstered by the nearby gulfstream, it is a true jewel for lovers of all things floral. However, its creator Osgood Mackenzie, the author of A Hundred Years in the Highlands, was left in the shade by a family court case that attracted much attent