Did you know that you can listen to many of your favourite podcasts first on BBC Sounds?

Like Desert Island Discs, where you can hear castaways like Cher, Gareth Southgate and Nick Cave,

and enjoy longer versions of the music they've picked. Good things come to those who don't wait.

Listen to your favourite podcasts first on BBC Sounds.

This Scotland Outdoors podcast from BBC Radio Scotland.

Hello and thanks very much for choosing to listen to this podcast. I'm Helen Needham.

The writer Nan Shepard has become an icon for so many people in recent years because of her

detailed and beautiful descriptions of the Kern Gorms in her book The Living Mountain, as well as in her

poetry. Merrin Glover is one such person and has found Nan to be a guide of sorts

in her own journey towards learning to love these mountains. In her book Hidden Fires, a Kern Gohm's

journey with Nan Shepard, she follows in Nan's footsteps, exploring the hills, rivers, lochs and glens of this mountain range.

I met up with Maren on a fine spring day, close to where she lives near King Craig,

and a particular favourite spot to discuss all things Nan.

We're walking by the shores of Loch Inch, which is my place of peace. I absolutely love being by

Loch Inch. I come and walk beside it nearly every day, generally in the company of my golden

retriever, Sheila's, but also to watch the birds, to sit, to swim. This is actually the first

year that I have tried to keep swimming through the winter.

I mean, swimming in inverted commas, it's been more like standing in there, shivering for as long

as I can, are they getting back out again? But I've always enjoyed swimming through the summer

months. But yeah, this last year I thought I would actually try and do more

than just a new year's day dip and try and maintain a bit of it it's been a good challenge to sort of

even be part of the ice breaking party on one occasion and and dip into their squat in this

...