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 thank you very much for choosing to listen to this.

I'm Mark Stephen.

As you know, we build one of the Scotland Out podcasts from the live programme we do for BBC Radio Scotland,

which is called Out of Doors. This week, traditionally a mixed bag. We had everything. Castles,

Chile, and of course the mystery bird. I'm going to give you a wee bit of a weather forecast thing

at the moment. It is slightly breezy

up top, it's overcast, it's not raining as such, quite mild, about 15 degrees. Yesterday

morning came out of the house. The sun was just peeking up over the horizon and there was mist lying

in all the gullies and valleys and things like that. It's just beautiful, stunning.

Anyway, good morning.

I'm Mark Stephen, back this week in the familiar surroundings of the car park at Beachgrove and Aberdeen.

Put my Harley Davidson days behind me, just hung up my leathers.

Boy, it was fun last week at the Thunder and the Glens event at Aviv Mortho. 40 miles to the north of me, residing at his Bamshire stately estate, Mr. Ewan

McElwreff. Yeah, by way of contrast, the big skies of Bucking are clear. And just off to the

northeast, there's a slash of pink, and walking along the horizon are too roadier, just taking it

easily. It's just such a beautiful sight.

The apples are dripping on the trees

...