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Scotland Outdoors

Dreich Spring, Brose and Kayak Fishing

Scotland Outdoors

BBC

Nature, Society & Culture, Science

4.7709 Ratings

🗓️ 20 April 2024

⏱️ 85 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

American Mink are an invasive non-native species which have become widespread in parts of Scotland after their release from fur farms. Rachel meets Karen Muller from the Scottish Invasive Species Initiative on the River Spey to hear why it’s important to catch the mink. They also scope out a potential site to set a mink trap.

In his day job, George Sherriffs is an acquisitions librarian with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. But in the coming week, George is going to be running an incredible 356 miles between all the RBGE sites in Scotland to raise awareness and funds for the work they do. Mark went to meet him and hear how the challenge came about.

Mark is in Dunbar Harbour with Alex Williams who discovered a passion for kayak fishing four years ago. He takes Mark for a paddle in the harbour and tells him how he got hooked on the hobby and what’s involved in fishing from a kayak.

Our BBC Aberdeen colleague Donnie Mackay heads home to Lewis every April to help with the lambing on his family croft. This year he took along a recorder and made a lambing diary for Out of Doors during what was one of the wettest and coldest seasons he could remember.

And it’s not just sheep farmers that have been having a hard time this spring. It’s been nearly impossible to get anything sown and the challenging conditions take a toll on farmers mentally as well as practically. We hear what the picture is like across Scotland from Katrina Macarthur, farming columnist with the Press and Journal.

Stanley Robertson was a traveller and storyteller from Aberdeen and in 1988 he recorded an interview with former BBC Producer Doreen Wood on the Old Lumphanan Road. Recently Mark and Helen and went to seek it out for the Scotland Outdoors podcast. We hear an excerpt of them looking for one of Stanley’s favourite oak trees.

If you’re from a farming background, you may be familiar with brose – a very traditional and simple oatmeal-based dish. In fact, it’s not too far removed from the much trendier oat milk that is a popular dairy alternative. Rachel visits a producer in East Lothian who is making Brose and show her the process.

Transcript

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0:00.0

He tells her that she will be sent to France as a secret agent, and if she's caught, she's going to be shot.

0:09.3

I'm Helen Obalam Carter, and this is history's secret heroes, where I shine a light on extraordinary stories from World War II.

0:17.6

What they wanted was someone to get themselves arrested and sent to Auschwitz.

0:22.0

Tales of deception, an incredible acts of resistance and courage.

0:26.3

She was a born soldier.

0:27.4

She's a freedom fighter in its widest sense.

0:29.9

The brand new series of History's secret heroes.

0:32.8

Listen first on BBC Sounds.

0:34.7

This Scotland Outdoors podcast with Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart from BBC Radio Scotland.

0:44.7

Hello and thanks very much for choosing to listen to this.

0:47.1

As you probably know, we built the Scotland Outdoors podcast from the live programme we do for BBC Radio Scotland, which is called Outdoors.

0:53.8

This week we're not trying to depress you, but it's all about the dreak and cold spring weather.

0:59.8

Out of Doors with Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart from BBC Radio Scotland.

1:10.0

It's an absolute cacophony this morning.

1:12.6

Cacophony, that's the only word for it.

1:14.6

Now, of course it stopped now, but just seconds ago there was woodpeckers, there's been wood pigeons,

1:19.6

there's been crows, you name it.

1:21.6

Now silence, just the occasional passing car.

1:24.6

Good morning, I'm Mark Steven, sitting right beside me here at the fire

1:27.6

in Beach Grove, Rachel Stewart. I'm afraid I'm going to shatter your silence. I'm going to talk

1:32.2

for the next hour and a half. We've been down on the beautiful borders this week doing some

1:37.4

recording and a mixed bag on the weatherfront. Sunny at times. Some of it was bad, some

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