Edinburgh's Surf Resort, Wallace, Glasgow's Fire Dog and the Wildflowers of Deeside

Funding is being made available to improve core paths in Aberdeen over the next few years, and Rachel joined Chris York from environmental consultancy Walking the Talk to find out what a core path actually is.

Mark visits a surf resort, and he’s not had to go that far! He’s at Lost Shore in Newbridge, just outside Edinburgh, to find out what’s available at the inland resort which boasts Europe’s largest wavepool.

This week’s Scotland Outdoors podcast excerpt features Gabriella Bennett, author of How to Build a City. Helen Needham met up with Gabriella in Glenrothes, where she spent part of her childhood, to look at some of the new town’s public art.

Pink-footed geese have returned to our shores, and the Scottish Wildlife Trust are hosting Goosefest to highlight the influx of geese to Montrose Basin. Visitor centre manager Joanna Peaker gives Mark the rundown on the staggering number of geese descending on the Basin.

Securing a job as a ranger is a tough task, with each post attracting huge numbers of applicants. Rachel talks to apprentice ranger Jenna Ross to find out how she managed to land her dream role working on the diverse habitats surrounding a windfarm in Moray.

Refugia – A Celtic Rainforest is the name of new film exploring the temperate rainforests of south west Scotland. Colin Tennant is one of the film-makers who spent a year filming the flora and fauna of the area.

In the late 1800s, Wallace, a collie-setter, became well-known as a fire dog who was adopted by Glasgow’s fire service. 104 years after his death, a statue of Wallace has recently been unveiled at Central Station. Mark hears the story of Wallace and some of his heroics.

How well do you know your plants? Rachel has been testing the knowledge of Amelie Mackrory-Bowden, a seasonal ranger with Cairngorms National park, who has been researching this vast topic, uncovering some really interesting stories and facts.

In memory of Scottish crime writer Peter May, who passed away earlier this week, we go back to 2013, when Mark met Peter at Port of Ness, close to the Butt of Lewis, the very place he took direct inspiration from for the first of the trilogy, The Blackhouse.

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