How do you restore a 200-year-old church on one of Scotland’s most remote islands? Jackie Bird sits down with Susan Bain, property manager of St Kilda, to find out. 

 A dual UNESCO World Heritage Site that sits on the edge of the Atlantic, St Kilda is vital to Scottish history but a big challenge for the Trust to care for properly. Once inhabited year-round by a civilian population, the island now hosts annual maintenance, archaeology, conservation and bird monitoring projects. This year, that included the restoration of a building that used to be at the very heart of the community.

To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

For more information on St Kilda, click here.

The work on St Kilda’s Kirk was made possible thanks to supporters of our Caring for St Kilda campaign. Thank you to all of them. 

As a charity, we can only undertake work such as this with your support. Please, if you can, donate today and help us continue to carry out conservation work across St Kilda. Find out more about the second phase of the campaign, which will restore the kirk’s interiors, here.

Meet Hugh Miller: the man regarded as the David Attenborough of his day. Though often overlooked in the history books, this self-taught geologist helped to popularise natural history to his Victorian audience.

 What did he help to discover about prehistoric Scotland? How were his scientific findings viewed by his peers? And why has he not remained better known?

 Joining Jackie Bird this week is James Ryan, visitor services assistant at Hugh Miller’s Birthplace Cottage and Museum in Cromarty.

To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

For more on Hugh Miller’s Birthplace Cottage and Museum, click here.

Earlier this year, Mackintosh at the Willow – a tea room on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street that dates back to 1903 – joined the National Trust for Scotland’s portfolio of special places. To better understand the venue and the role it played in Edwardian Glasgow, Jackie sits down for a cup of tea with two expert guests.

Celia Sinclair Thornqvist MBE, who purchased, saved and restored Mackintosh at the Willow in 2014, is joined by cultural historian Robyne Calvert to reveal the hidden stories of the last remaining original tea room designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret Macdonald. They also detail the life of Glasgow entrepreneur Miss Catherine Cranston, who once ran the tea room.

Who would have once frequented the tea room? What makes Mackintosh at the Willow such a shining example of its designers’ talents? And what has it taken to restore the magnificent tea room into the stunning location it is today?

For more on Mackintosh at the Willow, visit the website

You may also enjoy our previous episode on the life of Margaret Macdonald, available here.

We finish our pick of episodes from the archives with this conversation between Jackie and actor Sam Heughan, first released in 2022.

The Dumfries and Galloway-born Outlander star, who has also launched his own whisky brand and became a New York Times bestselling author in 2020, joined Jackie to discuss his on-screen adventures at some of Scotland’s most famous historical sites. They also talked about the effect Outlander has had on the global interest in Scottish stories.

What drew Sam to take on the West Highland Way? What is it that he so loves about the great outdoors? And how did he celebrate landing the part of a lifetime in Outlander?

Hear all of that – and an excerpt from Sam’s book, Waypoints: My Scottish Journey – in the episode.

Love Scotland will return with brand new episodes later in 2024.

We’re rolling out the red carpet for this episode from the archives, first released in 2022. With Hollywood’s eyes on this weekend’s Academy Awards, take a dive into this cinematic history of Scotland’s relationship with the silver screen.

What was the first film to earn Scotland a place on the movie-making map? Which horror cult classic was shot in Dumfries and Galloway? And what famous Scottish film was filmed in LA because producers felt Scotland wasn’t Scottish enough?

Jackie is joined in the studio by film and TV critic Siobhan Synnot and NTS Film Manager Anna Rathban as they delve into some of the nation’s most influential movies, including the Harry Potter series, the James Bond classic Skyfall and Marvel’s Avengers franchise. Plus, Anna gives an insight into her behind-the-scenes access on major film sets.

To find out more about Trust properties and sites that have appeared on the silver screen, click here.

Next week, we revisit another 2022 episode, featuring a man who shot to success thanks to his leading role on a Scottish TV smash hit.

New episodes of Love Scotland will return later in 2024.

This week, we’re going all the way back to Roman times – an an episode first released in 2023 – to find out about the Antonine wall and why Scotland was ‘Rome’s Afghanistan’.

What led to the speedy evacuation of the Antonine wall, which was once garrisoned by thousands of Roman soldiers? What was Rome’s relationship with the lands beyond the wall really like? And just how did a small, stubborn nation see of a continental superpower?

To find out, Jackie visited the nation-spanning wall herself and then met Dr John Reid, author of The Eagle and the Bear: A New History of Roman Scotland, to get a deeper insight into this fractious period of history and its long-lasting legacy.

Next week, as the Oscars get under way in LA, we revisit Scotland’s relationship with the silver screen.

New episodes of Love Scotland will return later in 2024.

This week, we’re returning to one of our most popular episodes, which was first released in May 2022.

Jackie was joined by Dr Ciaran Jones, the lead researcher and author of a report on the links between NTS properties and the witch trials of the 16th-18th centuries.

Why did Scotland try to execute five times as many so-called witches as the rest of the Europe? What fuelled 4,000 people, the vast majority of them women, to be accused of witchcraft? Why were wires inserted into suspected witches? And what was it that finally drew this dark chapter of Scottish history to an end?

This episode looks at the dark past of witch trials – a story that may sound like it belongs in the history books – and the relevance they have to the way we live – and let live – today.

Next week, we go further back in time to find out more about the Roman invasion of Scotland.

New episodes of Love Scotland will return later in 2024.

Production is underway on the next full series of Love Scotland, but in the meantime, we’re diving into the archives to highlight five of the top episodes of all time.

This week, we’re returning to two episodes that – when combined – offer a full look at the Massacre of Glencoe. Some 332 years ago this week, around 30 members of Clan MacDonald were killed by Scottish government forces, many while they slept.

This tragic and bloodthirsty event was significant in Jacobean history and has had a long-lasting legacy.

To find out more, Jackie is joined by Derek Alexander, NTS Head of Archaeology, and Scott McCombie, senior ranger. To find out more about Glencoe, click here. 

Next week, we revisit another dark chapter in Scottish history: the witch trials.

New episodes of Love Scotland will return later in 2024.

This week, Jackie and her guest discuss six objects in the Trust’s collections that help to tell the stories of some of the most fascinating women connected to Trust places. Regional curators Emma Inglis and Antonia Laurence-Allen help to paint a picture of these six women, whose lives and jobs range from being an ale-brewer in 1600s Edinburgh to the daughter of an earl in Clackmannanshire.

What does a job application from 1910 tell us about the changing world of work at the turn of the century? Why was ale-making seen as a predominantly female profession? And who was the historical figure behind Alloa’s successful glasswork?

For more information about the places mentioned in this episode, please follow the links below:

Gladstone’s Land

Weaver’s Cottage

Alloa Tower

Hill House

Broughton House

Tenement House

Remember to follow Love Scotland so you don’t miss any future episodes.

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 Stirling University. Together, they piece together a picture of the most significant crown-wearers leading up to Robert the Bruce.

How did Scotland come to be ruled by a king in the first place? Who made the biggest mark on the kingdom? And just how accurate is Shakespeare’s take on early monarchs Macbeth and Duncan?

Find out more about the Trust’s castles and royal places here.

Don’t forget to follow so that future episodes are delivered to you.

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.

Joining Jackie in the studio is Professor Steven Reid of the University of Glasgow, who is also the author of The Afterlife of Mary, Queen of Scots. Together, they unpick the posthumous interest in Mary, the many different perceptions of her legacy, and how Mary’s death has been used throughout history to further different groups’ objectives.

For more information on Falkland Palace, click here.

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 conversation in 1306, when Scotland has been conquered by Edward I of England and Robert faces a tussle for power with the most powerful family in Scotland, Jackie and Dauvit will look at all that happened in Robert’s reign.

To find out more about visiting Bannockburn, click here.

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 fact? What motivated him to switch sides, on several occasions, in the wars of the 13th and 14th centuries? And why has his legacy had such a lasting effect on the nation’s history?

Next week, Jackie and Dauvit continue their conversation, charting the events that followed Bannockburn.

To find out more about visiting Bannockburn, click here.

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.

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 Sex and the City film and who has since created a show inspired by Auld Lang Syne, is the first of Jackie’s two guests. Also joining the conversation is Professor Gerard Carruthers, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow. 

With just a few weeks to go until people sing Auld Lang Syne on Hogmanay, Mairi and Gerard reveal their personal connections to the song and its words, how it came to international significance, and how it has evolved since its very early origins. 

To find out more about Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, click here.

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 time getting to know the seal pups on the beach, two years after the population was devastated by Storm Arwen. She also finds out what has happened at St Abb’s Head since the flu outbreak, and how the seals signal the wider health of the local ecosystem.

Weather warning report by Alex Deakin courtesy of the Met Office.

To find out more about St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve, click here.

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 scene, deserve their own glory. In particular, Margaret’s involvement in the designing of the National Trust for Scotland’s property, the Hill House, gives us a key insight into her own unique artistic style and the importance of her contributions to Scottish architecture. 

This week, Jackie speaks to expert Robyne Calvert about Margaret’s life and legacy. 

To find out more about the Hill House, click here.

As the Edinburgh Festival Fringe gets into full swing, Jackie Bird takes a walk from Gladstone’s Land along the Royal Mile to discover the dark side of this city centre street.

 Guiding Jackie through the murky past is Eric Melvin, veteran tour guide and author of A Walk Down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Expect tales of body-snatching, the exploits of Deacon Brodie, and rumoured Jacobite-era cannonball scars. 

 To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

For more information on Gladstone’s Land, click here.

 Or listen to our previous episode set at Gladstone’s Land, all about 300 years of the plague. Just scroll back through your podcast feed. 

 Additional music courtesy of the Edinburgh Renaissance Band.

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, two architects who, in the 1880s, completed a comprehensive study of Scotland’s built heritage.

For more information on the Trust’s castles, and to get visitor information, click here.

For more information on Janet’s book, A Passion for Castles, click here.

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 attention in the newspapers of the day. His wife, meanwhile, has been all but written out from history. The story of this period of Osgood’s life has been dramatised in a new play, which was performed at Inverewe this year. Rob Mackean, the playwright, joins Jackie to pick through the history of the garden and its one-time owner, whose life was as colourful as his flowers.

To find out more about Inverewe Garden, click here.

This week, Jackie is at Kellie Castle and Garden to find out about the Lorimers – a family of artists and creatives who once called the castle home. Led by James Lorimer, who first rented Kellie Castle in 1878, the family also included Sir Robert Lorimer, the architect behind many iconic structures including the Scottish National War Memorial, painter John Henry Lorimer and sculptor Hew Lorimer. Their story not only touches on some of the great artistic movements of the last 150 years, but also on Scotland’s story too. 

Kellie Castle itself was facing its downfall before the Lorimers arrived to pour time, money and love into its walls. Jackie discovers exactly what happened when the family moved there, with the help of property manager Caroline Hirst.

To find out more about Kellie Castle and Garden, visit the website.

To find out more about the Your Scotland campaign, please click here.

Tragedy at Hill of Tarvit

Surrounded by the beauty of Edwardian Britain, a family was devastated by tragedy.

In this week’s episode, Jackie steps into the gilded surrounds of Hill of Tarvit to discover the story of the Sharp family, who once called the mansion home. Set just outside Cupar and designed by Robert Lorimer, the house is a true 20th-century jewel with its hickory golf course, landscaped gardens and yew hedging.

But inside the house, there are a great many stories to be told. Jackie uncovers the aspirations, enterprise, bravery and, ultimately, tragedy of the Sharps: a family who had everything and nothing at all.

Visitor services supervisor Claudia Noble-Pyott leads Jackie through the house and its history, and reveals exactly what happened inside the mansion.

To find out more about Hill of Tarvit, please visit the website.

Stories and songs of Scottish battles

Earlier this year, to launch a new series of Love Scotland, Jackie recorded an episode in front of a live audience of National Trust for Scotland members in Aberdeen. 

Two of the nation’s foremost experts on battles joined Jackie on stage to discuss some of the most significant historic conflicts as well as the people who fought in them. They are Alistair Moffat, the award-winning writer and historian whose new book, War Paths: Walking in the Shadows of the Clans, follows in the footsteps of Jacobite fighters and leaders from 1613 until 1746, and Derek Alexander, the National Trust for Scotland’s Head of Archaeology.

Their discussion covers the importance of the Highland charge, the two Jacobite campaigns, and the battles of Killiecrankie and Culloden. Former BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year finalist Iona Fyfe provides some musical interludes inspired by these battles.

If you’d like to support the Culloden fighting fund, you can do so at nts.org.uk/donate or by texting CULLODEN to 70970, which will donate £5. 

In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic began, many people looked back to the influenza epidemic of 1918 for historical context. However, going further back in time reveals centuries of viral diseases – and a bizarre list of supposed medical concoctions that would protect you from them.

Scotland’s “plague man” Richard Oram, a professor of history at Stirling University, knows a lot about these dark chapters of Scottish history. He guides Jackie through how the plague was viewed by a religious society, what comparisons can be drawn between responses to the historic outbreaks and the modern Covid-19 pandemic, and how the medical community reacted to the horrific viruses.

Plus, Jackie goes to Gladstone’s Land to learn more about the herbal remedies produced in desperation centuries ago.

To find out more about Gladstone’s Land, www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/gladstones-land

On a drizzly summer’s day, Jackie heads out to Ben Lomond to meet two people who feel at home in the hills. First, Jackie, president of the National Trust for Scotland, goes for a stroll with Zahrah Mahmood, president of Ramblers Scotland and an online influencer known as the Hillwalking Hijabi.

As they stretch their legs, they discuss the joys waiting to be found on Scottish slopes, and Zahrah tells the story of how she first discovered a passion for hiking as an adult. Then, Jackie meets Alasdair Eckersall, ranger and property manager at Ben Lomond, who has been working at the site for 31 years.

He reveals how he keeps Ben Lomond’s 50,000 annual visitors on the right path and gives his top tips for a safe day in the hills.

To find out more about Ben Lomond, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/ben-lomond

For more outdoors inspiration, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/search?place-category=Outdoors#results

Following last year’s episode investigating the 2022 outbreak of avian flu among Scottish seabird colonies, Jackie returns to St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve in the wake of new cases being reported. Joined by ranger Ciaran Hatsell, Jackie learns how this year’s cases have been identified and exactly how the disease is impacting kittiwakes at St Abb’s Head and beyond.

Listen in to find out how Ciaran and other NTS staff are helping in the fight against avian influenza, and discover more about what you can do to report dead seabirds.

To find out more about St Abb’s Head, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/st-abbs-head

To find out more about the Save Our Seabirds campaign, visit www.nts.org.uk/campaigns/seabirds

If you see a dead or dying bird, do not approach or touch it. Instead, report it to the DEFRA helpline on 03459 33 55 77 and alert a member of National Trust for Scotland staff if possible.

You can also report findings of sick or dead birds through the UK Government website (www.gov.uk/guidance/report-dead-wild-birds), and, if you recognise the species, via the British Trust for Ornithology (www.bto.org/our-science/projects/birdtrack).

Keep dogs on leads whenever you’re in an area where there is a chance of dead seabirds.

An icon of Scottish culture, Robert Burns is best known for his beautiful, moving, and humorous poetry. Born in 1759, he died just 37 years later – an early passing attributed to alcoholism.

However, recent advances in medical knowledge have raised questions about the accuracy of this diagnosis. Professor David Purdie, co-author of The Burns Encyclopaedia and a doctor of medicine, has used his clinical expertise to analyse Burns’ physical symptoms.

His research touches on a character assassination in the immediate aftermath of Burns’ death, the truth of his alleged alcoholism, and new theories as to what really caused the poet’s death.

To find out more about the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/robert-burns-birthplace-museum

Jackie is joined by Jonathan Grant, who after 13 years is about to retire as a ranger on three Hebridean islands. Earlier this year, when news of his resignation was announced, it was headline news around the world. Now, he has time for a proper discussion about his experiences on Mingulay, Pabay and Berneray.

He reveals why he feels he became part of nature, what life is really like when you’re the only person living on an island, and how he took on the responsibilities of caring for such important places.

Find out more about the Love Our Islands campaign at www.nts.org.uk/campaigns/love-our-islands. We already work very hard to protect our islands, but we still need to do more. With your help, we can protect the history and wildlife in these very special places. If you can, please donate today.

Whether you’re out every week hitting the links, or consider golf a good walk spoiled, the sport is undeniably a key ingredient in Scotland’s social tapestry. 

At Kingarrock Hickory Golf Course, the only remaining course of its kind in the UK, Jackie meets Dave Allan, visitor services assistant at the Hill of Tarvit venue. She also meets Hannah Fleming, learning and access curator at The R&A World Golf Museum, to find out how and why golf became so popular.

From its royal roots onwards, Jackie charts a centenary of play at Kingarrock and considers the wider history of Scottish golf, which stretches back as far as 500 years ago. 

To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

For more information on Kingarrock Hickory Golf Course, click here.

In this week’s episode, Jackie follows the story of Lady Aberdeen – a woman born into wealth who became a lifelong social reformer, healthcare advocate, and champion of the underdog. By the time she died in the 1930s, the riches were gone – but a legacy remained.

Joining Jackie is Simon Welfare, the author of Fortune’s Many Houses: A Victorian Visionary, a Noble Scottish Family, and a Lost Inheritance, which charts how Lady Aberdeen and her husband used their wealth for good.

The episode was recorded in the grand surroundings of Haddo House, which was presented to Lady Aberdeen on the occasion of her husband finishing his service as Governor-General of Canada in 1898.

To find out more about Haddo House, visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/haddo-house

This week, Jackie is at Falkland Palace to learn more about the early years of James VI, one of the most influential monarchs in British history.

Crowned at an early age, and separated from his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, James would go on to be the first king of the whole British Isles.

But focusing on his later achievements misses out on many remarkable and life-threatening experiences endured by the young king, who was kidnapped, held hostage, and fought over by rival factions.

Joining Jackie is Steven Reid, the author of The Early Life of James VI: A Long Apprenticeship, 1566–1585, which recounts the details of these extraordinary years.

To find out more about Falkland Palace, head to nts.org.uk

This week, Jackie’s in Edinburgh to find about one of the city’s leading lights of the enlightenment era: Sir Henry Raeburn. His work depicted some of the key figures of that time, creating an overall portrait of how Edinburgh’s top circles would have looked during the 1700s.

Now, to mark 200 years since his death, the National Trust for Scotland is holding an exhibition at The Georgian House in Charlotte Square. It’s comprised of artworks from across the Trust’s Raeburn collections, from properties including Craigievar Castle, Fyvie Castle, Alloa Tower, and Hill of Tarvit.

Viccy Coltman, professor of 18th century history of arts at Edinburgh University and editor of the book Henry Raeburn: Context, Reception and Reputation, joins Jackie to discuss Raeburn’s life, his artworks, and the Edinburgh he called home.

To find out more about the exhibition or for more on The Georgian House, head to nts.org.uk

As a new season of Love Scotland begins, host Jackie Bird is joined by Outlander author Diana Gabaldon to discuss her best-selling books, its TV adaptation, and how the Outlander effect has shaped global perceptions of Scotland.

Outlander tells the story of a time-travelling nurse from the 20th century who falls in love with an 18th century Highland warrior. The early books span several places now cared for by the National Trust for Scotland, including Culross, Falkland Palace, and Culloden.

In this episode, Diana reveals the origins of the Outlander story, her visceral reactions to visiting Culloden herself, and her first thoughts on the new series of the popular TV adaptation which begins airing on 16 June.

Plus, she reveals some secrets from the future of the franchise, including the next book instalment.

To find out more about some of the places mentioned in this episode of Love Scotland, click here.

Six places that show Scotland's impact on the world

In this week’s episode of Love Scotland – the final one of the current season – Professor Murray Pittock joins Jackie to discuss some of the Scottish places that have had the biggest influence on global history. From Culloden to Robert Burns’s birthplace, the episode charts moments of great cultural, political and military importance.

Professor Murray Pittock’s book, Scotland: The Global History: 1603 to the Present, is available now.

Click below to find out more about the locations covered in the episode:

Culloden

Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

The Pineapple

Staffa National Nature Reserve

The Hermitage

Mar Lodge Estate National Nature Reserve

Broughton House & Garden

You may also be interested in previous episodes of the podcast, discussing Robert Burns, wildlife at Mar Lodge Estate, Flora MacDonald, and many more stories of Scotland’s present and past. Just scroll back on your podcast provider of choice.

The rich history of tartan

In this week’s episode, to mark the opening of the V&A Dundee’s new Tartan exhibition, Jackie meets its co-curator Jonathan Faiers to discuss the fascinating tale of the pattern’s past.

If you took a random sample of people around the world and asked them to depict Scotland, tartan would likely make an appearance. It connects Bonnie Prince Charlie to punk rockers, and as well as being a symbol of a nation, it has also been used to represent traditions, rebellions and sub-cultures.

Jackie and Jonathan delve into the rich history of the pattern, revealing not only the secrets of its origins but also its modern uses and adaptations.

Tartan at the V&A Dundee, which includes objects from the National Trust for Scotland’s collections, runs from 1 April 2023 until 14 January 2024. 

To find out more about the Weaver’s Cottage, click here. Or you can click here to see more NTS places. 

Romans in Scotland: the Antonine wall and ‘Rome’s Afghanistan’

This week, Jackie goes for a walk at the Antonine Wall and is joined by Dr John Reid to discuss Roman-era Scotland.

The wall, which stretches from Old Kilpatrick on the west coast to near Bo’ness, was around 37 miles long and marked the furthest reach of the Roman Empire in Britain. Using the nation’s rugged features to bolster its defences, the wall was the final outpost in hostile territory.

In their discussion, Jackie and John talk about how Scotland was ‘Rome’s Afghanistan’ – a small, stubbornly resistant nation that saw off a superpower. John also reveals how the brutality of the Romans has been overlooked in recent years, and his theory as to how the Roman invasions impacted the nation of Scotland. 

In this week’s episode, Jackie steps beyond the National Trust for Scotland’s most beautiful stately homes to discover what treasures can be found in the nation’s gardens. Recorded from Greenbank Garden – an 18th-century walled garden just outside Glasgow city centre – Jackie is joined by the National Trust for Scotland’s head of gardens and designed landscapes, Ann Steele. 

Together, they discuss what constitutes a heritage garden, why they were so important to the residents of stately homes, and how these outdoor spaces were used. Then, they turn an eye to the future, looking at what must be done to protect the gardens for generations to come.

To find out more about Greenbank Garden, click here.

You can also discover more on NTS gardens here.

This week’s episode looks at the life of Scipio Kennedy, an enslaved African boy who lived in Culzean in the early 18th century. The events of his early years have been pieced together by Hannah Lawrence from the National Trust for Scotland and affiliate researcher at the University of Oxford, and she joins Jackie to discuss her research into his life.

Together, they discuss what is known about Scipio Kennedy’s life in Ayrshire. Hannah also describes what historical records have helped her to uncover the past.

Then, Outlander actor Colin McFarlane joins Jackie to discuss his own interest in Scipio Kennedy and the research he did for his role as an enslaved person in the hit TV show.

Recorded in Falkland Palace’s chapel royal, host Jackie Bird and her guest Steven Veerapen discuss the adult life and legacy of James VI of Scotland and I of England. During his reign, the king faced a host of challenges, from religious tensions to anti-Scottish sentiment in his London court, not to mention Guy Fawkes’ gunpowder plot.

 Veerapen’s book, The Wisest Fool, challenges the varied perceptions of James as an ineffective or short-sighted monarch. What really motivated the first king to reign over Scotland, England and Ireland? How did his adult relationships – with men and women – influence his decision-making? And which is more accurate: was the king a wise man, or a fool?

 To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 

For more information on Falkland Palace, click here.

Doug Allan is a world-renowned wildlife cameraman, with film credits for some of the most influential documentaries ever made and a trophy cabinet full of BAFTAs and Emmys. He’s contributed to David Attenborough’s Blue Planet and Frozen Planet, and has spent more time than nearly anyone else diving into the world’s iciest oceans in search of wildlife.

In this week’s episode of Love Scotland, he sits down with Jackie to discuss his eventful career, including a dangerously close encounter with a walrus. He also reveals his eyewitness account of how a changing climate is affecting underwater wildlife, and some of his favourite experiences shooting in Scotland’s wild places.

To find out more about some of the sites mentioned in this episode, visit the National Trust for Scotland website.

For the latest information on The Hermitage, click here, or for St Kilda, click here.

For more information on Wild for Scotland, as mentioned in the episode, click here.

In the second instalment of their discussion, Jackie and her guest Sir Tom Devine look at the Battle of Culloden and how it changed the course of clan history. Then, they turn their attention to the centuries that followed, taking the story right up to the modern day.

If you missed the first episode, scroll back in your podcast feed to hear Jackie and Sir Tom discuss the origins of the clans and how a rule of kinship ensured their success. 

To find out more about some of the locations discussed in this week’s episode, visit the NTS website. You can also learn more about Culloden here, Glencoe here, and Killiecrankie here.

In the first episode of season five of Love Scotland, Jackie and her guest Sir Tom Devine take a look at the origins of the Scottish clans. Over the course of their discussion – which will be continued in a second instalment next week – they reveal how the clans came to be, how they organised themselves, and what united them.

Has the reality of clan life been romanticised? What were the key moments in these crucial centuries of Scottish history? And how, ultimately, did the system of kinship give way to a modern world of capitalism.

Next week, Jackie and Sir Tom look to the years beyond the Battle of Culloden.

To find out more about some of the locations discussed in this week’s episode, visit the NTS website. You can also learn more about Culloden here, Glencoe here, and Killiecrankie here.

In this week’s episode of Love Scotland, Jackie is getting ready to deck the halls with boughs of holly. As people across Scotland prepare for their own festive celebrations, we take a look at how the National Trust for Scotland creates authentic Christmas displays in its properties.

Dr Jo Riley from Castle Fraser has been leading a research project into traditional decorations and how they have changed over time. From garlands to gifts, candles to clementines, Jo has examined exactly how previous residents in homes like Castle Fraser would have celebrated.

To mark the end of the current series of Love Scotland, Jackie and Jo discuss the pagan roots of the festive season, why mistletoe didn’t always mean romance, and who it was that first brough yule logs to Scottish shores.

Find out more about Dr Jo Riley’s research by clicking here.

You can also get the latest visitor information on Castle Fraser, and all of our properties, on the National Trust for Scotland website.

Love Scotland will return in the New Year. Please remember to follow, rate and review the podcast on your podcast platform of choice.

In this week’s episode, Jackie is joined by adventurer, film-maker and campaigner Cal Major to discuss Scotland’s coasts and the challenges facing them. Cal has built a reputation as one of the UK’s top stand-up paddleboarders (SUP), completing the first ever SUP from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 2018.

In 2021, she paddled 800 miles of Scotland’s coastline. As someone who has spent so long at sea, Cal knows only too well the real-world implications of the climate and biodiversity crises. She is now a keen campaigner and advocate for action that will help protect Scotland’s coasts, including the Our Seas campaign of which the National Trust for Scotland is a member.

To find out more about Our Seas, click here.

To find out more about Cal Major, click here.

Check the latest visitor information for some of the Trust’s coastline properties: St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve, Inverewe, Balmacara Estate, Rockcliffe, and more.

This week, Jackie is joined by actor and presenter Alan Cumming to discuss his life, career, and love of Scotland. Fresh from the critically acclaimed run of Burn – a dance-theatre piece that re-examines Robert Burns using his own words – Alan discuss where his passion for Scottish history and culture comes from.

As a long-standing supporter of the National Trust for Scotland and as one half of Miriam and Alan: Lost in Scotland and Beyond, Alan has seen many of the nation’s most beautiful and fascinating places. He reveals all about his recent stay at the House of Dun and Fyvie Castle, and what he learned about Robert Burns through his letters.

For more information on the House of Dun, click here.

For more information on Fyvie Castle, click here.

For more information on Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, click here.

The Vikings may be most closely associated with Norway, but the fearsome warriors made their mark on Scotland, too. Throughout the 1st century, they sailed the choppy seas to raid monasteries, including on Iona, pillaging and plundering wherever they went.

In this week’s episode of the podcast, Jackie discovers what brought the invaders from the north to Scotland, and what encouraged them to stay. Joined by Dr Adrián Maldonado, the Glenmorangie Research Fellow at National Museums Scotland and an expert in the Scottish Viking Age, Jackie looks at how the pillagers interacted with the Picts, how they knew which islands to attack, and what happened to the last of the Vikings.

Iona and Fair Isle both have connections to the Vikings, and you can find out more about the places here and here.  

If you enjoyed this episode, you might enjoy previous Love Scotland instalments too. For more island history, try the July 2022 episode called Inside Canna House. Or, if you’d like some sea-faring adventure, try the September 2021 episode called The Smugglers’ Caves of Culzean.

In this week’s episode, released on Armistice Day 2022, Jackie is looking at a small but crucial part of the First World War effort: the stately homes that were requisitioned to become hospitals. In particular, she’s keen to find out how the National Trust for Scotland’s Pollok House was used at this time.

The property in the south of Glasgow became an auxiliary hospital and helped to treat wounded soldiers throughout the conflict. Harriet Richardson Blakeman, an architectural historian with a special interest in hospitals, joins Jackie to discuss how Pollok and properties like it were converted into make-shift hospitals.

Jackie discovers who benefitted from the hospitals, what steps were taken to ensure the best healthcare possible was being provided, and what happened to these new hospitals at the end of the war.

What does Sam Heughan love about Scotland? The Outlander star and author of new book Waypoints joins Jackie in the studio to discuss some of his recent adventures. Together, they chat about some of Scotland’s most important historical sites, the value of spending time in the great outdoors, and how Outlander has helped to rejuvenate interest in the nation’s past.

Having filmed in several National Trust for Scotland locations, Sam has become well-acquainted with some of the most beautiful places the nation has to offer. He reveals some of his favourite places to film, how the experience of Outlander has affected him personally, and what drives his passion for Scottish history. Plus, he reads a short extract from Waypoints.