Love Scotland: Stories of Scotland's History and Nature

This summer, we’ve been celebrating the best of Scottish books and authors. In the final instalment, we’re turning our attention to the nation’s rich world of non-fiction. This episode, first released in 2024, looks at the fascinating legacy of Scotland’s most recognised queen.

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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.

This summer, we’re celebrating the best of Scottish books and authors. To mark the occasion, we’re re-releasing a gem from a previous season of Love Scotland featuring Outlander author Diana Gabaldon.

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Jackie Bird is joined by 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.

This summer, we’re celebrating the best of Scottish books and authors. To mark the occasion, we’re re-releasing a gem from a previous season of Love Scotland that discusses the history of an incident made famous by Compton Mackenzie’s 1947 classic Whisky Galore.

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In 1941, cargo ship the SS Politician ran aground near Eriskay, an island in the Hebrides. On board? Some 22,000 cases of whisky. What followed has been immortalised on page and screen in Whisky Galore, a retelling of how local islanders made the most of the unexpected arrival of so much alcohol, and how the authorities tried to stop them.

But what really happened? Jackie Bird is joined by journalist Roger Hutchinson, author of Polly, The True Story Behind Whisky Galore, to discover the truth about SS Politician and its valuable cargo.

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For more information on Canna House collection, click here.

This week, Jackie is kickstarting a summer of reading-related episodes with one of Scotland’s most beloved writers, Denise Mina. The Scottish author, active for 30 years and the writer of multiple award-winning and best-selling books, is in the studio to talk about juggling facts and fiction in historical works.

Her 2021 book, Rizzio, revolves around the murder of David Rizzio, Mary, Queen of Scots’ secretary. It tells the story, based on true events, through a contemporary lens, and Denise explains how her wider writing experience led her to this project.

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This week, Jackie is at Ben Lomond to dig into another strand of the National Trust for Scotland’s work: its Plan for Nature. Joined by the Trust’s head of nature conservation, Jeff Waddell, Jackie discovers some of the nature conservation work being done across the country, including at Mar Lodge, Canna and St Kilda.

And, while surrounded by a cloud of midges, Jeff shares some of the success stories from recent years, including increased populations of corncrakes. You’ll also hear how the Trust talks about the wildlife it conserves, how new technology is helping with the Trust’s work, and what goes on behind-the-scenes to care for Scotland’s landscapes and wildlife.

To find out more about Ben Lomond, click here.

To take part in the Scottish Animal World Cup, visit the Trust’s Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. A winner will be crowned on 19 July.

Find out more about the Trust’s Plan for Nature progress by clicking here.