Love Scotland: Stories of Scotland's History and Nature

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.

Arguably one of the best known monarchs of all, Henry VIII casts a long shadow through British history books. But, what influence did Henry have on Scotland?

That’s the focus of this week’s episode, in which Jackie and her guest explore the complex and dramatic relationship between Henry and the kingdom that lay to the north.

Author Dr Steven Veerapen talks us through the politics and religious influences that shaped Henry VIII’s rule and its impact on Scotland, and how an Auld Alliance prevented war from breaking out.

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His name may be familiar – but how much do you really know about Andrew Carnegie? In this week’s episode, Jackie and her guest introduce you to a man who was once the richest individual on the planet, explaining both how he made his wealth and why he started to give it away.

Whether you’re familiar with his origins in Scotland or know only of some of his achievements in the US, this episode will introduce you to a fascinating entrepreneur of the past.

Joining Jackie is author, biographer and historian David Nasaw, and we take a trip to the Trust’s own Weaver’s Cottage to discover what life would have been like for Andrew and his family.

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