Love Scotland podcast – highlights

Hosted by journalist and broadcaster Jackie Bird, each episode tells some of the thrilling stories behind Scotland’s people and places.

Highlights

Week 5 – Sam Heughan’s Scotland

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 chat 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 – in the episode.

Week 4 – Scotland on screen

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 & 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 the Trust’s Filming Manager Anna Rathband, as they delve into some of the nation’s most influential movies, including Harry Potter, Skyfall and The Avengers. Plus, Anna gives an insight into her behind-the-scenes access on major film sets.

Find out more about Trust places that have appeared on the silver screen

Week 3 – Romans in Scotland

This week, we’re going all the way back to Roman times – in an episode first released in 2023 – to find out about the Antonine Wall. 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 off a continental superpower?

To find out, Jackie visited the nation-spanning wall herself and 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.

Week 2 – The real history of Scotland’s witches

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 Trust 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 caused 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 today.

Read more about Dr Jones’s research

Week 1 – The Massacre of Glencoe

This week, we’re returning to two episodes that – when combined – offer a full look at the Massacre of Glencoe. 332 years ago, around 30 members of the Clan MacDonald were killed by Scottish government soldiers, many while they slept. This tragic event was significant in Jacobean history and has had a long-lasting legacy.

To find out more, Jackie met with Derek Alexander (Head of Archaeology) and Scott McCombie (Senior Ranger).

Find out more about Glencoe