Visit the North East of Scotland - Unlocking Aberdeenshire

Thank you for tuning in to the Visit the North East of Scotland Podcast with me your host Jacqueline van den Akker. In today’s episode I am speaking with Debbie Cooper who is the development and promotions officer for the Dee District Salmon Fishery Board and River Dee Trust.Debbie joined the team in 2021 to increase awareness and the use of the River Dee, one of Aberdeenshire’s most treasured rivers. Debbie will tell us about the salmon preservation programs as well as re-wilding and e...

Today we are having a slightly different podcast as we are talking all things Christmas and Hogmanay in Scotland. I share some of the traditions around this time of year, we hear from a good friend Catherine Leiper about her experiences of the festive season growing up and the traditions she has continued in her own family. We learn a bit more about some of the more unusual and forgotten celebrations such as the Burning of the Clavie with Fiona-Jane Brown and how herring played a ...

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Martin Bennie an Aberdeenshire based Photographer who has a passion for landscape photography and getting out into nature. Aberdeenshire has been Martin's inspiration for the last few years after spending time abroad with his work in Korea. Martin talks about why landscape photography speaks to him, how he has taken to helping others develop their style through offering tuition sessions while exploring Royal Deeside, and he gives us some insigh...

We are heading into the hills today with mountain guide Garry Cormack from Hillgoers.Garry shares with us his adventures on the hills, and what he loves about getting outside and into nature. Hillgoers offer guided walks throughout Scotland with their team of qualified mountain guides and have dedicated time to working with the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme to help young people develop skills and knowledge to become adventurers too.Having a profound respect for nature and our environm...

In today’s episode we are staying on the adventure sports topic and we are having a conversation with Steven Strathie, a keen adventure cyclist and outdoor sports enthusiast. Steven recently joined the board of directors of local adventure community- Scottish Adventure, which was established in 2020. The group is made up of people who have a love of the outdoors and come together to participate in different cycling activities but also to have a genuine community feel by sharing stories,...

In this episode we are speaking with James Wight from Sup2Summit based in Montrose. James started his business about 4 ½ years ago when after spending many years working for others in outdoor adventure sports all over the world, he wanted to return home. The path to getting his business established was not a smooth one but ultimately, he was successful in creating an outdoor centre for, among other things, stand up paddle boarding with exciting adventures both on the coast and in ...

We are back with second podcast series of Visit the North East of Scotland! My name is Jacqueline van den Akker and I am your host. Can I say that I am very excited to be back again with a brand new series of episodes.We will continue our conversations with local businesses, activity providers, attractions, and people who are generally passionate about what there is to see and do in Aberdeenshire. Guests who want to promote the region to visitors from all over the world, and...

In today’s episode we are meeting with Vivien Rae who has a professional and personal passion for tourism in the North East of Scotland. Not only does Vivien work as marketing guru for several events and tourism related businesses she also dedicates a large portion of her time to volunteering on a variety of committees which put on events in the North East. Vivien shares with us what she loves about festivals and the many opportunities we have to learn something new about our past. ...

In this short episode we wanted to say thank you to all of you have have listened and shared our podcast. Also a thank you to the guests who have appeared on the episodes so far and do share with us your ideas for future programmes. We do have a few more for this series so do keep listening. We finish the year with a New Year Blessing and wish you all a very Happy New Year.

In today’s episode we are speaking with David McCubbin who is passionate about supporting smaller villages along the North East Coastal Route to become thriving communities for residents and visitors alike. David moved up to Aberdeenshire from Somerset several years ago and chose the unique village of Cullen to become his family home. David wears multiple hats in his work life, having spent several years working within tourism and currently as Project Officer for the town center develop...