Wild for Scotland Podcast

Calum Maclean is an experienced outdoor swimmer, a talented broadcaster and a native Gaelic speaker. In his work, he often combines all three of these skills, creating videos that combine adventure, entertainment and education to teach others about Gaelic words, water safety or responsible behaviour in the great outdoors.

For a taste of what an adventure with Calum might look like, listen to last week's episode 'Uisge'.

Listen to my conversation with Calum in which we cover...

• How he got into outdoor swimming in Scotland,
• Water safety and tips for beginners,
• Growing up with Scottish Gaelic as a first language,
• How Gaelic influences his perception of the landscape,
• And where you can learn Gaelic too.

Plus, you get to hear me making a fool of myself as I try to pronounce some basic Gaelic words and phrases.

Connect with Calum on Instagram @caldamac or TikTok @caldamac.

Buy Calum's book 1001 Outdoor Swimming Tips from Vertebrate Publishing.

Visit our website to find the full show notes and interview transcript.

Support this show on Patreon and unlock bonus episodes.

Record a voice note to celebrate Wild for Scotland's anniversary! Head over to speakpipe.com/WildForScotland to leave a voice note of up to 90 seconds, and tell us what you’ve enjoyed about the show. You can share your favourite episode, or let us know if any of the stories have inspired you to go on your own adventure. We can't wait to hear from you!

Let me help you plan your DREAM TRIP to Scotland! Book a free enquiry call to find out more.

Coming to Scotland? Start planning your trip to Scotland with my FREE Trip Planning Checklist. Get it here!

Browse my Scotland itineraries for your next trip.

Connect with me on Instagram @wildforscotland!
Join our email list to never miss an episode.
Planning a trip to Scotland? Check out my Scotland blog Watch Me See!

'Uisge' is a story about my journey as an outdoor swimmer. From loving the idea but not the implementation to immersing myself in the ice cold waters of one of Scotland's largest freshwater lochs, let me take you on a scenic drive, a hike and a swim in Perthshire.

We spend a morning with Scottish broadcaster and experiences outdoor swimmer Calum Maclean, exploring a lush gorge near Kenmore, learn about water safety and take the plunge in some of the coldest water I've ever felt. And you get to be right there with us - without getting wet!

Are you ready? Great – let’s travel to Scotland!

Visit our website to find the full show notes, transcript & our top tips for a trip to Perthshire.

Use my Perthshire travel guide to plan your trip.

See what to expect on the Glen Quaich road in these two videos: Video 1, Video 2

Support this show on Patreon and unlock bonus materials.

Record a voice note to celebrate Wild for Scotland's anniversary! Head over to speakpipe.com/WildForScotland to leave a voice note of up to 90 seconds, and tell us what you’ve enjoyed about the show. You can share your favourite episode, or let us know if any of the stories have inspired you to go on your own adventure. We can't wait to hear from you!

Let me help you plan your DREAM TRIP to Scotland! Book a free enquiry call to find out more.

Browse my Scotland itineraries for your next trip.

Connect with me on Instagram @wildforscotland!
Join our email list to never miss an episode.
Planning a trip to Scotland? Check out my Scotland blog Watch Me See!

Katie Murray is one of the researchers leading the Scottish part of the Wonder Seekers project, a new initiative that brings together science and tourism to inspire journeys of discovery. I spoke to Katie in Fort William about her own path to scientific tourism, what inspires her to learn on her travels in Scotland and life in the Highlands.

We'll also hear from the scientists who we've met in last week's story 'Never The Same': Siobhan Moran of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust and Ian Parsons of Lochaber Geopark. They share their stories with us and what inspired them to take curious minds along on scientific tourism experiences.

Listen to my conversation with Katie, Siobhan and Ian in which we cover...

• What we mean by scientific or learning-based tourism,
• Who it's for (hint: you might be surprised!),
• How to get involved in marine conservation in Scotland,
• What makes the Scottish Highlands such a special place for geologists,

and much more!

This episode is sponsored by Wonder Seekers, an initiative that brings together science and tourism to inspire exciting learning adventures that are unique, authentic and sustainable.

Connect with Wonder Seekers on Instagram: @wonder__seekers.

Find out more about Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust and Lochaber Geopark.

Visit our website to find the full show notes and interview transcript.

Support this show on Patreon and unlock bonus episodes.

Record a voice note to celebrate Wild for Scotland's anniversary! Head over to speakpipe.com/WildForScotland to leave a voice note of up to 90 seconds, and tell us what you’ve enjoyed about the show. You can share your favourite episode, or let us know if any of the stories have inspired you to go on your own adventure. We can't wait to hear from you!

Let me help you plan your DREAM TRIP to Scotland! Book a free enquiry call to find out more.

Coming to Scotland? Start planning your trip to Scotland with my FREE Trip Planning Checklist. Get it here!

Browse my Scotland itineraries for your next trip.

Connect with me on Instagram @wildforscotland!
Join our email list to never miss an episode.
Planning a trip to Scotland? Check out my Scotland blog Watch Me See!

This episode is sponsored by Wonder Seekers, an initiative that brings together science and tourism to inspire exciting learning adventures that are unique, authentic and sustainable.

'Never The Same' is a story about the ways in which travelling can turn the natural world into a classroom. From holding a piece of rock that is almost as old as the planet to learning the killer whale's darkest secret (hint: it's not what you think), this story is all shining a light on the experts who live on the west coast and share their knowledge with anyone who's willing to listen.

We spend an afternoon looking for and learning about whales and dolphins from a marine biologist, and follow the footsteps of Charles Darwin to understand the nature and origin of geological features in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. Come along on this trip from Oban to Fort William, and learn something new!

Are you ready? Great – let’s travel to Scotland!

Visit our website to find the full show notes, transcript & our top tips for a trip to Oban and Fort William.

Find out more about Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust and Lochaber Geopark.

Support this show on Patreon and unlock bonus materials.

Record a voice note to celebrate Wild for Scotland's anniversary! Head over to speakpipe.com/WildForScotland to leave a voice note of up to 90 seconds, and tell us what you’ve enjoyed about the show. You can share your favourite episode, or let us know if any of the stories have inspired you to go on your own adventure. We can't wait to hear from you!

Let me help you plan your DREAM TRIP to Scotland! Book a free enquiry call to find out more.

Browse my Scotland itineraries for your next trip.

Connect with me on Instagram @wildforscotland!
Join our email list to never miss an episode.
Planning a trip to Scotland? Check out my Scotland blog Watch Me See!

Adele Patrick is the co-founder of Glasgow Women's Library, a textile artist and fierce advocate for women's and LGBTQ rights - but as you'll soon also find out, one of the warmest people you could encounter on a trip to the city.

Listen to my conversation with Adele in which we cover...

• What it was like moving to Scotland in the late 1980s
• How Glasgow has changed since the early 1990s
• What to expect at the Glasgow Women's Library and how it came to be
• Her favourite places in the city

and much more! I even talk about how I got into Robert Burns' poetry...!

Connect with Glasgow Women's Library on Instagram: @womenslibrary

Learn more about the Women's Heritage Walks here and download FREE leaflets for all the routes.

Visit our website to find the full show notes, transcript & our top tips for a trip to Edinburgh.

Support this show on Patreon and unlock bonus episodes.

Record a voice note to celebrate Wild for Scotland's anniversary! Head over to speakpipe.com/WildForScotland to leave a voice note of up to 90 seconds, and tell us what you’ve enjoyed about the show. You can share your favourite episode, or let us know if any of the stories have inspired you to go on your own adventure. We can't wait to hear from you!

Let me help you plan your DREAM TRIP to Scotland! Book a free enquiry call to find out more.

Coming to Scotland? Start planning your trip to Scotland with my FREE Trip Planning Checklist. Get it here!

Browse my Scotland itineraries for your next trip.

Connect with me on Instagram @wildforscotland!
Join our email list to never miss an episode.
Planning a trip to Scotland? Check out my Scotland blog Watch Me See!

'Flourish' is a story about Glasgow's "City of the Dead". We're joining a group of history detectives from the Glasgow Women's Library for a guided tour at the Necropolis, a Victorian garden cemetery behind Glasgow Cathedral.

We'll hear stories of influential women who were buried here and learn about the lives of ordinary women in the city throughout history. Learn how many statues of women you can find in Glasgow, what happened to women accused of being witches, and what Queen Victoria has to do with fortune telling.

Visit our website to find the full show notes, transcript & our top tips for a trip to Glasgow.

Find out more about Glasgow Women's Library women's heritage walks here.

Support this show on Patreon and unlock bonus episodes.

Record a voice note to celebrate Wild for Scotland's anniversary! Head over to speakpipe.com/WildForScotland to leave a voice note of up to 90 seconds, and tell us what you’ve enjoyed about the show. You can share your favourite episode, or let us know if any of the stories have inspired you to go on your own adventure. We can't wait to hear from you!

Let me help you plan your DREAM TRIP to Scotland! Book a free enquiry call to find out more.

Browse my Scotland itineraries for your next trip.

Connect with me on Instagram @wildforscotland!
Join our email list to never miss an episode.
Planning a trip to Scotland? Check out my Scotland blog Watch Me See!

Lisa Williams is the founder of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association, which promotes Caribbean culture in Scotland, and since 2018 has been running Black History Walks Edinburgh.

Listen to my conversation with Lisa in which we cover...

• Moving to Scotland from the Caribbean,
• The development of the Black History Walks in Edinburgh,
• Scottish books to add to your reading list,
• Lisa's favourite place in Edinburgh, and more!

Connect with Lisa in Instagram: @caribscot

Learn more about the Edinburgh Caribbean Association.

Learn more about the Iron Age Votadini tribe here.

Visit our website to find the full show notes incl. our top tips for a trip to Edinburgh.

Access the transcript of this episode on wildforscotland.com

Support this show on Patreon and unlock bonus episodes.

Record a voice note to celebrate Wild for Scotland's anniversary! Head over to speakpipe.com/WildForScotland to leave a voice note of up to 90 seconds, and tell us what you’ve enjoyed about the show. You can share your favourite episode, or let us know if any of the stories have inspired you to go on your own adventure. We can't wait to hear from you!

Let me help you plan your DREAM TRIP to Scotland! Book a free enquiry call to find out more.

Coming to Scotland? Start planning your trip to Scotland with my FREE Trip Planning Checklist. Get it here!

Browse my Scotland itineraries for your next trip.

Connect with me on Instagram @wildforscotland!
Join our email list to never miss an episode.
Planning a trip to Scotland? Check out my Scotland blog Watch Me See!

'More to it' is a story about links between Scotland and the trans-Atlantic slave trade, but it's also a story about outstanding Black Scottish people and the ways in which Edinburgh locals supported the abolition movement.

We're joining a Black history walking tour with Lisa Williams and make our way from the grand streets of Edinburgh's New Town to the cobbled lanes of the medieval Old Town. We'll hear stories about controversial monuments, ethical arguments, family connections and more.

Visit our website to find the full show notes incl. our top tips for a trip to Edinburgh.

Book a Black history walk in Edinburgh here or drop Lisa an email to enquire about private tours.

Find out about my favourite tours in Edinburgh.

Access the transcript of this episode on wildforscotland.com

Support this show on Patreon and unlock bonus episodes.

Record a voice note to celebrate Wild for Scotland's anniversary! Head over to speakpipe.com/WildForScotland to leave a voice note of up to 90 seconds, and tell us what you’ve enjoyed about the show. You can share your favourite episode, or let us know if any of the stories have inspired you to go on your own adventure. We can't wait to hear from you!

Let me help you plan your DREAM TRIP to Scotland! Book a free enquiry call to find out more.

Browse my Scotland itineraries for your next trip.

Connect with me on Instagram @wildforscotland!
Join our email list to never miss an episode.
Planning a trip to Scotland? Check out my Scotland blog Watch Me See!

Wild for Scotland is coming back for its third season and the first new episode will be out next week.

I’m back on the road and will combine my passion for storytelling with the best thing about travelling - meeting new people.

Inspired by Scotland’s Year of Stories, this season is called “People of Scotland”. 

I will be meeting with folks all over the country, and write immersive stories about the time we spend together, but also interview them to hear their stories in their own words.

This season will include some exciting conversations with people in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and the west coast - to name just a few. We’ll talk about life in Scotland, favourite places to visit, and of course about what makes them wild for Scotland.

Season 3 is kicking off next week, so go tell your friends about it and help me spread the word by sharing this trailer on social media.

Tune in next week for new stories from Scotland!

Wild for Scotland is part of Tremula Network.

Connect with me on Instagram @wildforscotland!
Join our email list to never miss an episode.
Planning a trip to Scotland? Check out my Scotland blog Watch Me See!

'Showtime' is a story about a trip to the Isle of Skye in winter. We're getting up well before the crack of dawn and set out to visit one of the most beautiful places on the Isle of Skye. Icy roads, steep inclines and tired eyes won't keep us from this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

This is actually a story I initially shared with my Patreon subscribers last summer. If you like it and would like to hear more stories like it between seasons, join my Patreon here.

Use my guide for the Isle of Skye to plan your trip to the island.

Follow the hiking trail through the Quiraing on the Isle of Skye.

Access the transcript of this episode on wildforscotland.com

Support this show on Patreon and unlock bonus episodes.

Record a voice note to celebrate Wild for Scotland's anniversary! Head over to speakpipe.com/WildForScotland to leave a voice note of up to 90 seconds, and tell us what you’ve enjoyed about the show. You can share your favourite episode, or let us know if any of the stories have inspired you to go on your own adventure. We can't wait to hear from you!

Browse my Scotland itineraries for your next trip.

Connect with me on Instagram @wildforscotland!
Join our email list to never miss an episode.
Planning a trip to Scotland? Check out my Scotland blog Watch Me See!