Love Scotland: Stories of Scotland's History and Nature

This week, Jackie’s stepping back in time at Alloa Tower: the ancestral seat of a family that played a pivotal role in the history of Scotland. Now surrounded by two housing estates and a supermarket, the tower has, in the past, been part of the stories of Mary, Queen of Scots, the Jacobite Uprisings, and James VI.

Join her as she meets the Trust team at Alloa Tower and unpicks some of these interconnected tales, and how a fortified tower came to house opulent 18th century interiors.

Find out more about Alloa Tower here.

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We were saddened to hear the news of Doug Allan’s passing. This episode, first recorded in 2023, features Doug sharing some of his favourite stories from his career. We hope you enjoy it. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

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Wildlife cameraman Doug Allan became world-renowned with film credits for some of the most influential documentaries ever made and a trophy cabinet full of BAFTAs and Emmys. He contributed to David Attenborough’s Blue Planet and Frozen Planet, and spent more time than nearly anyone else diving into the world’s iciest oceans in search of wildlife.

In this episode of Love Scotland, he sat down with Jackie to discuss an eventful career, including a dangerously close encounter with a walrus. He also revealed his eyewitness account of how a changing climate is affecting underwater wildlife, and some of his favourite experiences shooting in Scotland’s wild places.

Join Jackie on a trip to this 16th century watermill in East Lothian, made famous to modern audiences through its appearance in Outlander. Jackie meets the Trust team responsible for the day-to-day running of the mill and uncovers the layers of its past.

Preston Mill was being used commercially as recently as 1959, when it was the last to operate in the region. Its Dutch-style conical roof makes it stand out from other Scottish mills, and as a mill has existed on the site since the 18th century, there’s a deep sense of history here.

Find out more about Preston Mill here.

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Even now, artists and creatives take inspiration from the works of Robert Burns some 230 years after his death. Last year, theatremaker James Clements explored the Trust’s Burns collection and brought it to life in a new production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

His show, The Burns Project, sold out for its entire run and is now touring the US. It uses the bard’s letters, poems and personal items to tell the story of Burns in an intimate setting. Jackie chats to James about his creative process, the enduring legacy of Burns, and what he learned along the way.

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For many history enthusiasts today, it all began with Horrible Histories. Whether the book series or subsequent TV adaptation – or, indeed, stage shows and films – the huge franchise has sparked many a love of the past through its gruesome, entertaining and, most importantly, accurate storytelling and songs.

Today, Jackie sits down with two of the brains behind Horrible Histories to learn more about how they’ve managed to capture the imaginations of several generations of children and young people, the process of bringing book to the stage, and some of their favourite Scottish characters to appear.

Horrible Histories – The Concert is touring now, including stops in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.