FarNorth Podcast

Relatively few of Scotlands 900 islands are inhabited, and many that were once thriving communities are now abandoned. Wanting to know what that was, we did some digging, and then spoke to John Manson, an incredible man who, as a boy, was one of the last family to live on the island of Stroma. He and his brother, father, and mother, lived alone in those last years, making the most of the fishing grounds and living among the empty buildings of their community. His story of endurance and the importance of knowledge passed down generations is inspiring.

There seem to be a lot of private islands in Scotland. Why is that? Pete and Matt dig into the questions of land ownership, the responsibility of island ownership, and the kind of people who take it on. They then get the chance to talk to Vanessa Branson about her experience of buying and owning Eileann Shona, which she is now running as a luxury tourist retreat.We drew heavily on this great article by Patrick Barkham in the Guardian in researching some of the recent history of private and community island ownership.

Ian Rankin is one of the literary stars of Scotland, and someone with a passion for the Far North who has set some of his novels in the Highlands. The action in his latest novel, A Song for the Dark Times, takes place between Edinburgh and the north coast.In this part of the podcast, we focus on Ian's passion for the Highlands, how to capture the real life of the area rather than its tourist present or mythologised past, electric vehicle ranges and ... where to stop for a comfort break on the A9.

Ian Rankin is one of the literary stars of Scotland, and someone with a passion for the Far North who has set some of his novels in the Highlands. The action in his latest novel, A Song for the Dark Times, takes place between Edinburgh and the north coast.Ian joins us to talk about the novel and what themes setting the story in the north allows him to explore which he couldn’t get at if the story took place in Edinburgh alone. He also talks about his personal connection to the Highlands.Pete and Matt, meanwhile, discuss their shared interest in - and ignorance of - crime writing and the distinctive Scottish voice in the genre.This podcast is part one of our conversation with Ian Rankin. Next week, we focus more on Ian’s passion for the Highlands … and where to stop for a comfort break on the A9.

If you’re walking from Lands End to John O’Groats, there used to come a point where you walked off the map. The walkers trails that had snaked you through the quantocks, pennines and pentlands simply stopped at Inverness. The maps often simply cut off. And the only route North was walking along the hard shoulder of the main roads. This, realised a hardy and committed group of walkers from the Far North, would not do. They set about establishing a walkers trail from Inverness to John O’Groats through the stunning landscape of Easter Ross, Sutherland, and Caithness.Jay Wilson, the Chair of the charity working to establish this John O’Groats trail talks about what goes into making a trail along the clifftops, what he gets out of long distance walking, and what brought him from his home town on the Apalachian trail to Inverness, Berriedale, and ultimately, John O’Groats.Meanwhile, Pete and Matt wonder where one can wander in Scotland. And Matt gets needlessly scatological in his research.

Gail Ross is Member of the Scottish Parliament for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, in the far north of Scotland. In the first episode of Series Two, Gail tells us about her life in politics and the challenges, complex issues, and funny situations she found herself facing while representing the people of the region. Spaceports, supporting constituents, independence, and a risqué brush with Prince Charles at the Mey Games are all part of life as an MSP. Gail talks with honesty and directness about her experiences. But not before Pete manages to answer Matt's straightforward question about how the Scottish Parliament works by talking at length about a long dead Belgian mathematician.

When we began this project, Matt was hoping and planning to move to Cromarty, in the Far North of Scotland, with his family. The world in 2020 threw up a few obstacles, but he has made it.For this Christmas special, Pete and Matt discuss what it’s like to actually pull off what so many people dream about, and what is becoming a more realistic option for many given increased remote working. Does it feel remote in some way? Is it for everyone? Does Matt miss anything or … anyone? The answers appear to be mostly no.

On the hill above Alness on the North shore of the Cromarty firth, a row of apparently ancient towers and arches frames and incredible view out over the water. But what are they doing there, who built them, and why? The answers take Matt on an unexpected wikipedia tour of India and British colonial history, the Scottish aristocracy, and even, possibly due to some mis-clicks, the American war of independence.It’s incredible what you come across when out for a walk in the Far North. Patrick Baker knows that more than most. He’s the author of two books about discovering the unexpectedly interesting stories behind the places he has explored in Scotland: The Cairngorms, a Secret History and The Unremembered Places. He talks to us about the joy in finding out more about the things you stumble across, the importance of following your curiosity, and gives us a shortcut to some of the things he’s discovered while exploring in the Far North.

From cutting peat to cutting edge wave power, via nuclear and oil and gas, the Highlands and Islands hold a surprising amount of energy. We should think about it, says Magnus Davidson, as an energy region.The whisky label view of the highlands is of grouse exploding out of the undergrowth into the sky, but soon they will be joined by biodiesel fuelled rockets being launched from a new spaceport in Sutherland.In a global climate crisis, when people are focused on harnessing low impact traditional ways of life and using new technologies to generate energy and drive a future economy in a way which doesn’t destroy the planet, the Far North has a lot to offer.Meanwhile, Matt and Pete are confused by oil rigs and wonder how they work…You can keep up with Magnus on Twitter, where he posts regular insightful comment on the environment, economy, and society from his expert perspective as a researcher at the Environment Research Institute at the University of the Highlands and Islands.The short film referenced in the podcast is Head to Sea Heart at Home by Orchard Media

Venison, says Andy Waugh, is the best meat there is. It’s good for you, it’s good for the land, and it tastes great. But have you ever thought about what it means to source it from the highlands? We hadn’t. But Andy is an old hand, and his family have a history of providing wild sourced game throughout the Highlands and now far beyond, including to the two Mac and Wild restaurants in London. But what other Scottish foods can you eat to get in touch with the soul of the country? And does Pete’s description of an Arbroath Smokey constitute a hate crime? Possibly.You can catch up with Mac and Wild on instagram and through their website. You can also check their restaurants in the Falls of Shin, Fitzrovia, and the City of London.If you can’t get there, why not try a meal kit?

Alistair Heather is a journalist and broadcaster who writes in, and often about, Scots. He grew up speaking Scots in Angus, and had a primary school teacher who was passionate about teaching and preserving the language. But even for Alistair, it took someone pointing out to him when he lived overseas that he spoke Scots and asking about the grammar of the language to bring the point home that this was a language worth living in. Since moving back to Scotland, he has built a reputation as a respected commentator on the subject, working with Aberdeen University on Scots. He wrote and presented Rebel Tongue, a BBC Documentary about Scots earlier this year. What advice does he have for someone visiting Scotland who wants to know more about the Scots language?Ask people about their language, about their words. Get a conversation going about what dreich, scunnered, braw, glaikit, sleekit and sitooterie mean. Buy some books in Scots, either native or in translation. See a play in Scots.You can read more about the subject in the FarNorth essay on the subject. You can also still catch Rebel Tongue on the BBC. You can keep up with Alistair Heather on Twitter.

At the end of the road across the Black Isle, not very far north of Inverness, at the mouth of the firth, sits the town of Cromarty. It’s a small community with a big tourist draw, overlooking the natural beauty of mountains and water. It also sits at an interesting point of crossover between the city, only forty minutes drive away, agriculture on the Black Isle and beyond, and heavy industry hosted in the firth and in the energy park across the water from the town. From the beaches in Cromarty, you can see dolphins, oil rigs, and wind turbines under construction. It’s a heady mix, and has drawn tourists, new residents, artists, and writers.We dig into the history and present of Cromarty. What is the context of this place, and what is it like to live there now? As Matt prepared to find out first hand, we spoke to Ingrid Rochford, who has lived there for much of her life, and now runs Ingrid’s House, a Scandinavian design shop in the centre of the town.You can catch up with Ingrid on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.She has just launched her Christmas range, which is worth a look online no matter where you are.

As The Castle Hunter, from his base in Edinburgh, David C. Weinczok has visited over 400 castles, all over Scotland, sometimes even pushing his way through brambles, thistles and midges, just to reach a small pile of stones that was once a castle.With David as a guide, you begin to see through the majestic, insta filtered view of Scotland’s famous castles, lone sentries on hilltops, or marooned on lonely islands. These are fantastic images, obviously, and they adorn every website extolling the virtues of Scotland (including this one). But there’s something not quite right about that hyper-exoticised view. And the truth that lies behind it is more interesting, if less immediately accessible than a great shot of Eilean Donan with Hefe on max.“One myth to bust straight away is the idea of the solitary tower standing defiant against the landscape. The reality is that almost every castle was one part of a larger network, without which the castle could not have been built in the first place,” says DavidIn the podcast, Pete and Matt talk about Ardvreck, a castle they have visited but not understood, before David gives the wider context of castles in this part of the world.You can read more about David C. Weinczok, at his website, on Twitter and Instagram, and by buying his book, The History Behind Game of Thrones - The North Remembers.

The best surf season at Thurso is in the Winter. Iona and Finn talk of the delight of getting into the sea, steaming because the water at 6 degrees is warmer than the air, and paddling out past chunks of ice that have broken off from the rivers that flow into the sea and floated out into the waves.We also look into the history of surfing - including cameos from Mark Twain and Col Mad Jack Churchill - and how and when it arrived in the Highlands.It’s impossible, talking to Iona and Finn, not to pick up some of their enthusiasm for surfing, and for surfing in Scotland. They have both travelled and surfed widely as part of the Scottish junior surf team, and worked together as surf instructors in the Western Isles and New Zealand, but when it came to setting up their own school, it was obvious where it should be.You can catch up with them on Facebook, and Instagram, and on their website.

Mysterious structures are dotted throughout the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Standing proud by the side of roads, with car parks for visitors and information boards, or just a tumble of stones under the bracken somewhere off the beaten path, are the remains of round stone buildings built in the iron age, some of them still several storeys high. These are brochs.Their exact function, and how they were built still isn’t known. Some of them were investigated, rebuilt, or plundered by the first wave of amateur archaeologists in the 19th Century. Many now make a good picnic spot.Pete and Matt spoke to Ken and Iain from the Caithness Broch Project to understand more about what these brochs are, and to find out what the difference is between a broch and a cairn.The Caithness Broch Project is a grass roots charity aiming to promote and preserve existing archaeological sites in Caithness, create an Archaeological Trail around the area, and to build a replica of an Iron Age Broch using authentic building techniques from the time.You can follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Lynn and Sandra never intended to become farmers in the Cairngorms. They spent a couple of years deciding where and how they would realise their dream of finding their small bit of land to raise a couple of chickens. Perhaps five acres would do it.In 2016, they found themselves owner-occupiers at Lynbreck, a sprawling 150 acre croft in the Cairngorms national park.Pete and Matt talked to Lynn to find out about her story, and dug into the history of crofting in the Highlands and Islands, and its troubling history in the Clearances.You can read more about Crofts in a FarNorth essay, and keep in touch with Lynn and Sandra at Lynbreck Croft.

Scotland, maintains Calum Maclean, is one of the best places in the world to go wild swimming. Its lochs, waterfalls, and coastline present a huge range places to swim or submerge yourself in cold water.And the cold water has a magic of its own, and can be transformative, as the many advocates of its restorative powers will attest.Matt and Pete discuss their own experiences of swimming in Scotland, and talk to Calum about what they should be doing better, and how he manages to crack the ice on a mountain loch and throw himself in.You can read more about Calum in a FarNorth essay and keep in touch with him on instagram and Twitter.

The Highlands and Islands of Scotland are full of fascinating people.In making the FarNorth podcast, we spoke to some of those people about everything from the Scots language and the history of castles to swimming in mountain lochs, crofting in the Cairngorms, and running a shop on the Black Isle.