You guys & your guests, immersed in the landscape, are just rocking the NW! An entire spectrum of emotions and images conjured up in this episode especially to perfectly tee-up many a visit to the Great Cleft that is deeply historic Morvern ♥️

Join your hosts Neil Robertson and Freya Hellier as we learn about the West Highland region of Lochaber.

Today, Freya ventures south on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula to Morvern, for a walk through time and nature.
On a moody, drizzly day, Freya met Dr Jennie Roberton, a freelance archeologist, for a walk through a beautiful patch of woodland which opens out onto some fascinating ruins. We learn about the story of Mary of Inniemore who was one of thousands of Highlanders who were cleared from the land and had to make a new life. 
Jennie also explains how this part of the world has been hot property for human settlement in a story that goes back 10000 years.

Later that day, once the skies were beginning to clear, Freya went on another walk, this time to learn about a collaborative and nature focused approach to modern Highland estate management.
We meet Ross MacKay, land property manager at Ardtornish, a huge estate in Morvern that blends tourism, conservation and hydro schemes. We’re also joined by Steve Hardy. Steve is the ranger of the Rahoy Hills Nature Reserve and he knows the local ecology inside out thanks to years of painstaking research and documentation. 
Together, Steve and Ross know everything about these hills, glens and trees and they explain what makes this fragile, yet incredibly rich landscape so special and how to let it flourish for the future.

Find out more about the series at
roadtotheisles.com/scottish-podcasts/
https://forestryandland.gov.scot/learn/heritage/visit-heritage-sites/aoineadh-mor-inniemore
https://ardtornish.co.uk/

Coastal Connections: Road to the Isles is produced by Freya Hellier.

Many thanks to Les Back for the additional music and to the podcast sponsor Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Walking through history and nature in Morvern

It's the final episode in season 1 and we come to a rest at the end of the West Highland railway line: Mallaig.

Mallaig is the main coastal hub of Lochaber, it’s at the end of the Road to the Isles from Fort William. But like much larger Oban in Argyll further south, it’s also a springboard to wider adventures. You can jump on ferries to the northern Knoydart Peninsula, the Small Isles and Outer Hebrides out west, and of course the ever-popular Isle of Skye. 

Traditionally it is a fishing port, but a relatively new one as it only really came into being in the 19th Century. Nowadays, it’s fuelled largely by tourism with a busy bustle in the summer months as folk pile off the trains in search of nearby beaches, hill walks, boat trips and more of that famous seafood.

Much of Mallaig's history is all around you as you walk through the town; fishing vessels come and go and boats are repaired in the harbour. But there's also a fascinating connection with the Jacobite rebellion thanks to Lord Lovat.

Local historian Malcolm Poole knows the story, so we met up with him to learn more.

Many thanks to Malcolm for taking part in today's episode. For more information about the area, take a look at
https://roadtotheisles.com/

Keep an eye out for our destinations for season 2

Coastal Connections: Road to the Isles is produced by Freya Hellier 
Many thanks to  Les Back for the additional music and to the podcast sponsor Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Herring and History in Mallaig

This episode comes to you from the beautiful mountains, valleys and glens of the Cairngorms National Park. Neil is joined by Vicky Coy, a geologist who explains the formation of this amazing landscape. We also meet photographer, David Russell, who teaches us why this area is such a joy for wildlife photography.

100,000 Welcomes Scotland Podcast

100,000 Welcomes: Nature

Hello! we're Neil and Freya and we'd love for you to join us on a tour of a particularly beautiful corner of the Scottish Highlands: Lochaber. We think this area deserves more than a quick dash for the insta grid, so we're uncovering stories, places and people that you won't find unless you look below the surface.

Walking through history and nature in Morvern

Coastal Connections

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