Hugh MacDiarmid, KuneKune Pigs and the Sound of the Year

Mark comes face to face with a clowder of five-foot tall cats in Kirkaldy. Thankfully they’re Wemyss cats, made of fibreglass, so pose no danger. Dr Gordon Povey of the Adam Smith Global Foundation explains how and why the cats are there.

A major exhibition celebrating the life and work of writer Hugh MacDiarmid has been attracting visitors to Shetland in recent months. The acclaimed poet and his wife, Valda, spent nine years living in Whalsay, an island that had a profound influence on both his life and literary work. Now, a special exhibition at Shetland Museum and Archives is highlighting this important chapter of his story.

PK Vision, the Perth and Kinross charity supporting people with sight and hearing loss, is celebrating 160 years of helping people maintain their independence. To mark the milestone, staff, volunteers and service users took part in a special walk. During the event, Mark spoke with CEO Kate Charles and trustee and service user Beena Rawlinson, who shared her personal experience of sight loss and the support she has received from the charity.

This weekend, Moray will host its first-ever Community Garden Festival, celebrating the area's community growing spaces and the people who help them thrive. Ahead of the festival, Mark visited one of the participating gardens in Aberlour to discover what makes these spaces so special. Head gardener Jim Connel, Donald Grassie and Louise Nicol from the Moray Climate Action Network shared the benefits community gardens bring to local people and places.

Back to the Shetland Museum of Archives, where Andrea Racekova joins Amber Paton who’s a trainee archivist. She hears all about Valda, the amazing woman behind the writer Hugh MacDiarmid

Mark and Rachel are joined by Mathias Arrignon, a Glasgow-based French sound recordist. Last week he was announced as the winner of the Sound of the Year Awards, an annual celebration of everyday sound in all its forms. Mathias won with his sound: Songs of the Bearded Seals in the Arctic Ocean’s sea ice.

Luisa Hendry or otherwise known as the Scottish Geologist has built a huge following on social media. Through her engaging videos exploring Scotland’s fascinating geology, she brings us the stories behind the country’s rocks and landscapes. This week’s podcast excerpt finds Rachel and Luisa on a beach at St Andrews, where she explains what this amazing view tells us about Scotland’s geological past.

Two osprey chicks have hatched at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of Lowes Reserve in Perthshire. Mark catches up with Ranger Sara 'Raz' Rasmussen and hears how the chicks are getting on and what else is happening at the reserve.

At SnoutAbout, near Dundee, Rachel met up with Kirsty Brown who offers visitors the chance to join her charming KuneKune pigs for a stroll.

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