Top of the podcasts

Wild For Scotland Apple, Spotify

Scotland is home to mountains, beaches, forests, stately homes, museums, medieval architecture, fine dining and even world-class distilleries.

In short, it’s a dream destination for travellers yet often overlooked by those of us who are lucky enough to have so much adventure right on their doorstep. Well, until Covid-19 hit, of course, and we all suddenly rediscovered the wonders of staycations.

If you’re one of the many thousands of Scots hoping to holiday close to home this summer, new immersive storytelling podcast, Wild For Scotland, should be your first port of call.

Written, hosted and produced by travel blogger Kathi Kamleitner (above), the podcast was initially inspired by the ongoing coronavirus travel restrictions, and is described as “for Scotland-lovers around the world who miss travel and the opportunity to visit”. However, the wonderfully scripted show also works as a where-to-go guide for Scots who might want to try before they buy.

Each episode begins with a personal travel story from Kathi, who moved to Scotland from Australia in 2013, before detailing top tips for the destination at hand.

The first series, comprising 10 episodes, focuses on the west coast islands, exploring such wonders as puffin-watching on the Isle of Lunga, hiking in the Hebrides, and kayaking off the Summer Isles.

From small communities to larger tourist hotspots, Kathi unearths “nooks and crannies, history and landscapes” to paint a vivid mental picture, and her soothing narration transports you to another time and place.

If ever there was a time to escape, it’s now – and while it’s often said seeing is believing, in this case simply hearing does the job just nicely.