New Year Message

Thank you for tuning in to the Visit the North East of Scotland Podcast with me your host Jacqueline van den Akker.  In today’s episode I am speaking with Debbie Cooper who is the development and promotions officer for the Dee District Salmon Fishery Board and River Dee Trust.

Debbie joined the team in 2021 to increase awareness and the use of the River Dee, one of Aberdeenshire’s most treasured rivers. Debbie will tell us about the salmon preservation programs as well as re-wilding and environmental conservation work being undertaken by the Trust.  

The river Dee is famous for its salmon fishing and Debbie shares what makes the river perfect for the sport of angling, and other adventures that can be enjoyed on or near the water.

Today we are having a slightly different podcast as we are talking all things Christmas and Hogmanay in Scotland.  I share some of the traditions around this time of year, we hear from a good friend Catherine Leiper about her experiences of the festive season growing up and the traditions she has continued in her own family.  We learn a bit more about some of the more unusual and forgotten celebrations such as the Burning of the Clavie with Fiona-Jane Brown and how herring played a role in a very curious act.  Finally we finish with a Hogmanay poem written by Angela Wybrow. 

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Martin Bennie an Aberdeenshire based Photographer who has a passion for landscape photography and getting out into nature.  

Aberdeenshire has been Martin's inspiration for the last few years after spending time abroad with his work in Korea. Martin talks about why landscape photography speaks to him, how he has taken to helping others develop their style through offering tuition sessions while exploring Royal Deeside,  and he gives us some insight into what makes a great photo. 

We are heading into the hills today with mountain guide Garry Cormack from Hillgoers.

Garry shares with us his adventures on the hills, and what he loves about getting outside and into nature.  Hillgoers offer guided walks throughout Scotland with their team of qualified mountain guides and have dedicated time to working with the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme to help young people develop skills and knowledge to become adventurers too.

Having a profound respect for nature and our environment guests will not only learn new skills but develop a deeper appreciation of our history and landscape along the way.

In today’s episode we are staying on the adventure sports topic and we are having a conversation with Steven Strathie, a keen adventure cyclist and outdoor sports enthusiast.  

Steven recently joined the board of directors of local adventure community- Scottish Adventure, which was established in 2020. The group is made up of people who have a love of the outdoors and come together to participate in different cycling activities but also to have a genuine community feel by sharing stories, adventure experiences and social elements to their rides.

Scottish Adventure strongly believe the outdoors is for everyone and all abilities are welcomed.  The main objective is to get out there, slow down, take in the wonderful landscape and to enjoy the company of others. 

In this episode we are speaking with James Wight from Sup2Summit based in Montrose.  

James started his business about 4 ½ years ago when after spending many years working for others in outdoor adventure sports all over the world, he wanted to return home.  The path to getting his business established was not a smooth one but ultimately, he was successful in creating an outdoor centre for, among other things, stand up paddle boarding with exciting adventures both on the coast and in other areas of Scotland.

The Sup2Summit team have great plans to expand into a full adventure sports facility and have developed unique opportunities to travel exploring the great lochs and glens of Scotland while on a board.  If you love getting onto the water and seeing wildlife, exploring the coastline or even a scenic sunset paddle then you must visit Aberdeenshire.

We are back with second podcast series of Visit the North East of Scotland!  My name is Jacqueline van den Akker and I am your host.  Can I say that I am very excited to be back again with a brand new series of episodes.

We will continue our conversations with local businesses, activity providers, attractions, and people who are generally passionate about what there is to see and do in Aberdeenshire.  Guests who want to promote the region to visitors from all over the world, and encourage them to come to the North East of Scotland and spend a bit of time discovering our beautiful corner of the country.

In this second series we delve deeper into topics such as adventure tourism, the landscape from the mountains to the sea, wildlife and agritourism and much-loved places to explore.  

I’m delighted to be sharing more stories and adventures with you and look forward to welcoming you to the North East of Scotland very soon. 

In today’s episode we are meeting with Vivien Rae who has a professional and personal passion for tourism in the North East of Scotland. Not only does Vivien work as marketing guru for several events and tourism related businesses she also dedicates a large portion of her time to volunteering on a variety of committees which put on events in the North East.

 Vivien shares with us what she loves about festivals and the many opportunities we have to learn something new about our past.  Keeping traditional stories and skills alive is an important part of sharing our heritage and the chance to get together to socialise is integral too.  The recent move to virtual events is a positive one, and Vivien believes in some ways it is a wonderful chance to share our heritage with people who dream of visiting Scotland..

 The last few months have also meant more people are becoming visitors in their own areas and rediscovering their part of Scotland and seeing what they have with a fresh perspective.

In this short episode we wanted to say thank you to all of you have have listened and shared our podcast.  Also a thank you to the guests who have appeared on the episodes so far and do share with us your ideas for future programmes.  We do have a few more for this series so do keep listening.  We finish the year with a New Year Blessing and wish you all a very Happy New Year.

In today’s episode we are speaking with David McCubbin who is passionate about supporting smaller villages along the North East Coastal Route to become thriving communities for residents and visitors alike.  

David moved up to Aberdeenshire from Somerset several years ago and chose the unique village of Cullen to become his family home. David wears multiple hats in his work life, having spent several years working within tourism and currently as Project Officer for the town center development project.

David shares with us the various challenges small coastal communities face and the efforts to support each community to be a great place to live.  He also reveals some of his favourite places to visit in the North East of Scotland.