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Description

John Davidson, writer and editor of the Active Outdoors series in the Inverness Courier and Highland News & Media group, takes a look at life in the outdoors from his base in the Highlands of Scotland. Inspiration, advice and hopefully some fun as we chat to guests and see the benefits of enjoying being active outdoors.

Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from Active Outdoors podcast

Glenmore reopens after Cairngorms wildfire

2026/08/10

John Davidson heads to Glenmore after the devastating wildfire and speaks to Paul Hibberd of Forestry and Land Scotland about how they are opening up the area in the aftermath

Lejog walker Jo Page approaches the end of the road!

2025/07/15

Jo Page is approaching the end of her 1100-mile walk from Land's End to John O'Groats... John Davidson caught up with her at Berriedale, just one week from the finish, to record this podcast

Markus Stitz – bikepacking author and route developer

2025/06/14

Bikepacking guru Markus Stitz talks to Active Outdoors editor John Davidson during a glorious ride in the Cairngorms

Exploring Scottish Hill Tracks with Colin Cadden, a volunteer with ScotWays

2024/09/28

Colin Cadden, who lives in Aviemore, was one of around 130 volunteers who helped survey routes across the country for the latest edition of the guide to Scottish Hill Tracks. Compiled by ScotWays, the Scottish Rights of Way Society, the sixth edition of the guide is published exactly 100 years after the organisation first published […]

Steve Smirthwaite: Mountain biking maps of the Highlands

2024/08/09

John Davidson speaks to mapmaker Steve Smirthwaite about bikes, maps and all things outdoors in the latest episode of the Active Outdoors podcast

Active Outdoors interview: Tim Hamlet of Assynt mountain rescue team

2023/06/08

The Assynt mountain rescue team covers a huge geographical area incorporating all of Sutherland and Caithness. I spent a day with team in Lochinver as part of a training weekend, where they focused on casualty care followed by a familiarisation exercise with the HM Coastguard helicopter – including practising being winched up and down. During […]

Ross Brannigan on his book Running Adventures Scotland

2022/05/09

In this new episode of the Active Outdoors podcast, John Davidson speaks to Scottish author Ross Brannigan after the official launch of his book, Running Adventures Scotland, which is published by Vertebrate Publishing. Ross talks about his passion for the hills and for Scotland, how to make the step up to running in the mountains […]

Running the Speyside Way extension from Aviemore to Newtonmore

2021/12/12

In the latest episode of the Active Outdoors podcast, John Davidson is running the newest section of the Speyside Way - the 20-mile stretch from Aviemore to Newtonmore.

The Strathdearn in Tomatin and Baxters Loch Ness Marathon

2021/10/17

In this latest episode of the Active Outdoors podcast, John Davidson is in conversation with Duncan Bryden, a former chief executive of the Cairngorms National Park Authority, about a project to breathe life into a Highland village close to the park.

The first Torvean Parkrun in Inverness and the Etape Loch Ness

2021/08/30

What a weekend! More than 350 people took part in the new Torvean Parkrun at a brand new park in Inverness then over 2500 cyclists took to the streets in the early morning to tackle the 66-mile Etape Loch Ness sportive. John Davidson took part in both events and spoke to some of those involved […]