Welcome to the Historic Scotland Podcast, a journey through some of Scotland's most iconic sites and their enchanting stories. Join your host, Scottish actor and storyteller Sarah MacGillivray as she goes behind-the-scenes to reveal untold histories and intriguing traces of our nation’s past.
Discover Dirleton Castle’s role in Scotland’s witch trials, untangle history from legend on the shores of Loch Ness and delve into the rich archaeology of Holyrood Park and Caerlaverock Castle.
Are you loving these captivating stories about Scotland’s rich and fascinating past?
Well, the good news is that there is another, exclusive season of the Historic Scotland podcast – just for members – and you won’t find it anywhere else.
You’ll go behind the scenes to meet the soldiers who fire Edinburgh Castle’s iconic One O’Clock Gun, stand high on the walls of Stirling Castle to survey a historic landscape, and delve deeper with experts into the mystery of Bruce’s heart at Melrose Abbey.
These extra episodes are waiting for you in the members' feed right now. Plus, as a member, you’ll always be the first to hear each new podcast season.
That’s not all. Your Historic Scotland membership gives you free, unlimited entry to our sites and daytime events, as well as discounts in our cafés, gift shops and online store.
Search ‘Historic Scotland membership’ or head to hes.scot/membership today to unlock much, much more of Scotland’s history.
9 Jun 2026
Legacy in the landscape: our imperial past
With Ian Mchardy, Malcolm Maclean, and Cat Dunn.
The ancient standing stone circle of Calanais, a site that inspires reflection, may seem an unlikely place to mention Britain’s imperial legacy. But as Cat Dunn explains, it is one of many heritage sites with connections to slavery and colonial histories revisited by recent research. What links Calanais with the history of Empire, how do these uncomfortable truths help us understand Scotland’s past, and what comes next?
Exploring heritage sites like Calanais Standing Stones allows you to connect with Scotland’s past — and membership with Historic Scotland makes that journey even richer.
Membership gives you free entry to many of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks, including castles, abbeys and cathedrals, along with free admission to daytime events and members-only activities. You’ll also enjoy discounts in cafés and shops, a quarterly magazine, a members’ guide to help plan visits, and access to exclusive podcast content and collectibles. By becoming a member, you help support vital conservation work that protects Scotland’s heritage and enables ongoing research that deepens our understanding of the past.
To become a member, sign up here: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/membership/ (https://www.historicenvironment.scot/membership/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
26 May 2026
Tales of the Blackhouse
With Ali Davey and Marlene Macleod.
Sarah sits by a glowing fire in one of Scotland’s most remote crofts to immerse herself in Hebridean life and hospitality. Within the blackhouse’s thick stone walls and thatched roof, kept wind and watertight though the sharing of traditional skills down the generations, she discovers a story of community, resilience and a Gaelic tradition of storytelling and music that endures.
Visit unique Scottish heritage sites like Hebridean by joining Historic Scotland membership. It gives you free entry to many of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks, including castles, abbeys and cathedrals, along with free admission to daytime events and members-only activities. You’ll also enjoy discounts in cafés and shops, a quarterly magazine, a members’ guide to help plan visits, and access to exclusive podcast content and collectibles. By becoming a member, you help support vital conservation work that protects Scotland’s heritage for future generations.
To become a member, sign up here: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/membership/
12 May 2026
Caerlaverock Castle: where west meets east
With Lynsey Haworth, Stefan Sagrott, Judith Rowett, and Zoe Samuels-Lyons.
Sarah travels to the fairytale castle of Caerlaverock in Dumfries and Galloway. Here, she learns how a series of remarkable archaeological finds – from leather goods and basketry to fragments of Islamic glass – reveal how this seemingly remote medieval castle was once part of a vibrant network of international trade and cultural exchange.
If you’re curious to discover historic places like Caerlaverock Castle in person, consider becoming a member of Historic Scotland. Membership gives you free entry to many of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks, including castles, abbeys and cathedrals, along with free admission to daytime events and members-only activities. You’ll also enjoy discounts in cafés and shops, a quarterly magazine, a members’ guide to help plan visits, and access to exclusive podcast content and collectibles. By becoming a member, you help support vital conservation work that protects Scotland’s heritage for future generations.
To become a member, sign up here: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/membership/
28 Apr 2026
Ballads, Borders and the tower that inspired Scott
With Regional Collections Manager, Jill van Millingen and volunteer John Simpson.
On a rocky craig in the Scottish Borders stands Smailholm Tower, a medieval stronghold in a landscape with a strong tradition of balladry – poems capturing the lives and legends of the area. Collections Manager Jill and volunteer guide John explain how this brooding place fired the imagination of a young Walter Scott, and how his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border in turn inspired a set of costumed dolls by the late artist Anne Carrick.
If you’re inspired to experience places like Smailholm Tower for yourself, consider becoming a member of Historic Scotland.
Membership gives you free entry to many of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks, including castles, abbeys and cathedrals, along with free admission to daytime events and members-only activities. You’ll also enjoy discounts in cafés and shops, a quarterly magazine, a members’ guide to help plan visits, and access to exclusive podcast content and collectibles. By becoming a member, you help support vital conservation work that protects Scotland’s heritage and collections for future generations.
To become a member, sign up here: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/membership/
14 Apr 2026
Inventing the future at Kinneil House
With Ian Shearer from Friends of Kinneil, Mark Watson Industrial Heritage from Historic Scotland, and Paul Rolands from Roving Manager Lothian & East from Historic Scotland.
In this episode, we step back to a time of frustration and triumph in the workshop of Scottish inventor and engineer James Watt at Kinneil House. What experiments took place here, what were Watt’s most important innovations at Kinneil and how did they help launch Britain’s Industrial Revolution? This is the story of how one man’s persistence in a corner of Scotland changed the trajectory of the world.
To step inside Scotland’s history and explore sites such as Kinneil House in person, membership with Historic Scotland is your gateway. It gives you free entry to many of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks, including castles, abbeys and cathedrals, along with free admission to daytime events and members-only activities. You’ll also enjoy discounts in cafés and shops, a quarterly magazine, a members’ guide to help plan visits, and access to exclusive podcast content and collectibles. By becoming a member, you help support vital conservation work that protects Scotland’s heritage for future generations.
To become a member, sign up here: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/membership/
31 Mar 2026
Hunting for Nessie
With Joshua Graham Engagement Visitor at Urquhart Castle, Charlie Hockin Sales Executive at The Loch Ness Centre, and Moira Unwin Marketing Manager at The Loch Ness Centre.
Sarah heads north to the shores of Loch Ness and the dramatic ruins of Urquhart Castle in Scotland’s Great Glen to discover how legend and history co-exist at one of our most famous heritage sites. As the castle’s guides reveal the castle’s strategic importance and a fierce past filled with clan struggles and warfare, Sarah also ponders the origins and enduring myth of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster – with help from some Nessie experts at the Loch Ness Centre.
If you’re inspired to learn more about Scotland’s rich past and explore historic sites like Urquhart Castle in person, consider becoming a member of Historic Scotland.
Membership gives you free entry to many of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks, including castles, abbeys and cathedrals, along with free admission to daytime events and members-only activities. You also get discounts in cafés and shops, a free quarterly magazine, a members’ guide to help plan visits, and access to exclusive podcast content and collectibles like history hunt cards. Membership supports conservation work that helps protect Scotland’s heritage for future generations.
To become a member, sign up here: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/membership/
17 Mar 2026
Archaeology of Holyrood Park
With Senior Cultural Resources Advisor Rachel Pickering, Professor Jon Henderson and Ranger and Visitor Services Manager Martin Gray.
From the heights of Holyrood Park, we explore thousands of years of history in Holyrood Park – from Iron Age hillforts to royal hunting grounds – meet the archaeologists who are reshaping our understanding of the park’s past and reflect on the challenges of managing archaeology in a green space that sits within one of the busiest cities in the world.
Discover Scotland’s past up close at places like Holyrood Park by becoming a member of Historic Scotland. Membership gives you free entry to many of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks, including castles, abbeys and cathedrals, along with free admission to daytime events and members-only activities. You also get discounts in cafés and shops, a free quarterly magazine, a members’ guide to help plan visits, and access to exclusive podcast content and collectibles like history hunt cards. Membership supports conservation work that helps protect Scotland’s heritage for future generations.
To become a member, sign up here: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/membership/
3 Mar 2026
Witches of Dirleton Castle
With Properties Historian Dr Morvern French and Professor Julian Goodare.
In the first episode of series two, Sarah travels to East Lothian to discover a dark chapter in Dirleton Castle’s history. As witch trials in Scotland escalated during the 16th and 17th centuries, Dirleton and the wider region became embroiled in false accusations, interrogations and executions – with women being disproportionately targeted. Sarah brings their stories into the light and reflects on the castle’s changing role, from a site of fear and cruelty to a place of beauty and commemoration.
If you’re inspired to learn more about Scotland’s rich past and explore historic sites like Dirleton Castle in person, consider becoming a member of Historic Scotland.
Membership gives you free entry to many of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks, including castles, abbeys and cathedrals, along with free admission to daytime events and members-only activities. You also get discounts in cafés and shops, a free quarterly magazine, a members’ guide to help plan visits, and access to exclusive podcast content and collectibles like history hunt cards. Membership supports conservation work that helps protect Scotland’s heritage for future generations.
To become a member, sign up here: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/membership/
28 Jan 2026
Historic Scotland Podcast Trailer
Welcome to the Historic Scotland Podcast, a journey through some of Scotland's most iconic sites and their enchanting stories. Join your host, Scottish actor and storyteller Sarah MacGillivray as she goes behind-the-scenes to reveal untold histories and intriguing traces of our nation’s past.
Discover Dirleton Castle’s role in Scotland’s witch trials, untangle history from legend on the shores of Loch Ness and delve into the rich archaeology of Holyrood Park and Caerlaverock Castle.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
Spotify
4.8 / 5
8 ratings
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