Scotland's Women

About Scotland's Women

Welcome to Scotland's Women, a podcast that celebrates the strength, resilience and brilliance of women across our nation. Each episode features real, unfiltered conversations with women from every corner of Scotland - sharing stories, experiences and perspectives with honesty and heart. These are the voices shaping modern Scotland: leaders, dreamers, creators, mothers and change makers who remind us what's possible when women lift each other up. Through laughter, courage and truth, we explore what is means to live boldly, support one another and step into our power - together. Because when Scotland's Women share their stories, we don't just inspire change - we create it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Kirsten McKenzie

Category

health & fitness · religion & spirituality · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Feb 2024

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

115 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026

   Woven By Hand

   Where every thread carries a century of protection, and every loom holds the heartbeat of Scotland's Outer Hebrides. In this episode of Scotland's Women, we sit down with Kristina, office manager at the Harris Tweed Authority, to unravel the extraordinary story behind one of Scotland's most iconic exports. Harris Tweed is not simply a cloth — it is a living legacy, woven by hand in the homes of the Outer Hebrides and protected by a framework of law, tradition, and fierce devotion that stretches back to the 1840s. Kristina takes us through the remarkable history of the cloth, from Lady Dunmore's vision of an off-island trade to the 1906 court case that sent a tailor to prison for passing off Yorkshire cloth as Harris Tweed, to the Harris Tweed Act of Parliament in 1993 that elevated the Authority to a statutory body. At every turn, the thread holding it all together is protection — the certification mark, the orb, the legal declarations signed by every registered weaver, and the tireless work of a small team who call themselves the guardians of the orb. Kristina speaks with deep emotion about what legacy means to her and to the people of the island. She calls herself and her colleagues caretakers, guardians whose duty is not just to the cloth but to the generations who came before and the generations yet to come. She shares stories of weavers in their eighties who found that the rhythm of the loom kept both body and mind agile, of visitors who leave the Authority's story room transformed into detectives for the brand, and of a man who sent back his father's 1927 Harris Tweed waistcoat because he wanted it to come home. The conversation moves through the meaning of slow fashion, the intangible value of goodwill, and the Scottish psyche — people who may do things quietly but will always stand their ground for what is right. Harris Tweed is part of Scotland, and Scotland is part of Harris Tweed, and as Kristina reminds us, cloth itself is protection — warmth, shelter, and care passed from one hand to the next. Follow @HarrisTweedAuthority Join the revolution of Scotland's Women, a podcast celebrating the voices and experiences of women from all across Scotland. Each episode features inspiring, honest and unfiltered conversations with women from all walks of life - sharing their journeys, challenges, triumphs and perspectives. These are real stories of women shaping modern Scotland - leaders, creators, dreamers and change makers - offering insight, advice and inspiration to listeners everywhere. Whether you're looking for empowerment, wisdom, or simply a connection to authentic stories, this podcast reminds us that every woman has a voice! Visit our website and get in touch: https://scotlandswomen.com/ Follow us and join the revolution : https://www.instagram.com/scotlandswomen/ Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Woven By Hand - TRAILER

   Woven by Hand: The Cloth That Three People, One Island, and 120 Years of Law Refuse to Let Die. In a small office on the Isle of Lewis, three people guard one of the most recognizable trademarks on the planet. The cloth they protect can only be made in one place, by one method, under a set of rules that date back to a courtroom in 1906. Break any of them, and it's not Harris Tweed. This is a story about weavers who work in sheds beside their homes, who count threads by the thousand and operate temperamental machines that demand a cyclist's steady rhythm. It's about a widow who saw value where others didn't, a judge who sent a man to prison for faking it, and an island where people still slow down enough to make something by hand that the rest of the world wants to wear down Fifth Avenue. Kristina has spent over a decade at the Harris Tweed Authority. She'll tell you she's not just an office manager — she's a guardian. And in this episode, she explains why a waistcoat from 1927 found it's way home, why every meter of cloth is stamped with a legal declaration signed by the weaver who made it, and why the most important voice she ever learned to listen to is one she can still hear, 36 years after her mother died. Follow @HarrisTweedAuthority Join the revolution of Scotland's Women, a podcast celebrating the voices and experiences of women from all across Scotland. Each episode features inspiring, honest and unfiltered conversations with women from all walks of life - sharing their journeys, challenges, triumphs and perspectives. These are real stories of women shaping modern Scotland - leaders, creators, dreamers and change makers - offering insight, advice and inspiration to listeners everywhere. Whether you're looking for empowerment, wisdom, or simply a connection to authentic stories, this podcast reminds us that every woman has a voice! Visit our website and get in touch: https://scotlandswomen.com/ Follow us and join the revolution : https://www.instagram.com/scotlandswomen/ Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   24 Sept 2026

   Never Looking Back

   You can change your life at any point in your journey — no matter the age, no matter the circumstance. She married at nineteen to a man eleven years older. For fifteen years, she was told she was nothing without him. Then she packed two suitcases and never looked back. This is Martyna's story — a woman who arrived in Scotland from Poland at twenty-seven, unable to speak a word of English, and built an entirely new life from scratch. From cleaner to career woman to burnout survivor to founder of the Academy of Confidence, Martyna's journey is proof that reinvention is always possible. This episode is real and raw. There are no filters, no rehearsed lines — just a woman telling it exactly as it happened, from the small, quiet moments of self-doubt to the moment she finally stood up and said "that's enough." If you've ever felt trapped in a life you didn't choose, if you've ever been told you're not enough, if you've ever wondered whether it's too late to start over — Martyna's story will stay with you long after you stop listening. What you'll take from this episode is the understanding that confidence isn't something you're born with — it's something you build, step by step, every time you choose to leave your comfort zone. That the voice telling you "I can't" is one you trained yourself to hear, and one you can untrain. And that no matter how long it takes you to reach your turning point, what matters is that you take the step. Martyna opens up about growing up with zero confidence — the shy girl who introduced herself as "the new one" at swimming class because she couldn't say her own name. She talks about marrying at nineteen to escape, and slowly realising she was living inside a cycle of gaslighting, manipulation, and control. She describes how her husband questioned everything — what she wore, who she fixed her teeth for, whether her questions were "stupid." She shares the moment she packed two suitcases and moved in with her mum in Edinburgh. The heartbreak of her fifteen-year-old son choosing to stay behind. The train ride where she cried — not from fear, but from freedom. Rebuilding everything: a new home, a new career in property, a new life for her and her son. Hitting burnout two years ago and finally understanding what it means to "do things for yourself." And founding the Academy of Confidence to help other women believe they can change their lives at any point in their journey. Her golden rule: leave your comfort zone — because confidence isn't something you're born with, it's something you build, like a muscle. Connect with Martyna: Instagram: @academyofconfidence Website: www.academyofconfidence.uk (http://www.academyofconfidence.uk/) Join the revolution of Scotland's Women, a podcast celebrating the voices and experiences of women from all across Scotland. Each episode features inspiring, honest and unfiltered conversations with women from all walks of life - sharing their journeys, challenges, triumphs and perspectives. These are real stories of women shaping modern Scotland - leaders, creators, dreamers and change makers - offering insight, advice and inspiration to listeners everywhere. Whether you're looking for empowerment, wisdom, or simply a connection to authentic stories, this podcast reminds us that every woman has a voice! Visit our website and get in touch: https://scotlandswomen.com/ Follow us and join the revolution : https://www.instagram.com/scotlandswomen/ Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Who has been a guest on Scotland's Women

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jeanique
• Kezia Hall
• Trish
• Renee
• Soma

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

1,846

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 49 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

60

Social presence

0

YouTube

65

Engagement

32

Contact Scotland's Women

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Scotland's Women