scottish wild food
- Thread starter willie
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Have you got Sky?
They occasionally re-show Nick Nairn's Wild Food, based in and around Scotland.
Rotten ****** was diving for scallops the other day and went mushroom foraging.
And what did I have for cheese and tomato pizza...
They occasionally re-show Nick Nairn's Wild Food, based in and around Scotland.
Rotten ****** was diving for scallops the other day and went mushroom foraging.
And what did I have for cheese and tomato pizza...
):
Most foraging in Scotland comes into two categories. The lowlands (i.e Edinubrgh, Glasgow, Stirling etc) where the climate and therefoire plants/animals are very similar to the North of the UK. You will probably find almost all the common plants you are used to, apart from those which are affected by cold (i.e expect more green leafy things!) You will also find that winter in Scotland can be a much more obvious season, so foraging is naturally harder at this time of year than it might be in other parts of the UK.
The highlands & islands (everything further North/West) comes into a different category altogether. You will find much less in the way of 'common' food plants, but then also several plants that aren't seen outside of moorland areas (bilberries, silverweed, bog myrtle etc). You may have a bigger problem actually obtaining food in highland areas, due to the lack of common plant familes in high open areas, but then if yo're hunting, you're more likely to find larger herbivores (deer, hares etc) that can be caught.
However, wild food in Scotland does have some benefits. You can guarantee to find elder almost everywhere, and wild Scottish raspberries are the best in the world! There is a lot of game to be had if you're hunting, and there are some particular treats (Freshwater oysters, salmon, mushrooms) that are worth investigating (ok, you might not be able to forage them for free, but they are wild food, and very tasty too!)
If you're looking for references to foraging etc that are specific to Scotland, then one of the best books available is this one:
Scot's Herbal
Which covers the different uses for Scottish plants through the ages.
Other than that, a general guide to plants/animals of Britain is good, and just bear in mind that if a plant says 'tender/annual/Southern' you're not going to find it!
The highlands & islands (everything further North/West) comes into a different category altogether. You will find much less in the way of 'common' food plants, but then also several plants that aren't seen outside of moorland areas (bilberries, silverweed, bog myrtle etc). You may have a bigger problem actually obtaining food in highland areas, due to the lack of common plant familes in high open areas, but then if yo're hunting, you're more likely to find larger herbivores (deer, hares etc) that can be caught.
However, wild food in Scotland does have some benefits. You can guarantee to find elder almost everywhere, and wild Scottish raspberries are the best in the world! There is a lot of game to be had if you're hunting, and there are some particular treats (Freshwater oysters, salmon, mushrooms) that are worth investigating (ok, you might not be able to forage them for free, but they are wild food, and very tasty too!)
If you're looking for references to foraging etc that are specific to Scotland, then one of the best books available is this one:
Scot's Herbal
Which covers the different uses for Scottish plants through the ages.
Other than that, a general guide to plants/animals of Britain is good, and just bear in mind that if a plant says 'tender/annual/Southern' you're not going to find it!
