Go Forth and Forage in the Highlands and Islands
From picking berries or wild garlic to gathering limpets or cockles, there’s a long custom of foraging in the Highlands and Islands.
For many families, traditions such as the picking of blaeberries or blackberries to make jam or the gathering in of acorns and chestnuts to roast on an open fire would come with the seasons.
Today, foraging is undergoing something of a renaissance with local guides and bushcraft tours set up to offer visitors foraging tuition from the hills of Assynt and Sutherland to the coast of Arisaig and Ardnamurchan. This guided foraging is also something the whole family can get involved in. Kids not only get out in nature, but they can also have fun learning about natural nutrition from local experts. And importantly, whether it’s the joys of coastal foraging for shellfish or picking wild mushrooms in the woods, these experts can also help to ensure that only foods which are safe to eat are gathered and will also often help prepare meals from the harvest too – which makes for a fine end to the day!