SCOTLAND’s first Foraging Fortnight takes place from August 31 to September 15, bringing together over a hundred events, from wild food feasts and foraged cocktails to mindful walks and wellbeing workshops.

Supported by Scottish Natural Heritage and Leader, a part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme, the first Foraging Fortnight focusses on five regions across the country: Lanarkshire, Fife, Moray, Orkney and Loch Lomond and the Forth Valley.

The festival, which will return next year, is intended to encourage people to explore natural places and increase their knowledge of wild food and medicinal plants.

Offering a mix of free and paid-for tickets, the events have been tailored to showcase the surroundings and unique flora in each region.

Across all five will be a series of events titled Living Off The Land in which Eva Gunnare, a food and culture expert from Swedish Lapland will share her insights into foraging in the Arctic Circle.

Forth Valley

Foraging Fortnight opens on August 31 with an event called The Mindful Tea Cup at Harmony Fields, a social enterprise and animal welfare charity at Tir na nog, Balfunning. A mindful walk in the nearby forest will be followed by a forage and a “sensory plant meeting” via a cup of tea.

The area will host the Scottish Wild Food Festival on September 14, an all-day event on the Cardross Estate taking in hands-on foraging, folklore walks and one-table foraged feasts from Buck & Birch’s Rupert Waites and Marysia Paszkowska of Monachyle Mhor.

Fife

A series of events in Fife begin on August 31 with a free drop-in morning session using fruits foraged from the hedgerows and woodlands of the Cambo Estate.

The same morning seaweed expert Jayson Byles of East Neuk Seaweed will lead a forage exploring the low-water mark of the coast around Anstruther.

Moray

Between August 31 and September 2 from 8am to 10am at Cullen Harbour, join Duncan Smallman from Slate Islands Seaweed, in a series of three walks to discover the edible seaweeds growing locally, as well as a demonstration to show how these coastal ingredients can be cooked. For details, mail duncan@caledonianseaweeds.com with “Foraging Fortnight Cullen” in the subject line.

On September 1, learn about surprising sources of food and some basic foraging dos and don’ts at Walk With Wild Things, a guided walk through Sanquhar Woods, Forres from 1pm to 3pm.

Lanarkshire

Explore Clyde Valley’s apple tree heritage with a free drop-in event at Kirkfieldbank Community Orchard on August 31 from 2pm with Duncan Arthur from Clyde Valley Orchard Cooperative and award-winning environmentalist Bosse Dahlgren.

Learn about identifying which plants plants and fungi are toxic with foraging expert Amy Rankine, who leads an events on September 7 at Gleghorn Glen.

Orkney

Wilderness instructor Zeki Basan describes survival skills in a session on September 1 from 11.30am at New Phoenix Cinema in Kirkwall.

That same day, local wildlife guide Megan Taylor leads an all-day walk around the island of Hoy, including a visit to Eaglewatch to see the resident family of white-tailed eagles. Booking via wildorkneywalks@outlook.com

All events encourage adherence to Scotland’s Outdoor Access Code, found at www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot

Find the full Foraging Fortnight programme for each area at www.foragingfortnight.co.uk

Festival organisers have put together guidelines on safe and responsible foraging for your own use at

www.foragingfortnight.co.uk/foraging-guidelines

The Foragers Association, which believes foraging has a key role in supporting plants, habitats and animals

- including humans - has a guide for those wishing to use foraged materials in their business.

www.foragers-association.org.uk