Explore the beautiful landscape of Scone Palace at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair through new eyes, discovering the natural bounty that Scotland in July has to offer
AT THE SCOTTISH GAME FAIR
Wild Food Foraging
Join Amy from Hipsters and Hobos for a unique foraging experience through the Palace grounds.
Build up your identification skills, gather a range of edible plants, seeds, fruit and fungi, before returning to the food tent to prepare a wild food inspired dish.
July is a prime time of the year for foraging in a diverse environment makes this a must for any nature lover or foodie.
Pre-booking is essential as numbers are extremely limited.
Guests should bring a basket and foraging knife if they have one and suitable footwear. Suitable for all skill levels.
£15 a ticket available Saturday 1st July only.
Meet at the Kitchen Theatre entrance at 10.15AM for a departure at 10.30 sharp!
Children over the age of 5 are welcome, but please note the terrain is not suitable for buggies or prams.
The walk will end back at the theatre for the presentation at 12.30 with the foragers and is also open for visitors to come and watch.
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)
These edible berries of heathland and moorland turn fingers, lips and tongues a deep purple.
The berries of the bilberry plant are pleasant tasting when raw but are even better when cooked. They can be made into jam or lightly stewed with a little sugar and added to natural yoghurt, cream, or ice cream. Use them to make a version of Scottish cranachan or a summer pudding or (if you have picked enough) use as a filling for pies, tarts and crumbles.
Strawberry, wild (Fragaria vesca)
Also known as Alpine or woodland strawberry, these distinctive fruits are tiny but full of flavour. Small woods can be dominated by wild strawberry plants but unless these populations are kept secret they can quickly become decimated by over-picking and uprooting of plants to transplant into gardens.
Wild strawberries are small and it’s rare to be able to pick more than a handful. They are best eaten raw, on their own or with a slight sprinkling of sugar (and possibly some cream). They’re considered far superior in flavour to cultivated strawberries.
Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius)
This yolk-coloured fungus is one of the prettiest and best-flavoured of all wild mushrooms.
Chanterelle has a firm flesh and a peppery, slightly fruity taste and smells mildly of apricots. It is one of the few mushrooms that can stand washing. Cook in a little oil or butter, add to pasta or steep in vodka for a distinctive liqueur.
Foraging in Scotland is a fun and exciting way to get up close to nature and wildlife, and then getting to taste the fruits of your labour afterwards. However, there are a few rules to follow along the way:
- In line with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is illegal to collect wild plants or fungi on a National Nature Reserve (NNR) or a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
- Only take what you can use – be mindful to leave enough for everyone, including the wildlife who call the forest home.
Learn more about the guidelines around foraging in Scotland.
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