Reading through the excellent Forest Harvest web site, which focuses on Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in Scotland, I came across a fascinating report which has just been published by the Forestry Commission called 'Wild Harvests from Scottish woodlands'. The report is available as a free download in .pdf format here;
Wild harvests from Scottish woodlands: Social, cultural and economic values of contemporary non-timber forest products (PDF-498K)
It is quite long, detailed and naturally focusses on Scotland, but is really well presented and contains loads of information on foraging and gathering, both historical and present day. Covering things like edibles, medical uses, dyeing, wood products, fungi etc. There are also some really handy lists in the appendices. I have reduced a couple to post here which may be of particular interest.
These are the Appendix4: Collection calendars document pages 35 & 36 (page 45 & 46 in the pdf file). I have also converted the calendars into a more handy A4 size pdf file suitable for printing (for personal use only) which are linked below each image. Just save to desktop & print;
Collection calendar for southern Scotland (selected NTFPs) - A4 PDF (140kb)
Collection calendar for the Northeast Highlands (selected NTFPs) - A4 PDF (180kb)
Some of the species will not be found in the rest of the British Isles although many are, but probably close to those found in Scandinavia. It is in no way exhaustive, but gives a nice range of the most popular species and contains various plants, not all edible but used in other ways.
In addition there is a very useful list entitled Appendix 3: Scottish non-timber forest products, their functional and livelihood uses which has literally hundreds of plants noting their name, botanic name, functional use and livelihood use. You will find it on pages 31 - 34 (41 - 44 of the pdf)
If you live in Scotland there is a handy appendix which covers foraging and the law in Appendix5: Legislation and regulations relevant to non-timber
forest productharvesting
Finally the last appendix covers Appendix 6: Sustainability and harvesting of fungi on page 38 (48 in the pdf) Interesting stuff.
Happy foraging
Wild harvests from Scottish woodlands: Social, cultural and economic values of contemporary non-timber forest products (PDF-498K)
It is quite long, detailed and naturally focusses on Scotland, but is really well presented and contains loads of information on foraging and gathering, both historical and present day. Covering things like edibles, medical uses, dyeing, wood products, fungi etc. There are also some really handy lists in the appendices. I have reduced a couple to post here which may be of particular interest.
These are the Appendix4: Collection calendars document pages 35 & 36 (page 45 & 46 in the pdf file). I have also converted the calendars into a more handy A4 size pdf file suitable for printing (for personal use only) which are linked below each image. Just save to desktop & print;
Collection calendar for southern Scotland (selected NTFPs) - A4 PDF (140kb)
Collection calendar for the Northeast Highlands (selected NTFPs) - A4 PDF (180kb)
Some of the species will not be found in the rest of the British Isles although many are, but probably close to those found in Scandinavia. It is in no way exhaustive, but gives a nice range of the most popular species and contains various plants, not all edible but used in other ways.
In addition there is a very useful list entitled Appendix 3: Scottish non-timber forest products, their functional and livelihood uses which has literally hundreds of plants noting their name, botanic name, functional use and livelihood use. You will find it on pages 31 - 34 (41 - 44 of the pdf)
If you live in Scotland there is a handy appendix which covers foraging and the law in Appendix5: Legislation and regulations relevant to non-timber
forest productharvesting
Finally the last appendix covers Appendix 6: Sustainability and harvesting of fungi on page 38 (48 in the pdf) Interesting stuff.
Happy foraging
