Wild Mountain Foraging Day

Saturday 28th July, Meet 8.30am Bruce’s Stone Car Park, Loch Trool. Finish around 6pm.

Cost: £15 per person

Email: mark@gallowaywildfoods.com to book/pay

Transport available from Gatehouse of Fleet/Newton Stewart.

A full day walking and foraging in the wild valleys, forests and hills of Galloway with Wild Food Guide Mark Williams and Winter Mountain Leader Jonny Colquhoun both of Galloway Mountain Rescue Team.

This is a day where the adventurous, energetic and curious can get to know some of Galloway’s finest scenery and the wild food and medicine it hides as well as learning about natural and map navigation, wildlife and some crazy hill names. The day will cover around 10 miles of mostly rough, pathless terrain, during which you will find, identify and gather wild food for lunch and learn about other useful properties of the plants and fungi we encounter.

We meet a the Bruce’s stone car park, Loch Trool (Grid ref: NX 415 803) at 8.30am.

Leg one takes us east through the mossy oak woodland, rough pastures and marshy loch side of Glen Trool. You will learn how to “read” the environment to be able to stay safe and hone in on specific roots, shoots, fruits and fungi. The emphasis here will be on learning and our pace will be slow. This is also an area rich in human history, and tales of hill tribes, covenanters and derring-do by Robert the Bruce are sure to crop up too.

By mid morning we will start our ascent Craiglee from the Southern Upland Way. At only 531 metres, Craiglee punches well above its weight in terms of views and wild terrain and boasts a large expanse of spectacular granite terracing. Views from the summit are superb with views (on a clear day!) of the Minigaff Hills to the South, Rhinns of Kells to the East, Dungeon Hills to the North and Awfu’ Hand to the West. Nowhere else in Galloway enjoys such an all encompassing panorama. Still with an eye out for edible and useful plants, we will start to look at hill craft – how to read the landscape, weather and maps to stay safe and get the most from your journey.

Craiglee boasts some spectacular mountain lochans where we should see rare hawkers and dragonflies. You will also have a good chance of spotting buzzards, kites, red deer, wild goats and mountain hare as we settle down to prepare, cook and eat our foraged finds from the morning. I honestly don’t know what we will find, but guarantee, this will be a meal to remember! Food never tastes better than when you have gathered it yourself and are eating it in a spectacular place after working up a hearty appetite!

Swinging West as you descend Craiglee via the Clints of the Buss, you will enjoy spectacular views of several of Galloway’s famously erratic hill lochs before gently climbing again onto the sublimely named Rig of the Jarkness. Then a steep descent to the Gairland Burn and a chance to cool off in its pristine waters for those that wish. One of Galloway’s few hill paths leads gently back to Loch Trool allowing time to reflect and recap on the day’s discoveries.

This will be a superb day out in some of Galloway’s finest yet least trodden hills. It is suitable for people with a reasonable level of fitness who are comfortable walking on rough, pathless and occasionally steep ground – though there will be no scrambling required. You will need to bring your own hill walking boots, waterproofs, flask and packed lunch.

Should the weather be unsuitable for going high, we will spend the day lower down in the forests of Glen Trool, focussing more on of plants and fungi, but still covering some interesting terrain.

Places are limited – booking essential – please email mark@gallowaywildfoods.com to reserve your place/make payment.