Fife to take part in food festival fun during Foraging Fortnight

EVENT: Celebration of Scotland’s natural flora to encourage people to explore wonders of wild food in safe and responsible ways

A new Scottish festival focusing on the fun and feasts available through foraging has been launched in Fife this autumn.

From exploring the coast to wild food feasts, the Foraging Fortnight will allow the public to explore the best of Scotland’s natural places and increase their knowledge of wild food and medicinal plants.

The event will run from August 31 to September 15 across Fife, Lanarkshire, Moray, Forth Valley and Orkney.

It has been designed to encourage people of all ages to participate safely and responsibly in different foraging activities, while discovering some of the most breathtaking parts of Scotland.

Offering a range of free and paid-for tickets, each region has tailored the twoweek festival to showcase its local flora.

In Fife, events include searching for seaweed at Anstruther, family folklore at Lochore, a street market in St Andrews and cookery show in Aberdour.

Wendy Barrie from the Scottish Food Guide said: “Scotland is an ideal place for foraging, from woodland fungi and flowers to seashore areas.

“The five regions taking part in Foraging Fortnight will showcase the true diversity of habitats, and we hope that the events will provide opportunities for visitors and local communities alike to discover some really special places.

“Foraging is an activity that’s outstanding for mental and physical fitness and something that is truly accessible to everyone.”

Fiona Richmond, the head of regional food at Scotland Food and Drink, said: “It’s great to see this exciting new initiative take place during this year’s Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight, which celebrates Scotland’s reputation as a land of food and drink and the role it plays in a vibrant tourism sector.”

Events already confirmed in the growing line-up include the Scottish Wild Food Festival, taking place on September 14 on Cardross Estate, in the Forth Valley and Loch Lomond area.

Further north, a significant part of Orkney International Science Festival will be dedicated to the theme, with foraging walks and food workshops, as well as a look at the health and nutrition benefits of seaweed with an evening of Neolithic- inspired foraged food.

The full programme is on foragingfortnight.co.uk

Foraging Fortnight is supported by Scottish Natural Heritage and a part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme called Leader, which aids development in rural areas.

Pictures: Steve Brown. Seaweed forager Jayson Byles, from Anstruther, shows four-year-old Jessica, right, and nine-yearold Emma Stollery, from Dalgety Bay, the different types of edible seaweed.