Foraging on the Isle of Lewis

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Foraging on the Isle of Lewis

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cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Jun 28, 05 8:52 am Post subject: Foraging on the Isle of Lewis

Here's my top tips for someone foraging on Lewis.

(1) Salmonberry. This grows profusely all round the 'castle' in Stornoway. It's a tasty yellow berry related to the blackberry, and you will have no trouble picking tons of it. Seems to fruit early for a Rubus.

(2) Sorrel. The sorrel is bigger and better than anywhere else I've ever been.

(3) Mint. Around many of the old ruined blackhouses, you'll find remnants of what grew there. We came across a fair amount of mint.

(4) Shellfish. The holy trinity of seashore shellfish, namely winkles, mussels and limpets, are plentiful. Check with a local first.

(5) Seaweed. I'm no seaweed expert, but you'll certainly see many, many seaweeds, including a local speciality, carragheenan (sp?).

Didn't see many mushrooms there, but it's early in the year, there are probably lots later in summer. Few of the locals eat them, as far as I can make out, they're not part of the traditional diet up there.

Lewis is a very alien place to a forager from the mainland!

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Tue Jun 28, 05 9:01 am Post subject: Re: Foraging on the Isle of Lewis

cab wrote:

(1) Salmonberry. This grows profusely all round the 'castle' in Stornoway. It's a tasty yellow berry related to the blackberry, and you will have no trouble picking tons of it. Seems to fruit early for a Rubus.

Do you happen to know if this is rubus spectabilis? I picked this from the RHS seed list and have one very healthy looking plant now about 18 months old, but although it was labelled edible I wasn't certain how tasty it would prove. It is called salmonberry but I don't know if that's the same thing you saw. Were there still flowers on it? I understand they are quite dark pink.

Welcome back by the way

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Jun 28, 05 9:36 am Post subject:
Don't recall seeing any flowers left on them. They were fairly tasty, rather like a sharp raspberry or dewberry, but it wouldn't be top of my list of things to plant. I didn't find the latin name anywhere on the display boards in the woodland centre, which I had to check to confirm my suspicion that the berries I'd been eating were salmonberries.

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