Welcome
to Foraging Scotland
The hub for wild food tours in Dumfries and Galloway.
Join mushroom tour guide Jesse Beaman for a guided fungi walk in the forest park and discover the delicious variety of Scottish wild food.
next in the foraging calendar...
Foraging Scotland is run by astronomy tour guide, mycology enthusiast and forager Jesse Beaman.
Based in Dumfries and Galloway, we offer a variety of seasonal guided fungi walks in and around the Galloway Forest Park.
Check out our range of events, book a private fungi walk, or contact us for more information.
who we are
“...passionate and knowledgeable about fungi and helping others to share your passion and knowledge."
Anonymous, Galloway
Why Forage?
Foraging, particularly fungi, is undergoing a renaissance. Collecting and cooking mushrooms is a delicious, rewarding and empowering activity.
Spending time in nature enormously increases wellbeing, and wild mushrooms also provide an abundance of health benefits. Edible fungi boast high levels of vitamins D and B, copper, selenium, antioxidants, protein, whilst being low in carbohydrate and fats. Not to mention the range of complex umami flavours; nutty, buttery, cheesy, fruity, umami to name just a few.
In the modern World it can be hard to pinpoint exactly where our food has come from, what's been added or removed, and how far it has travelled. Now compare that to a short walk or drive to your local mushroom habitat and the fact that you're physically picking your own food straight from the wild.
Foraging doesn't come without its' controversy. Horror stories of incorrect identification leading to poisoning or death are often brought up if I'm caught in the act of a fungi forage. I'd need more fingers and toes to count the times I've been pick shamed with comments such as "you should have left them in the ground," or "it's a shame you picked so much." With a bit of education it's possible to understand why pick shaming is almost always unjustified, and also to understand how to correctly and safely identify and consume the tastiest and most prevalent edible fungi.
See you in the woods!
Jesse
