Foraging in Dundee: What I found in The Miley

Joanna among plant life at The Miley in Dundee on her foraging mission. — Joanna Bremner picks some edible leaves, The Miley, Dundee. Image: Kim Cessford / DC Thomson

Foraging is not for the faint-hearted – or for the inexperienced.

In order to forage successfully, you have to know what to look out for – and what to avoid. Check out my safety tips at the end of this article.

Another key aspect of foraging is not taking too much.

That’s something that I had to unlearn after years perusing supermarket shelves and being able to take whatever I need – or, more often, want.

Violet Fraser has been foraging since 2020, when getting outdoors became essential for her mental wellbeing during the pandemic.

She took me out on a foraging jaunt at The Miley in Dundee and I was shocked by how much real food we came across, just feet from the well-worn path.

Violet standing with glass jar filling it with cleavers to make infused water, before foraging in Dundee. — Violet adds some ‘Sticky Willow’ or Cleavers to her water bottle during our forage at The Miley in Dundee. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson.

To start us off, Violet grabbed some cleavers. You might never have heard of them (I certainly hadn’t) but you may have heard of sticky willow – or the ruder alterative the plant often goes by.

She left the plant and its iconic sticky seeds sitting in the water during our forage, to infuse their flavour in the water. At the end of it, we had a refreshing drink waiting for us.

It tasted a lot like cucumber water, and thanks to the ice pack Violet brought in her backpack, it was lovely and chilled too.

Foray into foraging at The Miley in Dundee

We began our walk along The Miley at around 11, and it was a beautiful sunny day. I have to admit I was a little worried that we would be grabbing every freaky-looking fungi along the way and I’d need to have Ninewells on speed-dial.

But we really took our time and made sure to only forage plants Violet was certain of. Although she wouldn’t call herself an expert – more of an “enthusiastic amateur” – she seemed like one to me, a total foraging novice.

Foraging for sticky willow in The Miley, — Violet picking some ‘Sticky Willow’ or cleavers at The Miley in Dundee. Image: Kim Cessford / DC Thomson.

During the foraging outing, Violet taught me a lot about what you can and can’t eat.

We found a lot of bramble leaves which can be used for many different dishes.

“The great thing about everyone having phones with cameras – you can take photos of what you find,” Violet said.

“Then go home, do your research, join some foraging groups online.

“Don’t be upset if you’re constantly figuring out like ‘oh, that wasn’t edible and this wasn’t edible’.

“It’s about being engaged with your environment, I think that is one of the most important parts of foraging.”

We happened upon some gorse, which is not only edible but has a lovely coconut flavour.

Yellow gorse. — You can identify gorse by its spiky spines.

Violet often adds this as a garnish to dishes. But don’t mix this up with the similar-looking broom.

Gorse, with its spiky spines, is edible. But the flowers on a broom shrub, despite being similar in appearance to gorse – and smelling of vanilla – are not edible.

“If you’re not 100% sure about a plant, don’t risk it,” she said.

One of Violet’s foraging mantras is: “If in doubt, leave it out.”

Violet has been doing this for years and has built up the knowledge to be able to make meals out of her foraged plants, fruits and nuts.

The trick is expanding the plants you can trust and identify each year you forage, and learn when they will be in season.

Violet made this pesto with mostly foraged ingredients, including cleavers, ground elder, wild garlic and homegrown pumpkin seeds. Plus edible flowers to garnish. Image: Violet Fraser.

Violet said: “I love opening my fridge or my tea cupboard and seeing all of these natural wild ingredients.

“I’ll dry things as well to preserve them during the year.”

We finished off our forage with some tasty tea.

Foraging Violet pours hot water from a flask to make tea. — Violet brews the foraged bramble and raspberry leaf tea at The Miley. Image: Joanna Bremner/DCT Thomson.

This is something I will be trying again as it is super easy. It’s simply a case of identifying raspberry and bramble leaves and adding them to some boiling water.

We let them brew for a while and then we had some delicious, fruity-flavoured tea – all natural and free as well.

The drink is also rumoured to help with menstrual cramps.

Foraging finds in Dundee. Plants on a chopping board. — Some of what we foraged in Dundee: wild garlic, plantain, garlic mustard, beech leaves, ground elder, rose petals, cleavers, lime leaves, ivy leaved toadflax and nettles. Image: Violet Fraser.

After my day foraging on The Miley, I would absolutely give it a go again. I already have a foraging book on my wish list and I’m planning on brewing that tea next time I’m out camping – if I can find the right leaves, that is.

Safety first: foraging tips

jbremner Environment and Transport correspondent

1. Know your stuff

Safe identification and being absolutely certain of plant ID is vital before you eat anything.

Or touch it, for that matter. Violet pointed out that a lot of us have skin sensitivities we might not know about, and though we have an urge to reach out and touch all the pretty plants around us, we’ve got to restrain ourselves unless we want to deal with a reaction.

In order to ensure safe identification, take your time. That can mean taking a photo of a plant, going home and doing your research and then coming back and having another look.

If you want to try it, Violet recommends joining foraging groups online, taking a course and getting yourself some books. Her favourite is the handy pocket-sized Food for Free by Richard Mabey.

It is also a good idea to bring someone along with you who knows what they’re doing.

There are a lot of lookalike plants to be wary of too, for instance wild garlic is often next to the poisonous lords-and-ladies plant. Even some edible plants like wood sorrel can be toxic if you eat too much of them.

The Woodland Trust have a list of toxic plants in the UK, as well as information about poisonous mushrooms.

2. Don’t be greedy

Although it can feel very exciting when you get out there and see all the colourful plants around you, you need to remember that you may not be the only one foraging in the area. Leave something for everyone else!

Also, the plants, especially flowers, are important in their respective ecosystems. Taking too much of a certain plant can leave the environment at a loss too.

3. Careful where you pick from

It is also very important to only forage from certain spots. Violet advises not getting anything right next to the path as dogs often pee there. Foraging in areas with litter is also a no-go.

You shouldn’t forage on road verges either. One, because it isn’t safe to be wandering around beside a busy road, but also because chemicals and particulates from car fumes can end up on the plant life and eating them could make you sick.

4. Get permission

You also must get permission from landowners before you forage anything. It is actually unlawful to uproot any wild plant without permission from the landowner or occupier.