Where men and mushrooms meet…

Some of the best ideas are cooked up around campfires… and this years Hairth O’Knokrach was no exception.

I, like many folk have become completely fascinated by mycelia and have been immersing myself in the subject of late.  A longstanding friend, Mark Williams knows a thing or two about the Fungi family, and has been offering his expertise through his company Galloway Wild Foods.

We dreamed up a perfect journey, in prime fungi season; traveling by open canoe through the spectacular Speyside valley.

The premise is simple- access otherwise hard to reach woodland stretches by adventurous means, pick and process gourmet and medicinal mushrooms and wild camp along the way.  An immersive, experiential, adventurous mushroom related learning journey.  Simples.

So rich was the plan, we could smell the woodsmoke, feel the satisfaction in our bellies, watch the sunset and taste the dram; all from our minds eye.

We’re offering a space on our pilot journey for four to six plucky, yet lucky souls; meeting at Aviemore train station on the 20th September for a weekend ‘Fungi River Safari’.

Quoth I:

“So, boats and mushrooms and a campfire then; aye?”

Quoth Mark:

“I can’t think of anywhere more exciting to go fungi hunting in mid September than along the banks of the Spey. By canoe, we will be able to access a great variety of rarely trodden forest – expanses of old scots pine and acidic birch woods in particular – that hide a wealth of weird, wonderful, useful, deadly and delicious fungi.

It is my hope that everyone will end the weekend filled with both delicious mushrooms and a sense of wonder and excitement at the richness of the fungi kingdom.”

Quoth I:

“Great, let’s do it!  More Tea?”

Quoth Mark:

“Aye, Love one…”

And So, the Safari was born.  More details are available here.