A Time To Heal — Itsmosblog - an appetite for Lochaber

Think Claire Fraser of Outlander and her herbal medicine.

Think misunderstood, wise women of the land.

Think witches.

And then drive to Lochaline on the outer reaches of Lochaber to visit Clare Holohan - a Medical Herbalist. Forget a fictional Claire Fraser - but remember the rest. When I heard that the real life Clare was involved in a book called Scotland’s Wild Medicine, and along with 3 other women had launched a Kickstarter Fund in order to raise the money to publish the book, I hot tailed it across the Corran Narrows and along the beautiful road to the Morvern Peninsula.

When I first started this blog, I was hoping to meet and have adventures with the myriad of fascinating people who live in Lochaber. From the ordinary (because other peoples lives are fascinating) to the extraordinary. To a certain extent I did do a bit of that, but in the long run my courage and confidence failed me when it came to approaching people I didn’t know. But right at the start, Clare Holohan generously offered me a place on her foraging course, which I didn’t manage to go to as I was caring for my Mum. Extra sad, as no one would have enjoyed that course more than my mum who knew a lot about plants and was a great believer in the natural healing that could be found there.

www.westhighlandherbal.com

Clare is collaborating on a book for a charity called Heal Scotland. While many of us slowed up during lockdown and took more time to look around us and felt the benefits, many of us also developed new anxieties as restrictions lifted, renewed, changed and were widely interpreted across the land. This book is timely. Scheduled to come out in Spring 2021 it will provide advice and guidance on maximising the benefits of that slowing down, and how to approach life from a much simpler perspective -no matter where you live, and in ways that don’t cost money. (the book will be available as an ebook for £10 and a hard copy for £15)

https://www.helpyourcell.com

Just driving out on the Morvern peninsula itself has therapeutic benefits - in particular on a late November day with low lying sun, quiet roads and wonderful sepia, raw sienna and burnt umber tones on the hills and moors.

Not quite Outlander, but there is a pride in caring for the old mileage signs.

It’s a long and winding road to tranquillity

Husband Spook came with me to enjoy the time together (aww) and go for a run. Meanwhile, I met up with Clare and wondered if she might suggest a poultice to sit on for the journey home as I was recovering from a painful hamstring pull and had brought a crutch just in case. I thought perhaps Dock leaves might be the thing as that was the first plant I asked her about - was it all placebo as a child when I frantically rubbed the convenient dock leaf that always grew near the nettle patch I’d just landed in? What I remember most is focussing on the rubbing - reddening the skin, whilst turning it green with dock slime. She could reassure me that it was not placebo and that there is real evidence of the healing created by the damp content of the dock leaf released by rubbing it vigorously on the nettle sting. So far so good, but I decided to spend a wee bit more time with her before broaching the poultice for my lower butt cheek. That’s that courage issue again.

The herb garden, planted in a circle - in response to the seasons

The winter garden was not at it’s most fruitful and was settling in for the winter. Just as Clare is - enjoying that the day darkens at 4pm and she can go inside and snuggle up by the fire, recovering from the long days of graft in summer. Making tinctures and potions, writing a book………probably not so much snuggling, really.

5 acres are carefully utilised to contain some Hebridean and Shetland sheep, some goats, and a retired old sow happily snuffling about in the earth, along with hens, ducks and the herb garden, vegetable patch, polytunnel and magical mystery shed. This is the simplest set up that is deeply underwritten by a wealth of knowledge and personal experience from ten years of practice. Clare lives this life and generously shares her space and knowledge with volunteers who help tend the garden and often go on to become Herbalists themselves. She has also witnessed the successful use of her applications and tinctures for many clients, herself, family and animals. As we wandered about the herb garden I asked what somewhat non-descript looking plants were for. Each response had me either conjuring up someone I knew who absolutely needed this or reminding me of my own short-comings and jokingly asking what she’d give me for my increasingly judgemental nature, my irritability, short temper, lack of sleep and general huffyness - I didn’t even get on to the fact that I have been diagnosed as pre, pre-diabetic most likely due to my life-long sweet tooth. It’s noteworthy that the herb I came home clutching was one that smelt of sherbert! I don’t even remember what it’s called or what it’s for, but it smelt amazing. Surprisingly, Clare did have a herb for my every short coming. LIke our wee dog that recently rolled in our goat shed (and now permanently smells more like a goat than the goats) I fought back a compulsion (if only the dog had such restraint) to roll all around the herb garden. Starting with the tangle of hops (a sedative) then immersing myself in the mugwort to dispense my irritability and possibly stem off a cold sore which my other witchy pal tells me is due to unspoken angry words, (huh. I can’t speak ALL the angry words!!) and then just keep rolling about in the hope that some of this earthy goodness would rub off on me.

I was drawn to the sage without knowing what it was, rubbing and smelling it. I followed this up with a wise word and we laughed I (wish I remember what it was) lending quite a bit of weight to the rolling about in the garden idea.

Mugwort - as irritable looking as I feel.

The power of the plants and herbs, is simply released, and harnessed in the most un factory-like conditions.

Scots Pine - Claire called this a gift from the storm, which was awaiting the press and transformation into a tincture.

4 weeks in alcohol is enough - unlike many of us in lockdown

As we meandered back up to the car, Clare suddenly realised I didn’t have my crutch anymore and had to go and look for it. The jury is still out on whether I’m a bit of a drama queen/fraudster, or if the garden and Clare’s warmth and positivity were the tonic. I found Spook hobbling back up the road, having pulled a calf muscle early in his run and he’d had to walk for about 5 miles. He was NOT in a good mood. I’m only sorry I didn’t send him round Clare’s croft in order to effect a little healing.

I forgot about the poultice but I did ask Clare what I needed for courage (thinking of my blog ability). Borage, she said.

I’m going to see if I can grow some of that on the croft so that me and the dog can roll about in it. It’s got to smell better than the goat poop.

I genuinely can’t wait for the book to come out. Perfect for the coffee table, it will be a beautiful page turner and an inspirational talking point and more importantly an action point. There is nothing ‘holier than thou’ about Clare. She exudes natural well being and energy, warmth and hospitality. And whatever that herb for non judgementalism is - she must have consumed a bucket load.

Here is the full story of the campaign from Jane Wright - journalist and editor. And at the very end, a couple of tantalising pics and content from the book.

KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN FOR HEAL SCOTLAND BOOK

SCOTLAND’S WILD MEDICINE: RECONNECTING WITH

NATURE FOR HEALTH, WELL-BEING AND HEALING

Heal Scotland is an education, information and support platform to help people get healthy and happy – and stay that way.

Unfortunately we have one of the worst health pictures in the world. Killer diseases and conditions like cancer, obesity, diabetes, alcoholism, stress and depression are rife, with life expectancy in some parts of the country less than that in some parts of the developing world.

Of course it was not always this way; once we lived by the rhythms of the land and ate simply but well from the wonderful larder that nature provided. But when did we stop eating our indigenous, seasonal, plentiful, brain-building food? And why?

Industrial-scale farming, pesticides and weed killers have destroyed our top soil and the Earth’s biome, resulting in nutrient-depleted “dead” food, just as stress and overuse of pharmaceutical drugs have decimated our own gut biome. This has led to a massive decrease in vitality and health. Our energy has been compromised and with that our passion and purpose has been dimmed.

One of the most important – and overlooked – relationships we have is with nature. At the most fundamental level this symbiotic relationship literally sustains us as we inhale the oxygen that plants emit into the atmosphere. But as technologies have advanced and our world has become ever-more sophisticated and life is lived at an accelerated pace where everything must be faster, more immediate and convenient, we have become divorced from nature. And we are suffering for it.

Our physical and mental well-being have been drastically affected as we have retreated indoors into sedentary lifestyles. We have developed addictions to virtual online living and social media that is anything but social, as we all become more solitary, staring down at back-lit screens. We have become disconnected not just from one another but from the natural world around us. And the toll is huge, with ever-greater numbers taking anti-depressants and relying on pharmaceutical drugs that treat the symptoms but not the root causes of physical malaise.

But the solution is simple and easily available to us. When we understand that everything is connected, and that we cannot enjoy optimal health when divorced from nature, we are already on our way to fixing the problem.

Our incredible land with its raw beauty and rich bounty holds the answers to a more harmonious life. When we truly understand that we are part of nature, we can start to recover our health, vitality, happiness and purpose.

To that end we have created this wonderful book, Scotland’s Wild Medicine: Reconnecting with Nature for Health, Well-being and Healing to help guide people back to a more natural way of living; to discover – or rediscover – what nature can provide us with to keep us well, healthy and happy. The key is understanding this precious relationship we have with nature, and how embracing the natural world can bring us back into balance and flow.

We need to reconnect to our land, our nature, our power, purpose and potential. That includes foraging plants for food and remedies; breathing fresh, clean air; exposing ourselves to sunshine and natural light; walking in the woods (forest bathing) or barefoot on a beach to “recharge” ourselves; drinking fresh, natural water; eating fresh, organic, nutrient-rich food; and swimming in the sea, rivers and natural pools.

In this book you will find a practical guide to Scottish plants for food and healing, taking you through the seasons month by month, identifying the myriad flora, explaining what they are good for and how they can be used. Our Highland medical herbalist Clare Holohan shares her deep knowledge and provides expert advice and guidance on how to use each plant for health and healing.

Nutritionist and energy healer Lilia Sinclair explains the many ways we can reconnect physically to nature and all the benefits we can reap from simple activities that cost nothing but can mean everything when it comes to healing. From cold water immersion to meditative walks among our ancient woods, Lilia demonstrates how daily rituals and practices can set us on a more positive, healthy path that we can maintain for the rest of our lives.

Eilidh Cameron is a gifted young photographer with a passion for the Scottish landscape that shines through in the stunning array of striking images throughout this book. She has photographed in close-up every plant mentioned for easy identification, as well as capturing Scotland in all its mercurial weather moods. Her work stands as delightful record of nature’s bounty and the magic that herbalist Clare works with nature’s raw ingredients.

A charitable organisation, Heal Scotland has a website, YouTube channel and app, and offers workshops and retreats both here and abroad several times a year. Beyond this book project, the bigger vision is to set up healing communities all over the country to help improve the lives and health of as many people as possible.

We invite you to help us bring this important project to fruition by contributing to our funding. There are a variety ways you can pledge your support:

£10 will buy you a copy of our ebook. Download on to your phone and use it as an indispensable guide to help you identify plants and fungi on foraging trips.
£15 will buy you a beautiful high-quality printed version of the book, which would make a fine addition to any coffee-table.
£20 will buy you a copy of the ebook and the printed book.
£60 will get you five printed books for the price of four.
Sign up to our very special Scotland’s Wild Medicine retreat being held at Portavadie Marina and Spa on the banks of Loch Fyne from 10-13 September 2021. Ten lucky people will spend four days learning how to forage for wild plants with Clare, with classes in cooking and making remedies, tinctures and balms. Alongside the foraging adventure, Lilia will teach breath-work, meditation, yoga, cold-water immersion, forest bathing and techniques to improve mental well-being, such as the art of letting go negative thinking and behaviours. Luxury five-star accommodation and breakfast at Portavadie is included, plus access to the wonderful spa which includes a heated outdoor infinity pool with spectacular views across Loch Fyne. You can book a place now for £799 per person based on two people sharing (you will be teamed up with another person on the retreat in other words - or persuade a friend to book a place too!).

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1719899110/scotlands-wild-medicine