Walk and snack on outdoor adventures

Outdoor discovery app ViewRanger has launched a series of foraging walks to help people handpick their own food this autumn.

The four walks centre on Western Scotland and take in some of the country’s most scenic countryside with blackberries, wood sorrel and seaweed amongst the widely available ingredients.

The walks can be downloaded free on the ViewRanger app and have been put together by expedition chef and international mountain leader Kieran Creevy.

He said, “Each route is based around a bothy – a basic shelter which people can stay in free of charge. So not only can you explore the beautiful Scottish Highlands, you can also make a night or a weekend of it too if you want to.”

The autumn walks are the third and final part of a wild cooking series which ViewRanger has created in partnership with Kieran and Sidetracked Magazine.

They join foraging routes in Dartmoor and North Wales to make up a national foraging collection.

Kieran, 42, said, “Foraging for wild food is a fantastic way of learning about and exploring the countryside and it’s something that anyone can participate in. I would encourage anyone who has never picked their own food to give it a go – the ViewRanger guides are a great starting point for people all over the country.

“As well as seeing and touching the landscape, foraging allows you to also taste it and it helps people build a real affinity with their local countryside. And at the end of a day outdoors, nothing beats sitting down to eat something you have found yourself, especially when it’s been cooked over an open fire and you’re tucked up in a bothy.”

The national collection has been designed for people of all ages and abilities to explore some of the UK’s best landscapes. They range from gentle woodland walks to challenging coastal climbs with route duration and difficulty ratings provided.

Budding foragers can also try out each of Kieran’s wild cooking dishes with recipes available on the ViewRanger website for:

• Venison steak with blackberries, mushrooms, beef shin and root vegetable casserole
• Pan-fried cod, brown butter sauce, bilberry compote, sow thistle salad, fiddlehead fern and rhubarb pickle, with caramelised hazelnuts
• Mountain lamb, marsh samphire, wild garlic, charred leek, asparagus, ewe’s curd, candied pine buds and bilberry balsamic.

Craig Wareham, ViewRanger co-founder, said, “ViewRanger has always been far more than just another navigation app and we are delighted to have published this national collection of foraging routes.”

ViewRanger is available on Apple iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch; on Android smartphones, tablets, and smart watches; and on Amazon Kindle Fire tablets.

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