On the hottest day of the year, the incredibly knowledgeable Anna Hill, led a slightly glowing group around the grounds, pointing out the medicinal properties of plants. Anna, along with her partner Graham, runs a complementary medicine centre in Glasgow, and really knows her subject!
During the tour of the grounds, the group were surprised to find that many medicinal plants are simply growing wild, seen so often that they pass unnoticed. But before the easy availability of over-the -counter remedies, these were the go-to solutions for many ailments. Anna pointed out daisies, hypericum perforatum, also known as St John’s Wort, oak leaves and bark, lavender, thyme, plantain, foxgloves and many more. The group searched in vain for the fairly common meadowsweet which like aspirin , contains salicylic acid and is also (unlike aspirin) good for indigestion. We’re sure it must grow somewhere in the grounds; certainly the conditions are usually damp enough.
Later in the cooler interior of the Kirk, everyone tried an infusion of lavender and mint. Really a very pleasant drink. We then sampled a delicious lemon balm tea before sipping a less familiar but nevertheless very drinkable, plantain infusion.
Many of the plants can also be made into soothing balms and ointments.
We hope to persuade Anna to come back as this would make a fascinating workshop for another occasion!
