Book event

Join us for an inspiring afternoon exploring how the wildlife on your farm or croft can provide opportunities for food, business, conservation, and citizen science.

We will begin at Café Cùil, where chef and entrepreneur Clare Coghill will share how her passion for foraging and local ingredients helped her build a successful business and led to the publication of her cookbook. Clare will talk about the wildflowers and plants that feature in Café Cùil’s menu, many of which are foraged right on her doorstep and may also be growing on your own land.

We will then head to a neighbouring croft for a guided wildflower walk led by Dr Stephen Bungard, Vice-county Recorder for Skye for the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. An experienced botanist, author, and recorder of Skye’s flora, Stephen will show you how to identify common wildflowers and explain how recording species on your land contributes to national wildlife databases and long-term monitoring of nature.

You’ll also learn how better knowledge and documentation of the wildlife on your farm or croft can support access to environmental schemes and help demonstrate the ecological value of your land. This is a practical introduction to citizen science and how simple wildlife recording can deliver benefits both locally and nationally.

We will finish back at Café Cùil with a refreshing glass of the café’s famous Cùil-Ade, flavoured with meadowsweet foraged nearby, offering a taste of the connection between healthy landscapes, local produce, and the food on our tables.

Whether you’re interested in diversification, environmental opportunities, local food, or simply gaining a better understanding of the wildlife on your land, this event offers a unique opportunity to see how nature can work alongside farming and crofting.

What you will learn:

Discover how wild plants can support local food production and diversification.
How to identify and record wildflowers on your land.
Understand how wildlife recording contributes to conservation.
Explore how biodiversity records can support environmental scheme applications.
Gain a greater understanding of the links between healthy ecosystems, local food, and land management.

Why Attend?

Make informed management decisions – Improve knowledge of your land’s natural assets
Learn from experts in foraging, botany, and biodiversity recording to gain practical skills you can apply on your own land.
Support environmental scheme applications and future funding opportunities by building evidence of biodiversity on your croft or farm
Connect with other crofters and farmers interested in nature-friendly land management.
Gain a fresh perspective on how wildlife, food production, and land management can work together to benefit both nature and rural businesses.
Demonstrate positive environmental outcomes by creating a baseline record of wildlife, allowing you to track changes over time.

This event will involve walking on uneven ground during the outdoor portions.

Appropriate footwear and outerwear are advised.

Toilets will be available at Café Cuil.

Please let us know at the time of booking if you have any accessibility concerns.

Booking is essential for catering and organising purposes. If you book and realise you can no longer attend we do appreciate you getting in touch to let us know as soon as possible.

Related External Material:

Café Cùil

Nature Diary from Raasay, Skye & The Small Isles | An occasional report on the natural history of Raasay, Skye & the Small Isles