Traditionally, country folk used flower blossom in syrups and wines, and more recently this practice has been taken up commercially, as fragrant blooms are captured in pretty, artisan bottles. The foraging experience can't be replaced, even if the syrup or cordial may now be purchased in a shop. The recipe is easy: steep the blossom in boiling water.

It is said that whilst coastal Irish and Scottish cows chewed the cud, the farmers chewed the dulse. Raw dulse requires considerable chewing but dried and stir-fried, as in this recipe, it becomes a rather moreish nibble.

all is not doom and gloom for the discerning Hebridean foodie. It really is a question of eating local, even if the larder is limited and using the bounty of the natural larder of Scotland. This larder is by its very nature, seasonal but those with a tendency to plan and prepare can perfect the aged skills of preserving, drying and the more contemporary advancement, freezing.