Scotland Outdoors A Walk on the Wild Side with Zeki Basan
Dec 31, 2025
Zeki Basan, founder of Highland Survival Skills, takes Phil Sime and Morven Livingstone on a wild foraging adventure in the Scottish Highlands. They explore bushcraft essentials, learning the historical uses of wild herbs and how to identify edible plants like juniper and wood sorrel. Zeki demonstrates traditional fire-lighting techniques and creates a moss-clad teepee shelter. They also delve into food preservation methods and savor a nourishing bone broth, all while reflecting on the importance of reconnecting with nature through these ancient skills.
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Unique Boreal-Arctic Foraging Habitat
- The Cairngorms region blends boreal and arctic-like environments that support rare flora and fauna.
- Zeki explains this makes the area uniquely rich for foraging and wildlife observation.
Treat 'Weeds' As Useful Wild Plants
- Preserve wild plants rather than dismissing them as weeds; they have culinary and medicinal value.
- Zeki keeps a wild-plant garden for ramsons, rosebay willowherb and spignol to use year after year.
Early Lessons From Grandfather
- Zeki learned foraging young from his grandfather and a local forager, making the skills second nature.
- He credits early exposure for his deep knowledge and passion for traditional skills.