Tim Robinson Herbalist

Would you like to learn about herbs and wild foods, on a brilliant course with tuition by some of Edinburgh's best foragers and herbalists?
If so, enroll on this course! it starts in a few weeks and there are still a couple of places left. Payment is on a sliding scale and is very reasonable. Highly recommended!!

An event to raise money for the Scottish Radical Herbal Network....

I've witnessed herbs achieve many joyous healing feats over the years, and continue to be pleasantly surprised by the ability of plants growing all around us to heal on such a deep level.
However, I don't think I've seen anything quite as visually dramatic as the blog post below, by a herbal vet in the US. It's pretty gruesome at the beginning but stick with it and you'll be rewarded with an incredible, heart-warming conclusion!
Herbs continue to surprise and amaze.
... http://homegrownherbalist.typepad.com/… /miracle-max-leg-wou…
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Today I found this gorgeous patch of yarrow in Pilrig Park, which the council gardeners have considerately mowed around rather than over. It's in full-bloom and therefore perfectly ripe for medicine-making.
Books could be written about the medicinal powers of yarrow, but here's the short version: yarrow is a potential friend of people who are too hot or too cold, have a weak cardiovascular system, congested liver, troubled digestion, difficult periods, or urinary problems. It's also a wonderful first aid plant, helping to staunch bleeding and heal wounds.
Yarrow is one of the most useful and versatile herbs, growing abundantly in Auld Reekie. Look out for it!

Yesterday I did my first proper bit of herb foraging in Edinburgh since I moved here, when I found the best-looking rosehips I've seen in the city so far. There are lots of rosehips along the various cycle paths, but these were in Newhaven by the water, where they're flourishing amidst the strong sea breezes, and no wonder - their natural habitat in Asia is by the sea, often to be found growing in the sand dunes of China, Korea and Japan.
Rosehips make wonderful medicine, es...pecially those of the Asian beach rose - Rosa rugosa - as these are, although our native dog roses are excellent medicine too. Rugosa flowers have a gorgeous strong scent, and are an important medicine for nervous conditions, trauma and shock, but the hips are a strong anti-inflammatory, which I typically prescribe for clients with digestive conditions such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and IBS, and chronic pain conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Important medicines are growing all around us, even in the big city. It felt good to be back foraging again, finding my way as a herbalist in my new home.
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My pals at the awesome Grass Roots Remedies Co-op are running a series of Edible & Medicinal Fungi Workshops in Edinburgh, one each month for the next three months.
Highly recommended, and they offer a sliding-scale of payment options.

And this too!

Really looking forward to doing this event with the lovely people at Transition Stirling. Hope to see some of you there!

Turmeric
Turmeric is everywhere right now. Golden milk, turmeric lattes, it's become A Thing. The Ayurvedic herbalists of India knew all about turmeric thousands of years ago, and they figured out that combining it with small amounts of black pepper increased it's effectiveness dramatically, something which has recently been proven in scientific studies.
I prescribe turmeric for clients with cancer, arthritis, eczema, and inflammatory digestive conditions, always combining i...t with black pepper; I included it in a formula for a client just this morning. My herbalist pal Soraya of Grass Roots Remedies Co-op puts it in her breakfast porridge, cos she's hardcore.
Here's a BBC programme dedicated to turmeric, proof that it's something worth knowing about - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08rpd85# play
So, how do you use turmeric?
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Blackcurrant Kvass
My friend Becky Dacre of Shielfoot Organics is responsible for this fantastic version of kvass. Not only did she give me the idea of using blackcurrants, but she also supplied them!
I think blackcurrant kvass is my favourite version so far. It's really fizzy and slightly sour, and tastes like summer to me. Also it upholds my belief that most of the best fermented things are red - beetroot kvass, blackcurrant kvass, red cabbage sauerkraut, and wine!
... To make - gently squash a few blackcurrants with a potato masher, and combine in a jar with water and raw honey. Store in a warm, dark place (airing cupboards are perfect), and your kvass should be ready within a week. Salut!
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Making medicine with silver birch, another of Scotland's wonderful indigenous trees.
I use silver birch medicine constantly. It improves kidney function and flushes wastes from the joints and tissues through the urinary system, helping conditions like arthritis and eczema, and compensating for the damaging effects of long-term stress...

For a long time now I've been encouraging my clients to eat seaweed on a regular basis, preferably small amounts every day. This article has some useful information if you're new to the subject - https://www.theguardian.com/…/a-cry-for -kelp-is-seaweed-rea…
What the article doesn't really mention is that many westerners lack the necessary gut bacteria needed to extract the most nutrition from seaweeds, but that we can develop them over time by training our bodies to digest seaweeds, simply by eating them regularly.
So don't delay - eat some seaweed today! (From a sustainable, non-polluted source, of course.)

In Edinburgh on Saturday and free between 12pm-1pm? Why not come along to this....
Santosa has recently started stocking beautifully healthy, organic herb plants, and I'm going to be there on Saturday to help you choose which ones might be particularly helpful for you.
Hope to see you there!

PEOPLE OF LOCHABER!
As many of you already know, I'm relocating to Edinburgh around mid-July. So if you've been thinking about booking in a consultation with me but haven't quite got around to it yet, the next few weeks represent your last chance to meet with me in person (unless of course you pop over to Edinburgh).
After my move I will be continuing to work with my existing west coast clients via Skype, Facetime or phone consultations. I'm going to be really sad to leave the area but will be back for visits!

Beautiful rose flowers, fresh from my garden and about to be made into medicine to soothe historic trauma and heal the soul.
These are asian roses known as Rosa rugosa, and they thrive in this country. Later in the summer the flower heads will turn into large rosehips, a separate medicine in their own right. Rosehips are anti-inflammatory, perfect for people with gut problems and arthritis.

Wondering if herbal medicine could be the right choice for your health?
Come along to this free herbal clinic at the wonderful Santosa Yoga Centre to discuss any symptoms or diagnosis that you have, and find out how person-centred herbal medicine could help you.

This is such a valuable and groundbreaking project. A free herbal clinic for migrants in Glasgow that has started a crowdfunder to develop its own herb garden, enabling it be self-sufficient, growing its own medicines.
Your support would be very welcome. . . . .