The in person version of our popular 8 month course. We are delighted to be running the fully in person class in Edinburgh as well as Glasgow this year and can't wait to start learning with you.
Please note that we offer the in person Wild Things course on a sliding scale from £500-£875 (with 2 places at £350) which can be paid in 1 or 3 instalments - see below for how this works.
Read through all the information below, get in touch if you have any questions & book your place here.
We are very happy to say that for 2026 we have 3 different ways you can study Wild Things with us.
This info & booking page is all about our in person class running in Edinburgh March-October 2026.
You can find the information & booking page to the online course here or the Glasgow class here.
We give all our in person group students free access to our online version of the course full of videos & digital handouts. We hope that in person group students will fully enjoy meeting up roughly once a fortnight, knowing that you have unlimited access to the online course to go over course content at you leisure in future years to deepen your learning.
All our Edinburgh classes & herb walks are on Fridays. Classroom Sessions are 10.30am-1.30pm (3 hours) & all Herb Walks are 10.30am-12.30pm (2 hours).
All classroom sessions will be held at Lauriston Agroecology Farm in North West Edinburgh. We will hold classes in a range of locations within the farm - in the community hut, in the Grass Roots Remedies kitchen and in our herb garden too. We will also visit several different locations in & around Edinburgh for our 7 herb walks over the season.
13th March: Classroom 1 - course introduction, basic principles, sensory herbalism introduction & mystery herb 1
27th March: Herb Walk 1 - Blackford Glen, South Edinburgh & mystery herb 2
10th April: Classroom 2 - ecology & plant communities, sustainable foraging practice, spring tonics & mystery herb 3
24th April: Herb Walk 2 - River Almond, North West Edinburgh & mystery herb 4
8th May: Classroom 3 - herbal preparations introduction, harvesting, drying & storing, infusions & decoctions & mystery herb 5
22nd May: Herb walk 3 - Lauriston Farm, North West Edinburgh & mystery herb 6
12th June: Classroom 4 - herbal actions introduction, herbal tinctures & mystery herb 7
(midsummer break)
10th July: Herb walk 4 - River Almond, North West Edinburgh & mystery herb 8
24th July: Classroom 5 - a sensory approach to plant chemistry, infused oils & mystery herb 9
7th August: Herb walk 5 - Roslin Glen, Midlothian & mystery herb 10
21st August: Classroom 6 -seeds, herbal ointments & mystery herb 11
4th September: Herb walk 6 - Lauriston Farm, North West Edinburgh& mystery herb 12
18th September: Classroom 7 -preserving the bountiful autumn, herbal syrups, herbal infused vinegars & mystery herb 13
2nd October: Herb walk 7 - Gullane Beach, East Lothian & mystery herb 14
16th October: Classroom 8 - foraging in the dark months, home medicine chest & mystery herb 15
Address: Lauriston Farm Road, Edinburgh EH4 5EX.
The main entrance is at the back of the Toby Carvery car park. Lothian Buses 16, 27, 29, 37 & 47 all stop within 5 minutes of the farm, there are cycle racks or you can park for free in the Toby Carvery car park. From the Toby Carvery car park it is a 10-15 minutes walk (with stunning views across the forth) across the farm to the Grass Roots Remedies hut & herb garden where we will be for the majority of the classes. By prior arrangement only students can park in the Market Garden entrance right next to us instead - just get in touch to arrange.
Unfortunately the farm is not yet wheelchair accessible. Our herb walks are all accessible by public transport and can sometimes roam onto unsurfaced paths.
If you have any questions regarding accessibility, please get in touch at hello@grassrootsremedies.co.uk to discuss with us.
Handbook '40 Herbs By Season of Harvesting, Herbal Action, Body System & Suitable Preparations'
7 herb walks in or around Edinburgh
8 Classroom sessions covering: Botany Basics, Introduction to Traditional Western Herbalism, Introduction to Sensory Herbalism, Ecology Basics, Plant Communities, Sustainable Foraging, Foraging & The Law (UK), Spring Tonics, Herbal Actions, Sensory Approach to Plant Chemistry, Introduction to Seed Saving & Invasive Species, Preserving the Bountiful Autumn, Foraging in the Dark Months, Home Medicine Chest Creation
Practical Sessions on: Exploring the Tastes of Herbs, Spring Tonics, Identifying Edible Weeds in Your Garden, Harvesting Drying & Storing Herbs, Infusions & Decoctions, Tincture Making, Herbal Infused Oils, Herbal Ointments, Herbal Salts, Raw & Cooked Herbal Syrups & Herbal Infused Vinegars
The exploration of 15 mystery teas through sensory herbalism followed by 15 in depth herb monographs covering Plant ID, Parts Used, Edibility & Nutrition, Constituents, Medicinal actions & Therapeutics, Uses, History & Folklore, Preparations, Growing & Harvesting
Access to our online Discussion Space with your co-students both in-person and online, along with 4 Seasonal Live Online Discussions on Zoom as the course flows over the season. This space is another great way to meet other folks studying the course as well as giving you more structure to move through the material.
Free unlimited access to the online version of our Wild Things course worth £700!
Have you seen our online & Glasgow in-person versions of our Wild Things course?
If you live elsewhere in the UK, or can't meet up on Fridays, check out the online & Glasgow versions of our Wild Things course.
You can find the information & booking page to the online course here or the Glasgow class here.
The Course has four options for pricing, offered on a sliding scale i.e. you pay a price in keeping with your ability to do so (see below for more information). They range from £500 to £875. We also have a limited number of further subsidised places on offer. Course fees can be paid in 1 or 3 monthly instalments. Paying by instalments will include a small admin fee.
Option 1: £875 (choosing this price allows us to provide more subsidised places for those with limited funds)
Option 2: £750 (please use WT1EDIN750 coupon at the check out to deduct £125)
Option 3: £625 (please use WT1EDIN625 coupon at the check out to deduct £250)
Option 4: £500 (please use WT1EDIN500 coupon at the check out to deduct £375)
We have a limited number of subsidised places available at £350 as well. Use WT1EDIN350 coupon in the check out. If the coupon doesn't work it means the subsidised places have already been used this year.
Below are some guidelines to inform which course fee is most appropriate for your situation. We acknowledge that there are many factors which determine how much expendable income and financial security folks have & we appreciate that everyone’s situation is different, so please refer to the below as guideline only. We won’t ask for any proof of your personal circumstances & trust each of you to judge which price feels right for you.
For example, if some of the statements below describe your situation you may choose to buy a low cost place for £500 or a subsidised place for £350:
- I have access to benefits or am employed but have very limited expendable income
- I have limited savings and/or limited access to any financial support from others
- I am a carer &/or have dependants
- I have no recourse to public funds
- I have chronic health issues which impact my financial security
For example, if some of the statements below describe your situation you may choose to buy a medium cost place for £750 or a solidarity place for £875:
- I am able to comfortably meet my basic needs, have savings & an expendable income
- any debt that I have doesn’t impact my daily life
- I comfortably rent a property or own my own
- I own a car & can comfortably afford fuel
- I am able to afford to go on holidays
Courses purchased at the solidarity price enable us to carry out our community work & offer subsidised places on the course to folks who would not be able to access it otherwise. We are trusting everyone to respect this model & thank you all for playing your part in increasing the accessibility of the course.
If you live elsewhere in the UK, or can't meet up on a Friday you can study with us another way. Find the information & booking page to the Online course here or the Glasgow class here.
We open enrolments for the course around October of the year before the course starts in March. If you'd like to be notified of when enrolment is available, sign up below or email us at hello@grassrootsremedies.co.uk. We close enrolments at the end of April each year so folks coming across the course later in the spring won't miss out. We feel that folks joining after the end of April might not catch up with the beginning of the course & so may not get the most out of the learning experience. Get in touch with us to be the first to know when the course is released the following year.
Yes. We give the option of paying in one go when booking or to select payment in 3 monthly instalments. We increase the price to account for the bank charges & admin fees for paying in 3 instalments.
For example if you book onto the course on December 1st choosing to pay £700 you can either pay:
1 instalment: £700 on Dec 1st
3 instalments: £240 on Dec 1st, £240 on January 1st & £240 on February 1st, paying £720 in total.
We have 2 subsidised places at £350 per class. If you are trying to purchase a subsidised place and they are not available please email hello@grassrootsremedies.co.uk to put you on a waiting list to be the first to be notified when bookings open for next years course by email.
If you have booked onto the course but have changed your mind we can fully refund minus a 5% transaction fee up until 27th February 2026. No refunds can be given after this date.
One key component of the course is our guided sensory herbal tea tastings with 15 mystery herbs. For each herb we will provide any contraindications/cautions in advance so you can decide for yourself if it is suitable for you to taste them or not. If you have any questions about this, you'll be able to check in with us, & there's no pressure to taste any of them. You can always sit with the herb & just smell it instead if that's what feels right. We provide full monographs on each herb given out after your tasting.
We have an online version of the course suitable for folks living further afield. See our online course details here.
The plants that are covered on this (& the online) course are those that are common and abundant in the British Isles, with an emphasis on the North. While the theoretical elements and practical remedy making sessions will be applicable wherever you are, we suggest the online course will fit best for people living in the British Isles or in a similar climate.
Yes. All of the starting points for walks are currently accessible by public transport. We will also look at lift-shares.
The Wild Things course material and its herb walks are pitched for adults, and can be boring for kids. We are also limited by venue space.
We ask you to leave your loved ones at home wherever possible, and ask us in advance by emailing hello@grassrootsremedies.co.uk before booking to discuss options. Depending on our venue each year we may or may not be able to accomodate.
Wherever possible we will look to reschedule sessions if they are disrupted by unforeseen circumstances such as severe weather warnings. If you are unwell & miss a session you can catch up with the online course which we give yo free access to & we will see you in person at the next class.
You will continue to have access to the online course after the course ends. Once the course finishes we will no longer be answering queries in the Discussions Space, but you will have all the course material at your fingertips for years to come, so you can revisit our lessons again and again. We have done this as we feel that you will get the most out of the course material this way & trust that you will respect this & not share our Wild Things resources with others (even your bestest of friends). The educational arm of our co-op allows our community herbal medicine clinics to exist & we are trusting everyone to respect this model to sustain them & provide this health service to folks in the future. Thank you for playing your part in sustainable community herbalism!
We are happy to answer any questions you might have. Send us an email at hello@grassrootsremedies.co.uk.
Lorna, Wild Things 1 Student 2025
Doing the Wild Things course with GRR was honestly one of the best decisions I’ve made. I went in thinking it would just help me identify some local plants, but it turned into so much more than that. It really deepened my connection with the land around me, helped me understand plants in a whole other way and has set me on a path into community herbalism. I loved how the course was spaced out over the seasons — it gave me time to actually get outside, notice what was growing, and build a real relationship with each plant rather than just memorising information. The videos, the herb walks, the “mystery herbs” you get to taste and guess… it all felt really hands-on and fun. One of the biggest takeaways for me was confidence. I now feel comfortable identifying plants, harvesting them responsibly, and making my own remedies. It’s something I never thought I’d be able to pick up so quickly. I also really appreciated the ethos of Grass Roots Remedies. It feels grounded, community-focused, and genuinely caring. You can tell the people behind it really love this work and want others to feel that connection too. Overall, it was such a nourishing experience — part education, part reconnection, part remembering something I think we all naturally know deep down. I’d recommend it to anyone who feels drawn to plants, even a little bit.
"I loved learning about herbs throughout the year, and particularly enjoyed noticing seasonal change during the course. Each session was delivered with an enjoyable mixture of botanical science, folklore and practical activities. There was a good balance of the local and the global, and each session left me wanting to explore more. The facilitators shared their knowledge and experience expertly – making it accessible and understandable, but always able to answer more in-depth questions. I would highly recommend this course."
"Grass Roots Remedies encouraged us and ignited interest and passion for the wonderful world of plants, herbs and the magical properties that they contain. Now, I am often exhausted by travelling through nature as (even more so than previously) I want to stop and examine every growing thing and wonder what family it belongs to, what properties it has, the medicine it can provide for us and the connection it provides us to our ancestors of the past."
"Wild Things should be mandatory to everyone in the country. It’s honestly that good.
Ally and Soraya care so much about what they do. Their classes are both inspiring and rewarding, starting at the bottom and connecting the dots that so many people miss."
"One of the best courses I've ever taken – I took the course on impulse because it sounded interesting, but it's definitely made an impact on my life. I'd recommend it to anyone who is toying with the idea of signing up."
"Thank you so much for providing me with this opportunity to learn about native herbs and plants in a wonderful setting with great people. It was informative, inspiring and just overall great vibes."
“Excellent course for bringing on confidence with identifying and using wild plants in a practical way. Its inspired me to continue researching, reading, foraging and making. Loved it. Thank you”
“A fantastic course as an introduction to herbal medicine. Has been eye opening and all a wonderful way to spend the year - I’ve been raving about it to everyone”
“the course was fascinating and fun: loved the balance of class learning and outdoor foraging”