The Scottish Mushroom Podcast

In this episode of the Scottish Mushroom Podcast, I speak with Helen O’Brien, an artist based in Perthshire. Helen is asculptor whose work centres on the transformative nature of nature.  She is interested in the potential of materials, and our relationship and dependency we have on them. Her practice of casting organic matter directly into bronze seeks to elevate the value of unseen and overlooked organic matter to highlight its importance and integral role in our ecosystem. She's a real force: thoughtful, insightful, and deeply committed to her work. And she’s created what might just be the largest bronzesculpture of a birch polypore in the world, which is being exhibited at Fife Contemporary's Dear Earth exhibition at Kirkcaldy Galleries until 13th September 2026 and then at St Andrews Museum from 30th September til 6th March2027.

This episode of the Scottish Mushroom Podcast is sponsored by our friends at Caledonia Mushrooms. Follow the link for 10% off your first order of grow-at-home gourmet mushrooms. www.caledoniamushrooms.co/TSMP 

Angus-based Artist David Mitchell chats about his gorgeousbook- A Brush With Fungi.

David has spent countless hours alongside fungi, foraging for them, dissecting them and painting them, and in this episode, we hear about his journey as an artist publishing his first book at 75, his love for mushrooms, and exactly how long a mushroom can survive in the UK postal system!  

David’s book is sumptuous and a beautiful love letter to fungi- the perfect Xmas gift for the mushroom lover in your life.

Links: https://www.summerfieldbooks.com/product/a-brush-with-fungi/

Facebook: facebook.com/p/David-Mitchell-Art-100067706303625/?locale=en_GB

It's the 'filmed before a live studio audience' episode!

Join me and guests Suzanne Scott, Hendrik Mans, and Sam Worrall in a special episode filmed/recorded live at the Dundee Fringe Festival 14th Sept 2025

Growing in Glasgow and foraging further afield! 

Overconfident squirrels! Mushroom cocktails! Sustainable mushroom cultivation practices!

In this episode, mushroom grower Hendrick from the Glasgow Mushroom Company and Sam from foraging company Coeur Sauvage talk growing and foraging for mushrooms, and the business of both.

Of course we take a few delightful wee detours on the way to indulge in our favourite mushroom recipes, including cocktails! And there's an excitingannouncement at the start... 

Come for a walk with me! If you’re hankering for the heightof mushroom season, this episode is the antidote to the less-abundant winter months.

Recorded in October while I was rambling (in both senses!) by the river Spey, this episode is a live recording of me moving through the beautiful countryside of Aviemore, meeting mushrooms and mushroom lovers on the way. 

Entrepreneurship and mycelial eco-and-socially-conscious business practices! Growing challenges!

Tips on how to get started as a mushroom farmer! The brilliant Dr Alisha Fuller-Armarh from Deer Manor Gourmet Mushrooms joins me to chat about starting her business, and her 10 year mushroom growing journey that took her from the tropical climes of Jamaica to the colder (but no less stunning) Dumfries and Galloway, where she has established one of Scotland’s most varied and eco-conscious gourmet mushroom farms.

And growing gourmets is just the start! If you love mushroom growing and cooking tips, and grounded, warts-and-all entrepreneurial conversation from an inspiring businesswoman, this is the episode for you!
www.deermanor.co.uk
insta deer_manor_mushrooms

In this month's episode of the Scottish Mushroom podcast, host Lynne Campbell chats with musician Hannah Read about her album "The Fungi Sessions, Volume One."

Hannah shares her unique journey of growing up in a mushroom-loving family, the inspiration behind her music, and the special tribute to her late father, a renowned mycologist.

They discuss the creative process, the connections formed through fungi, and upcoming projects, including a performance at the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens. Join us for an enchanting conversation that intertwines music, nature, and the magical world of fungi.

instagram: @hanread

facebook: /hannahreadmusic

website: hannahread.com

The Fungi Sessions on August 15th, Botanics Lates

Join host Lynne Campbell on the Scottish Mushroom podcast as she delves into Scotland's rich mycological culture. In this episode, Lynne reconnects with Suzanne Scott, an acclaimed illustrator known for her whimsical mushroom artwork. They reminisce about their fifteen-year friendship, discuss Suzanne's transition from full-time employment to freelancing, and explore her recent projects, including the enchanting Toadstool Trail at Dundee Botanic Gardens. Discover how Suzanne's childhood foraging adventures inspired her art and how her work continues to foster a love for nature in both children and adults. Tune in for a delightful conversation about mushrooms, art, and community engagement!

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:30) Meeting Suzanne Scott

(04:50) Suzanne's Transition to Freelance Art

(08:20) The Toadstool Trail Project

(18:00) Childhood Foraging and Mushroom Vision

(25:10) Community Projects and Workshops

(35:00) Upcoming Projects and Future Plans

(45:00) Conclusion

Find Suzanne on IG @whisicallush or on the web at

https://whimsicallush.co.uk/

Welcome to Scotland on Shrooms Episode 4, in which I chat community creation, creative interactions with mushrooms and favourite fungi with founder and outgoing president of the University of Dundee Mycology Society, Ben, and its incoming president Holly. Community creation around mushrooms is happening all over Scotland, and here are two of Dundee's top mushroom fans talking about how students at UoD can get involved.

Dung cannons! Zombie Water Bears! Zones of Repugnance! The Emergence of Human Consciousness!

This 40 minutes has A LOT packed in.

This month I’m chatting to DH42, who has been researching a couple of native species of little-known psilocybin mushrooms that grow on animal dung. In the process, he has set up online communities where people photograph, discuss and help identify these fungi. He drops some pretty excellent fungi facts, as well as chatting around the heroes of modern mycology in Scotland and further afield.