Wild Gorse
At this time of the year Scotland is covered in yellow wild flowers. The most noticeable yellow wildflower of all is the Common Gorse. On a hot sunny day the Scottish hillside landscape is transformed into automatic heaven of delicious tropical coconut. Gorse is an evergreen shrub, covered in needle like leaves which can be sharp to the touch. The flowering season starts from January and usually lasts till end of June. Few years ago a friend pointed the smell of Gorse out to me during a hike in the Ochills and ever since then I have been obsessed with recreating the fragrance of this common shrub in my home. To me it represents happy endorphins of a hill walk combined with freshness of Scottish spring air. I just wanted to be surrounded by this feeling all year round.
The inspiration of this blog came from my recent train ride from Inverness to Perth where I met an American lady touring Scotland. She quizzed me about the bright yellow flower and wanted to know how she could take it back with her home to remember her time in the Scottish hills. Here are some of the products I recommended and thought I would share it here too.
I got given St Eval Wild Gorse Scented candle as a gift few years ago by a friend who knew my obsession with Gorse. The candle came in a pretty clay pot which I used to plant a pot after it was done. I think i squealed with joy when I first smelled the candle. The smell of the candle was surprisingly subtle and fresh. With 15 hours of burning time, it truly smells of wild gorse. You can order yours here from Amazon. If you prefer tea light version there you can order yours here. This product has the smallest price tag from all my recomended gorse goodies.
I have previously bought this as a Christmas gift. Why not treat yourself and create an uplifting mood in your home with fresh swirls of creamy wood and honeyed floral. The aroma is soft and warm with a mellow sweetness. This candle is slightly more expensive from the previous candle with a price tag of £25 however it lasts longer with the burn time of 35 hours. I love supporting Scottish brands and having Gorse fragrance combines the best of two worlds. You can buy this candle from here.
