FOR decades there have been those who have rhapsodised about the benefits of getting out of the house and experiencing life in the fresh air.
And now it appears that the medical world has finally agreed, with doctors saying they are to prescribe the great outdoors as part of patients' treatment for the very first time.
'Nature Prescriptions' will be issued by Scottish GPs from next week in a bid to encourage people suffering a variety of ailments to be more active and to de-stress away from the pressures of the modern environment.
Their advocates say that experiencing the natural world can reduce blood pressure, curb anxiety and increase happiness as well as fighting a growing disconnection with nature throughout society.
The prescriptions are being rolled out at ten surgeries on the Shetland Isles following a successful pilot, becoming another tool for doctors to use as they help people on their way to better physical and mental health.
READ MORE: Climber scales Ben Nevis every day to help combat depression
The project is being rolled out on Shetland
RSPB Scotland, who are partnering with NHS Scotland on the project, have produced a leaflet and a calendar of seasonal activities using local knowledge which will be handed out at doctors' discretion.
It provides a monthly checklist of things to do, all designed to improve patients' wellbeing and connect them with nature.
These range from going on coastal walks, to bird-watching, dog walking and trying out wild camping along with more enigmatic endeavours such as to following the paths of bumblebees, watching the clouds, touching the sea or just sitting quietly in nature - whatever the weather.
Cameron McNeish, the Scottish hiker and backpacker who has written books, newspaper columns and made television broadcasts, fully endorsed the project, saying that a life outdoors had improved his health immensely.
READ MORE: Girl with back-to-front heart climbs Ben Nevis to help others
He said: "This is a great idea. I've been saying for 40 years that if doctors could bottle and prescribe the great outdoors it would be some sort of wonder drug."
Mr McNeish recalled how returning to nature after a bad fall while hill running helped him heal both his physical injuries and his mental scars.
He added: "I'd broken several bones, had a cut that required 40 stitches and my head wasn't right because my brain got knocked about. I had depression, and it wasn't until I got out the house and had a bit of a hirple through the woods that I began to feel better.
"We could all do with getting back to nature and seeing places that haven't felt the hand of man. Places that haven't changed for thousands of years, and where we can get a sense of our place in the web of creation.
"It's great that the NHS is doing this. And it doesn't have to be limited to Shetland - you could do many of these things just going to a city park."
Bird-watching can have health benefits
Other ideas included in the prescription include following the course of a burn, beachcombing, bagging munros and planting some bulbs.
People are also encouraged to hunt for shells on a beach or help with a clean-up, find and cook edible plants, charm worms from the ground and visit somewhere they have never been.
READ MORE: Agenda - Let’s ditch the virtual world and head for the great outdoors
Dr Chloe Evans, a GP at Scalloway Health Centre, said the project provides a structured way for patients to access nature while avoiding turning to drugs and pills to treat health problems.
The benefits of physical activity are also well documented, with regular physical activity reducing the risk of heart disease and strokes, diabetes, cancers, depression, anxiety and sleep problems.
Dr Evans said: "The benefits to patients are that it is free, easily accessible, allows increased connection with surroundings which hopefully leads to improved physical and mental health for individuals”.
'Bagging' Munros - such as Ben Nevis - is encouraged (stock pic)
Lauren Peterson, Health Improvement Practitioner for NHS Shetland, added: “The Health Improvement Department of the NHS are delighted to be working alongside RSPB Scotland to be able to promote such a worthwhile project in Shetland.
"Through the Nature Prescriptions project GPs and nurses can explain and promote the many benefits which being outdoors can have on physical and mental wellbeing.
"The fantastic leaflet resource which has been produced by RSPB Scotland assists in highlighting the many benefits which are to be gained from being outdoors in the natural environment.
"It also provides inspiration in the forms of different ideas of what to do out in the fresh air which may help to 'Nature Your Soul' at different times of the year”.
Karen MacKelvie is a Community Engagement Officer for RSPB Scotland. She said: “There is overwhelming evidence that nature has health benefits for body and mind.
"However, despite many doctors using the outdoors as a resource to combat ill-health, far fewer recommend the same strategy to their patients. So, we saw an opportunity to design a leaflet that helps doctors describe the health benefits of nature and provides plenty of local ideas to help doctors fire-up their patients’ imaginations and get them outdoors.
"It’s been a delight to work in partnership with GPs on this and it’s great for us because we get to help connect people with nature that we wouldn’t normally see at our reserves, events or on our guided walks. Helping people connect with nature is a great way to inspire them to protect it.”
Pictures by Karen MacKelvie
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel