Elderflower, Sambucus nigra

Dromen (modern gaidhlig), Ruis (old Gaelic), Bourtree (Scots)

Elder in Scottish Culture: Folk Medicine, Belief & Botanical Lore

The elder tree Sambucus nigra has long held a revered place in Scottish folk culture, especially in Highland and rural communities where plant lore, seasonal rhythms, and spiritual beliefs were deeply interwoven. Known in Gaelic as droman, an in old Gaelic ‘Ruis’- the elder was a tree both honoured and valued for its healing gifts and protective powers, but also surrounded by taboos and caution.

A Tree of Protection and Superstition

Across Scotland, particularly in the Highlands, the elder was believed to offer protection from evil. It was often planted beside homes & steadings, by wells, or at field boundaries to ward off spirits, witches, or ill fortune. Elder branches were placed over doorways or cribs to protect infants and livestock.

Folk superstition warned against burning its wood. To burn elder in the hearth was to invite misfortune and some said even death. In some Scottish traditions, this was attributed to the belief that the elder housed spirits or had connections to the fairy realm.  Elder was one of the trees that was thought to be a space where contact could be made with the fae. A liminal gateway to the Otherside.

The warning, “never burn the elder tree,” has been echoed in oral histories collected by the School of Scottish Studies Archives (SSSA) at the University of Edinburgh, where elder-related customs are part of a larger record of healing, seasonal rites, and rural traditions.

Herbal Wisdom: Ointments, Teas, and Tonics

In folk medicine, elder was a staple of the herbalist’s toolkit. Its flowers were steeped to make teas for colds and fevers; its berries boiled into syrups for immunity and digestion. But the leaves, often overlooked today, held special value in the Highlands.

A traditional preparation known as green elder ointment (Unguentum Sambuci Viride) was made by slowly heating elder leaves in fat, typically suet or lard, until the mixture turned a vivid green. This balm was used to soothe bruises, chilblains, and sprains, especially in communities with limited access to formal medicine. While specific written references in Scottish manuscripts are scarce, oral traditions and comparative British folklore strongly suggest that such preparations were well known among rural healers and passed down through generations.

Elder in Highland Life and Lore

The cultural use of elder reflects a deeper connection between Highlanders and their landscape. Seasonal knowledge was central—elderflowers gathered in early summer, berries harvested in autumn, and leaves used when green and vigorous. These practices were not just medicinal but also ceremonial, with elder sometimes featuring in rites of protection or thresholds of seasonal change.

The Tobar an Dualchais / Kist o Riches project, which includes digitised oral recordings from Gaelic-speaking areas, holds stories and recollections of plants like elder in everyday rural life used for healing, hedge magic, and local customs.

From hedge to hearth, elder was more than a plant- it was a protector, healer, and bridge between the seen and unseen. Rooted in both practical medicine and ancestral wisdom, the elder tree stands as a potent symbol of Scotland’s rich and resilient herbal heritage.