I hope by time of publication of this article I can safely say winter is behind us and spring is well on its way.

Last week I hosted a Parliamentary reception for medical herbalists, the first of its kind at the Scottish Parliament. The event was very well attended, with visitors travelling from as far as the Black isle and Manchester.

Napier's of Edinburgh and Neal's Yard were there along with Chinese, Tibetan and Indian medical herbalists.

Many MSPs attended to meet with herbalists and herb growers to hear and discuss their concerns.

At present medical herbalists are looking for the UK Government to introduce a statutory regulation to ensure those practising herbal medicine are properly qualified - this is clearly in the public interest. Without statutory regulation there will be a loss of a wide range of herbal medicines currently supplied by herbalists to their patients.

This is due to the implementation of the Traditional Herbal Medicines Directive in April 2011, which will see the end of the right of practitioners to access finished medicines from manufacturers for prescription to individual patients.

It is estimated that one in four people in the UK use herbal remedies or medicine as more people in the developed world look again at ways in which plant medicine can offer them a naturally healthy life. Some family doctors prescribe homeopathic and herbal remedies, according to research carried out by the University of Aberdeen. Other research on cancer patients found that the reason patients did not disclose use of herbal medicines is because they fear clinician disapproval.

The safeguarding of the profession is one I and colleagues at Holyrood will be looking into in the hope that statutory regulation can become a reality and medical herbalists are given the legal recognition they deserve.

I was delighted to welcome some faces from Ross-shire to the reception, Duncan and Yuriko Ross from Poyntzfield Herb Nursery on the Black Isle braved the wintry conditions to attend. Their nursery specialises in growing and distributing high quality herbal plants. Western herbal medicine continues to use herbs which have been used in Europe for the last 2,000 years. Duncan Ross produces to the highest standard at his herb nursery near Cromarty. They brought along some Sea Buckthorn which grows around sandy beaches in the north of Scotland and is well sought after. I plan to visit Poyntzfield in the spring to see first hand the work the Rosses do.

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I WAS also fascinated to learn of an initiative run by Ethnomedica which is part of the Royal Botanical Gardens, called Remembered Remedies which aims to preserve the wealth of knowledge on local plants and medicines.

This initiative will help to preserve the Herbal Traditions of Scotland by recognising the knowledge and wisdom of older people. Anne Barker, one of the researchers, travels to different parts of Scotland collecting herbal or plant remedies from communities in order to preserve them for medicinal value and for future generations.

Some of the examples included drinking dead nettle tea to prevent spots and the well known remedy of using a docken leaf to take the sting of a nettle away.

Can I ask anyone who has a remedy they would like to share to contact my office on 01463 241004, or e-mail mary.scanlon.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Or write to me at 14A Ardross Street, Inverness IV3 5NS. Alternately, you can contact Anne Barker at ethnomedica@kew.org or visit their website www.org/ethnomedica.

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