About me
“Exceptional healthcare is wanting the absolute best for you.”
- Klayr Hunter
“Growing up on the beautiful Hebridean island of Tiree offered a romantic childhood steeped in wilderness and nature.”
Tiree is a magical place where I discovered plants could heal and mid-summer daylight never really ends.
Windswept days on white sandy beaches, an abundance of animals from curlews to seals, surrounded by a multitude of plants native to the western isles was idyllic. Machair, peat bogs, ditches, dunes: each terrain offering an unusual and secret world of plants.
There was no divide between people and land, a complex intertwining of community, innate to the island’s inhabitants. Those that spend enough time there know of the harsh, isolating winters but also the rare summers day that transport you to a secret desert island paradise.
I fell in love with the lotions and potions, the exotic smells and unusual teas at Napiers. It felt like a strangely familiar place, quiet and serene, even though the bustle of Byres Road continued just outside. I knew then that I wanted to work in this place that time forgot and dreamt of one day becoming a herbalist in my own clinic.
I did indeed go on to train and work as a herbalist within the company for almost 10 years.
After completing my first degree in Physiology at Glasgow University, I worked with Napiers as a herbal dispenser and later as assistant manager.
This unique apprenticeship created a rich learning experience and deepened my appreciation of the role the herbalist has in introducing patient to plant.
The herbalist creates space for openness and understanding, inviting the patient to unravel their story in a nurtured environment where difficult emotions can be held with reverence and respect.
During my time at Napiers I was fortunate to be mentored by Carol Rogers, herbalist and author of The Women’s Guide to Herbal Medicine.
This sparked an interest in gynaecology and in 2012 I moved to Nurture, an Integrated Health Clinic, focusing on Women’s Health.
Nurture inspired a level of integrative practice which helped develop my working relationships with other practitioners, doctors and specialists in the NHS and private health care. These connections provides a higher degree of collaboration and helps create a comprehensive treatment strategy to support a patient’s health. This blending of traditional herbal knowledge and modern medicine gives a truly holistic approach to a patient’s health and wellness.
“My first initiation into the herbal world was when I was 14 when I undertook work experience at Glasgow Napiers, Scotland’s oldest Herbal House. It’s Edinburgh branch dates back to 1860.”
Klayr Hunter, where it all began.
My background & experience
2003
I completed my BSc Physiology at Glasgow University and pursued my interests in herbal medicine.
2009
Continuing my studies and following my interests, I achieved a BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine at Edinburgh Napier University
2014-2016
Outlander TV series 1 and 2: Herbal consultation for the acclaimed Outlander TV, a historical story based on the novel by Diana Gabaldon.
2019-current
Dumfries House: Herbal consultant providing herbal support to The Health & Wellbeing Center and creating video content for their Menopause course.
Join the conversation over on Instagram @KlayrHunter
