'Chemists' for medieval Scots is discovered

A 700-YEAR-OLD "chemists" which supplied a medieval hospital has been discovered just outside Edinburgh.

Archaeologists in the Lammermuir Hills have found evidence of a herb garden containing 200 plants for various remedies, which would have supplied the Soutra hospital, run by monks and situated just off the old highway between Scotland and England.

Medieval Scots could find cures from the garden, which experts have always suspected existed but until now were unable to pin down.

Dr Brian Moffat, director of investigations at the Soutra project, said: "This tiny piece of land has more than 200 species of plant in it – a staggering number which could be a record in Scotland."