Storm Arwen has unearthed decades-old landfill at a Perthshire woodland.
Gusts of up to 90mph uprooted trees across the country during the first named storm of the season.
Woodland north of the village of Doune was among the beauty spots to suffer damage.
And the trees’ exposed roots have revealed an ugly reminder of our throwaway culture.
Rubbish from 1960s tangled in tree roots
Among the items found at the site is an old tube of chocolate sauce. It appears to pre-date decimalisation, introduced in 1970.
There are also plastic milk bags, margarine tubs and empty bottles, which decades ago would have contained cleaning products.
Storm Arwen saw many local woodlands devastated.
Forestry and Land Scotland has even told walkers to avoid affected areas.
There are fears ‘hanging’ trees which have not fully fallen could cause injury or death.
It is not the first time ‘zombie’ landfill has blighted the Perthshire countryside.
Erosion on the banks of the River Ericht at Blairgowrie caused an old dump to spill its contents into the valuable fishing waters.
Site was once the ‘town dump’
Information about historic landfill sites in Scotland is difficult to find.
The site near Doune is not included in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s online record of waste sites.
But there is evidence of activity at the site on an Ordnance Survey map dating back to around 1950.
And Moray Estates, who own the land, confirmed the area was once used to landfill household rubbish thrown out by Doune residents.
A spokesperson for Moray Estates said they would clean up and replant the affected area.
“We understand the area was the municipal waste facility which would have been covered and planted many years ago.
“We will remove any surface litter and waste prior to replanting the area when the windblown trees have been removed.”
Work to regenerate Doune woodland
Moray Estates has been working to regenerate woodland around Doune.
Storms between 2011 and 2014 ‘laid waste’ to mature Norway spruce in the Wood of Doune to the west of the village.
Since then, there has been replanting to repopulate the cleared woodland with birch, alder and Douglas fir.
Moray Estates said this area has “begun to look like woodland again”.
The landowner is trying to improve access, to encourage locals and visitors to use the woodlands for recreation.
Meanwhile, the recent storm destroyed many mature evergreen trees around the old landfill site.
The spokesperson for Moray Estates said they were working on a long-term forest plan, in agreement with Scottish Forestry and in consultation with Kilmadock Community Council.
Under the plan, the landowner is planting native broadleaf trees to boost biodiversity.
Near the site affected by the landfill, an area of newly planted saplings appeared to have escaped unscathed from the storm.
Stirling Council confirmed its environmental health team was currently “carrying out investigations in relation to this matter”.
