One of Scotland’s tallest trees has fallen victim to the weather.
The towering Douglas Fir at the Perthshire beauty spot, the Hermitage near Dunkeld, was brought down by high winds.
It stood just over 200ft tall and was the fourth tallest tree in Scotland.
The loss was announced by the National Trust for Scotland’s North Perthshire Ranger Service, who said: “Friday the 13th proved unlucky for the tallest tree at the Hermitage and one of Scotland’s tallest trees.
“Situated on Forestry Commission land across the River Braan, the strong winds in the early hours brought the tall Douglas Fir crashing down, with the top landing on our side of the river.
“It even managed to crash land right through the middle of the interpretation panel telling visitors all about it.”
Regular visitors to the Hermitage expressed their feelings about the “sad loss” of the tree on social media describing it as “the end of an era”.
The Douglas Fir was popular with tourists and a major feature at the Hermitage, an attraction created by the Dukes of Atholl in the 18th century which includes two romantic follies.
When the tree will be removed and what will happen to it has yet to be determined.
Apart from some of the tallest Douglas Firs, Perthshire boasts a long list of record breaking trees and has been marketed as Big Tree Country.
These include the oldest tree in Europe, the yew at Fortingall which is estimated to be 3,000 to 5,000 years old.
The Meikleour beech hedge stands 120 feet high and a third of a mile long. The trees were planted in 1745 and are now officially recognised in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest hedge in the world.
Other record breakers include the widest conifer in Britain at Cluny House Gardens which is 11 metres in girth and over 130 years old.
Strathearn boasts a Sitka Spruce that is 200 ft tall and the tallest Japanese larch in Britain is said to be in Diana’s Grove at Blair Castle with more than 20 trees there topping 150ft.
