A pair of Perthshire woods have been named among the best in Scotland as the country looks forward to a ”fake autumn”.
Kinnoull Hill and Killiecrankie were singled out on the VisitWoods website (link) run by Woodland Trust Scotland as particularly worth roaming through.
The trust says there will be a leafy equivalent of ”fool’s gold” thanks to this year’s weather.
Despite above-average rainfall recently, the dry spring has resulted in overall water deficit and caused many trees to show early autumnal colouring and leaf fall.
The trust’s Andrew Fairbairn said: ”Autumn gold is triggered by fading sunlight and the cold. The leaves lose the chlorophyll that makes them green, producing spectacular yellow and red displays of autumn colour.
”Fool’s autumn gold is different it’s the trees still struggling to recover from a dry spring. They wilt and drop their leaves early to save water.
”So this year we might have two separate events that look like autumn the real one and the fake.”
With this year’s spring possibly being the earliest recorded, some think an early spring will be followed by early autumn since leaves may have a ”shelf life”.
The trust’s Professor Tim Sparks said: ”We’re calling for the public to help us record the changing seasons, which helps inform scientists about the effects of climate change on our native flora and fauna.”