Kretzschmaria deusta

The Gurn had asked for a rethink on the Whinnieknowe beech but sadly it seems indeed that the wound on the side of the tree was a bit more than simply a scar from the past. It seems a nasty pathogen called Kretzschmaria deusta had got in and this can indeed make a tree very unsafe as the wood becomes brittle inside the trunk. It was ironic that a beech tree nearby would fall first though. Anyway thanks to Grant Stuart of Highland Council for forwarding the information from his notes and for being so willing to discuss the issue. Thanks too to Liz for her involvment.