Over the course of the past three weeks, I have spent several days working alongside Keith Logie MICFor on a tree inspection programme for two Angus estates managed by Scottish Woodlands.

The 6,500 ha Cortachy Estate is mixed agricultural land, gardens, policy woodlands and parcels of productive forestry. The Airlie Estate is much smaller at 480 ha, but no less impressive, again consisting of mixed agricultural land, policy woodlands and productive parcels.

I was tasked with the inspection of roadside tree stock on the B955, the Kirriemuir to Glen Clova road [a loop of approximately 18 miles], and on two minor public roads that cross the Airlie Estate. The roadside tree stock was predominantly beech, birch, ash and oak in the mature to advanced mature age class.

These inspections are primarily intended to determine the presence of structural defects, and/or the presence of fungal disease in the roots, stems, or branches that may give rise to a risk of structural failure of part or all of the tree. In the case of these estates, the foremost pathogens I was interested in were giant polypore (Meripilus giganteus), brittle cinder (Kretzschmaria deusta) and ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus).

2025 feels like it has been an ideal year for fungi, and over the course of the five days, I encountered several types of fungal fruiting bodies approaching senescence, including,

• Giant polypore (Meripilus giganteus) on beech
• Brittle cinder (Kretzschmaria deusta) on beech
• Birch polypore (Fomitopsis betulina) on birch
• Dyer’s mazegill (Phaeolus schweinitzii) on Sitka spruce
• Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) on oak
• Hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa) on oak

As a landholder, the estate has a Duty of Care and must take reasonable steps to maintain public safety. Under that Duty of Care, the person or organisation responsible for the trees must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions that could reasonably be foreseen and/or that would likely cause harm.

If you’re a Forest Manager or Estate Forester managing trees that require inspection, please reach out to me. Whether it’s estate avenues, public footpaths within the estate or roadside tree stock, Callophrys Tree Consultancy will be able to help you discharge your Duty of Care.