Jurassic trees growing in the north west Highlands are expected to be unaffected by a disease that threatens other neighboring tree species.
The National Trust for Scotland's Inverewe Garden has the world's most northerly grove of Wollemi pine.Thought to have died out two million years ago, the species was discovered in Australia in the 1990s. The trust said Wollemi were not susceptible to sudden oak death which has been detected at the garden.
Staff at the site near Poolewe have started felling larch in and around the garden to prevent the spread of the disease, which is also known as larch tree disease and Ramorum dieback. The trust said the source of the infection was unknown and given the propensity of spores to be blown over long distances it was unlikely it would ever be identified. The work to remove larch and other species vulnerable to infection could take until February to complete.
