Felled by a beaver

This is a sight I never expected to see in Scotland - a tree apparently felled by a beaver. Several trees beside Mill Dam had been felled in this way, some nibbled very neatly in a double cone.

I shouldn't have been surprised as there have been stories of beavers seen on the Tay for several years, and a breeding pair have taken up residence at nearby Loch of Lowes. A check established that they were European beavers. Trial reintroductions are under way elsewhere in England and Scotland, but in Perthshire the beavers seem to be managing nicely by themselves.