Take a leaf out of the Tree Festival book...enjoy the outdoors

There’s a bit in the new Lord Of The Rings prequel, which I’m currently enjoying on Amazon Prime, where an enslaved elf is forced to chop down a tree by an evil orc. It’s a heartbreaking scene because, as every LOTR fan knows, asking an elf to kill a tree is a bit like asking a cow to eat steak.

Author JRR Tolkien, the creator of the Middle-earth fantasy novels, is largely acknowledged as an early environmentalist. His love of nature runs throughout his books, with trees symbolising goodness and light.

Whether or not you are a fan of elves and hobbits, there can be no denying that there’s something uniquely magical about walking in woodlands, especially at this time of year when the leaves begin to turn every shade of red, orange and gold.

If you are a tree hugger like me you’ll be please to know this weekend marks the beginning of the Scottish Tree Festival. Gardens and estates across the country will be inviting visitors to explore some of the finest tree collections and enjoy the autumn colours as the canopy changes.

On pages 44 and 45, our gardening guru Agnes Stevenson takes a look at the walks, trails and family activities on offer during the festival as well as sharing her own woodland favourites.

Walks in nature are, of course, good for the soul but how you dress for the Scottish weather can make or break the experience.with this in mind, P.S. fashion editor Wendy Rigg brings us her autumn accessories edit. Turn to pages 8 and 9 for her pick of the best hats, gloves, scarves and bags from the high street. So now you can go leaf-peeping in style.