In Dunkeld on Monday, Carole and I spotted this large tree stump, full of coins hammered into the surface. Alongside was a sign asking people to stop doing it as birds can damage their beaks on the coins.
The National Trust for Scotland has a policy of leaving trees to naturally decompose when they take them down. This works well as insects and birds eat the rotten wood - however when humans add the metal pieces, it spoils everything.
They suggest giving a donation to the NTS rather than hammering in coins!
I've never heard of people doing that around here- but I'm sure we have our own meaningful but environmentally unfriendly traditions as well. It does make a great macro though!
