Taking over ...

This hillside - above the old stretch of road between Puck's Glen and the Black Gates of Benmore Gardens - is a good illustration of the problem created by rampant rhododendrons on the hillsides of Scotland. Currently the target of an eradication programme by the Forestry Commission, these incredibly hardy plants are in full bloom just now, covering the hills in a blaze of purple, but the difficulty of their removal outweighs their transitory attractiveness.