Professor unearths black truffle cultivated on Isle of Bute

Professor Paul W Thomas has successfully cultivated a black truffle on the Isle of Bute, thought to be the first on a UK island. Five years after planting hazel trees inoculated with truffle fungus, he unearthed a 4.45-gram specimen in his garden.

With the help of a trained dog, he expects to find larger ones. The cultivated Tuber aestivum, or summer truffle, can sell for up to £900 per kilogram.

Professor Thomas said truffle farming offers low-maintenance, climate-smart crops that could boost rural economies, agri-tourism, biodiversity, and soil health, creating new opportunities for Scotland’s coastal and island communities.