Wetter Summers May Make Scotland a New Hub for Truffle Farming, Scientists Say

Scientists in Scotland say a shift toward wetter summer weather on the country’s west coast is creating favourable conditions for cultivating summer truffles, a high-value fungus that has suffered declines across mainland Europe because of drier conditions.

Researchers from the University of Stirling have been developing a truffle orchard on the Isle of Bute and reported the first finds from trees inoculated with truffle fungus in recent years. The crop, prized by chefs and sold for hundreds of pounds a kilogram, is expected to take several years before full production begins.

Professor Paul Thomas, an expert in fungus cultivation at the University of Stirling, said he planted a row of hazel trees inoculated with truffle fungus in 2020 in his garden at Ascog on Bute. Truffle formation is slow; depending on conditions it can take up to seven years for the subterranean fruiting bodies to form, and orchards can continue producing for decades once established.

The truffles are located by animals that can detect their strong scent. Traditionally pigs were used, but dogs are increasingly common because handlers can control them more easily. Thomas has trained a dog, Rue, which located a truffle this summer. The team said the Scottish summer truffles they have encountered so far are strong and aromatic, and have attracted interest from chefs.

A 2019 paper led by Thomas and colleagues examined the projected impacts of climate change on European truffle production and forecast declines of between 78% and 100% by the end of the century under different warming scenarios. Researchers say reduced rainfall across much of continental Europe has already contributed to falling yields, and some projections suggest truffle farming in Spain could face collapse within a generation if current trends continue.

Climate model projections for Scotland, by contrast, indicate slightly wetter summers and milder conditions in some western areas, creating what Thomas described as “perfect conditions for truffles.” He cautioned, however, that climate change has complex impacts and could be detrimental in other ways or in other regions.

An orchard of roughly 1,000 trees — including oak, willow and hazel — has been planted on Bute to support truffle cultivation. Scientists said the orchard is unlikely to produce a commercial crop for another three to four years, though the full maturation period for some trees may extend to seven years. Under favourable conditions an established orchard might yield as much as 20 kilograms per hectare.

Truffles command high prices on specialty markets; current figures cited by researchers and growers put summer truffles at more than £550 per kilogram. The long lead time and relatively low-volume returns mean truffle cultivation is a higher-risk, high-value enterprise, which some researchers say is suited to small-scale island agriculture.

Lyndsay Jaimeson, business manager at Mycorrhizal Systems, which consults with farmers on truffle cultivation, said Scottish summer truffles have a strong, earthy aroma prized by chefs. She noted chefs use them in pasta, sauces and other dishes, and sometimes employ damaged truffles in recipes such as soufflés.

Truffle cultivation has spread recently to other parts of the U.K., and the Scottish effort is part of broader attempts to diversify rural enterprises in response to changing climate conditions. Researchers stressed that while local climatic shifts may open opportunities for some crops, long-term global warming poses significant risks to agriculture and ecosystems worldwide.

Scientists will continue monitoring the Bute orchard and other experimental sites to track yields, flavour profiles and the broader implications of shifting weather patterns for truffle cultivation and rural economies.