Shocking images show the damage left on a 200-year-old tree after it was struck by a powerful bolt of lightning on Ben Lomond.
A long strip of bark was torn off the oak tree during a storm on Tuesday which sparked a yellow weather warning for large parts of the country.
National Trust for Scotland staff from the beauty spot came across the damage which they shared with visitors on social media.
They said it acts as a timely reminder why people should not seek refuge from stormy weather underneath trees.
Ben Lomond Ranger Service said: “On Tuesday like many other parts of the country we had a large thunderstorm directly over the Ben, one of our 200 year old oak’s took a direct lightning strike which tore off a section of bark all the way from the top of the tree to the root plate.
“It really shows the power of a lighting strike and that it isn’t wise to take refuge under a tree during a thunderstorm.
“You can see the path the electricity took as it travelled down the tree and it superheated the moisture within the bark as it travelled, causing it to tear off the trunk.”
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