Overview
- Police Scotland reported hemlock roots washing ashore at sporadic points along Loch Gilp around Ardrishaig and Lochgilphead, advising the public not to touch them.
- Millom Coastguard confirmed multiple strandings between Drigg and Parton across roughly 14–20 miles of the Cumbrian coastline.
- Guidance instructs people to keep children and pets away, avoid handling any suspected material, and report sightings to local councils, which are responsible for disposal.
- The plant’s white roots can be mistaken for parsnips and smell of parsley, with oenanthotoxin capable of triggering convulsions and potentially fatal respiratory failure in small doses.
- Officials say recent rough weather likely uprooted the riverbank species, dispersing roots onto beaches now under local monitoring.