It was a love-hate relationship with a difference in a Moray town.
Paul and Sandra Gill loathed the unsightly pine trees, close to where they lived, after the couple moved to Waulkmill Grove in Elgin in 1998.
And yet, they ended up salvaging a memento of them while they were chopped down yesterday.
One of the 45ft trees almost came crashing down on Mrs Gill during a stormy night several years ago – only narrowly missing her head.
The couple were glad to escape the gloomy branches and nesting crows when they relocated in Elgin in 2009.
However, after moving back to a different part of the estate last year, the Gills began to view them in a new light.
As a consequence, they retrieved a cutting from the trunk of one of the pines as it was being chopped down to chronicle the history of its life.
Mr Gill, 49, said: “It was just spur of the moment to ask for a bit. My wife hated them where we used to live, but now we have fallen in love with them.
“We used to have big problems with the pine needles and nesting crows – we’ve had that side of them.
“Where we are now though, it’s nice to be able to look out at them and the light. It’s certainly nicer than just looking at flats.
“They have been here for so long, it’s a bit of history that’s going.”
Despite complaining about nesting crows, the couple have previously nursed sick chicks back to health before contacting a bird charity.
Mr Gill, who works as a designer, has traced the trees on maps dating all the way back to the 1740s, but suspects the pines have been at the site even longer.
So he intends to use ink to mark important historical dates on the 75-year-old trunk cutting he salvaged from work crews.
Moray Council made the decision to chop down the mature Scots pines after fears were raised they were becoming dangerous.
After they have been felled the stumps will be removed and soil spread for grass seed before native species are planted along Reiket Lane.
Mrs Gill, 53, said: “One of them nearly came down on my head so I know they’ve been dangerous. They’re certainly nicer where we are now though.”
