Updated 11 September 2026
When will Slippery Jack appear in Edinburgh and Lothians?
Slippery Jack usually come up in Edinburgh and Lothians from August to November, and right now they’re at 46% and looking good.
It fruits after warm late-summer and autumn rain, typically when day temperatures sit around 10 to 20C and the ground stays damp. A good soaking followed by mild nights usually brings flushes within a week or two.
Cap is chestnut to dark brown, smooth and very slimy when wet. The underside has fine pale yellow pores rather than gills, and the stem carries a distinct ring with small brown dots above it. The flesh is pale and the smell is mild.
Scan the ground near any pine, especially along sandy tracks and clearings where they often appear in groups. Pick young firm caps, since older ones go soft and waterlogged, and carry them separately because the slimy cap coats everything.
Other Suillus boletes such as the larch bolete (Suillus grevillei) and weeping bolete, all of which are also edible, so there are no dangerous poisonous lookalikes. The slimy brown cap, yellow pores and ringed stem set it apart from any toxic gilled mushroom.
Edinburgh and the Lothians sit on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, where a fertile coastal lowland of farmland and river valleys like the Water of Leith rises gently inland to the rolling Pentland Hills and, eastward, the Lammermuirs. Volcanic outcrops such as Arthur’s Seat and the Castle Rock punctuate the city itself, giving a varied mosaic of coast, town and upland in a small area. Woodland here is mostly broadleaf and mixed: mature beech, oak, birch and hazel in estate policies and glens such as Roslin Glen and Dalkeith Country Park, alongside Scots pine and conifer plantations on the higher ground. Damp riverside woods, parkland edges and grassy commons are the productive ground, yielding chanterelles, ceps, hedgehog fungi and field and parasol mushrooms in season.
The region has a cool, temperate maritime climate, with mild winters, modest summers and rain spread through the year, though the eastern Lothians are among the drier, sunnier parts of Scotland thanks to a sheltering rain shadow. Reliable autumn moisture combined with that comparative dryness makes for a steady rather than torrential fungal season. Foragers can expect an accessible, varied season across woodland, parkland and coastal grassland, all close to the city and easily reached on foot or by a short trip into East and Midlothian. Autumn is the peak, with grassland waxcaps on old pastures and golf links a regional highlight alongside the usual woodland boletes and chanterelles.
FAQ
How do I know slippery jack season has started in Edinburgh and Lothians, Scotland?
Season usually kicks off after a warm spell followed by steady rain, with the first flushes appearing somewhere in the August to November window. The clearest sign is the live forecast lifting off zero into ‘just starting’ or ‘building’. For Edinburgh and Lothians, Scotland it currently sits at 46% and is looking good.
Are slippery jack out near me right now in Edinburgh and Lothians, Scotland?
Today the slippery jack forecast for Edinburgh and Lothians, Scotland is 46% and conditions are looking good. That is a live read for the region this September, and it shifts with the weather rather than following a fixed calendar. It tells you if it is worth heading out in Edinburgh and Lothians, Scotland right now.
What should I look for this week for slippery jack in Edinburgh and Lothians, Scotland?
This week in Edinburgh and Lothians, Scotland the forecast is 46% and looking good. Grows in conifer woods, almost always with pine, on sandy or poor soil and often along forest tracks and clearings. Common in young plantations and appears in groups. The 14-day outlook on the page shows whether conditions are climbing toward a flush or easing off, so you can pick your day.
Is it mushroom season in Edinburgh and Lothians, Scotland right now?
For slippery jack in Edinburgh and Lothians, Scotland, the typical season is August to November, and today the live forecast reads 46% with conditions looking good this September. So yes or no depends on the day and the weather, which is exactly what the forecast tracks.
Does ShroomCast tell me if a mushroom is safe to eat or identify it for me?
No. ShroomCast only forecasts timing, so it tells you when slippery jack are likely to be fruiting in Edinburgh and Lothians, Scotland. It does not identify mushrooms, and it cannot tell you whether anything you pick is safe to eat. Always confirm your own identification from a reliable source before eating anything.
See the live regional forecast in the ShroomCast app.
This page shows today. The app gives you the full 14-day outlook for your area and all 14 species, so you can pick the right day before you drive out.
Scale: 0-20% very low · 20-40% low · 40-60% moderate · 60-80% high · 80-100% excellent. ShroomCast forecasts fruiting probability from weather, soil, forests and years of observations – a guide, not a guarantee of finds.
ShroomCast forecasts the region and the time of year. It cannot identify mushrooms for you, so confirm any species with a reliable source before eating it.