Updated 12 September 2026
Slippery Jack in Fife, Scotland: live forecast and 14-day outlook
The best time for slippery jack in Scotland is August to November, with the peak normally in the middle of that range. Today they’re at 35% and building in Fife
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.
In the same pine woods and season look for other Suillus such as larch bolete and weeping bolete, plus saffron milkcaps and the occasional bay bolete or porcini on richer patches. False chanterelles and various brittlegills often share the same acidic ground.
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.
Fife is a low-lying peninsula between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, where gentle farmland and the broad Howe of Fife valley rise westward to the Lomond Hills, crowned by West Lomond at 522 m. To the east a long, varied coastline of sandy bays, dunes and rocky shores runs past St Andrews and the East Neuk fishing villages. Mushrooms favour the mixed broadleaf woods of beech, oak and birch scattered across the lowlands, along with conifer plantations such as Scots pine on the coastal sands of Tentsmuir. The damp pinewoods and dune slacks behind the beaches, plus old estate and policy woodlands, are reliable fungal ground.
Fife sits in the relatively dry, sheltered east of Scotland, getting less rain than the western Highlands, with cool summers and mild, breezy autumns off the North Sea. Steady autumn moisture and morning mist over the Eden valley keep the woods damp enough for a strong fruiting season. Expect a generous autumn flush in the pinewoods of Tentsmuir and the mixed woods around the Lomonds, with chanterelles, ceps and birch boletes among the common finds. Easy terrain and a patchwork of accessible woods make Fife welcoming for foragers, though much land is farmed or privately owned, so stick to paths and public woodland.
FAQ
What should I look for this week for slippery jack in Fife, Scotland?
This week in Fife, Scotland the forecast is 35% and building. 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 Fife, Scotland right now?
For slippery jack in Fife, Scotland, the typical season is August to November, and today the live forecast reads 35% with conditions building 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 Fife, 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.
How does the live slippery jack forecast for Fife, Scotland work?
We take the usual slippery jack season for Fife, Scotland (August to November) and weigh it against the weather right now and over the last few days. That gives you one live number, today 35% and building, plus a 14-day outlook and a normal-year line to compare against.
When is slippery jack season in Fife, Scotland?
In Fife, Scotland, slippery jack season usually runs August to November. The exact start shifts year to year with rain and temperature, so some years they show up early and some years late. Right now (September) the live forecast for Fife, Scotland reads 35% and conditions are building.
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.