Have you been feeling that extra crisp edge to the air? That sharpness in the wind promising hot apple pies, woollen jumpers and crunchy fallen leaves?

Autumn is a season rich in colour, an artist's palette of copper, cinnamon and gold.

According to the meteorological season, autumn starts on September 1 and ends on November 30.

From the end of September and into November the Scottish landscape is particularly spectacular.

We have all the perfect ingredients for an autumn masterpiece, with our still lochs, dense woodland and ethereal mist.

Our pine forests may not change colour but our deciduous trees offer some of the finest autumn hues in Europe.

It's the perfect setting for some woodland wanderings so to mark the season we asked the guardians of the forests themselves to recommend their favourite autumn walking locations.

Forestry Commission Scotland has a whole team of volunteer community rangers who work to protect our treasured areas.

They have shared some of their favourite colourful walks to inspire you this autumn, the first five selected by the Forestry Commission and the rest recommended by keen forest walkers.

If you do venture out with a camera please share your pictures with us here and we'll feature them as part of our autumn gallery.

Boden Boo is a "small woodland that feels big" that stretches right down to the edge of the River Clyde, beneath the impressive Erskine Bridge.

As the Forestry Commission says, there's a network of about two miles of informal trails, all ideal for easy walking and cycling.

The paths are wide and smooth - great for buggies too - but be prepared for a few short moderate slopes.

Three trails wind through Blairadam Wood, near Kelty in Fife, in a spectacular area of mighty spruces and colourful beech woodland.

Keltyhill Glen is a great trail to wander after a period of heavy rain when the burn tumbles over the waterfall at the west end of the Glen.

Follow the trails to spot red squirrels, lofty trees, elegant bridges and old mine workings. On dark evenings you might even glimpse a ghostly miner, or the fabled beast of Blairadam.

This quiet pine forest is a perfect habitat for red squirrels busily preparing for winter and there is even a Red Squirrel Trail you can follow to help you spot them.

The area is also home to four lochs and a few cheeky otters if you can spot them.

Falkirk's picturesque Callendar Wood is at least 500 years old and is a perfect location for those seeking out some seasonal conkers.

A few oaks are about 250 years old but most are younger because the woods are still managed for timber.

You'll find other native trees such as Scots pine, aspen, rowan and birch.

There are three easy trails through the mature woods and around the picturesque little loch in Larbert Woods.

There is plenty of wildlife to look out for, including roe deer, birds and squirrels amongst the trees and dragonflies, damselflies and frogs at the loch.

The paths are firm and dry, with lots of seating and rest areas.

Walk out of town to the dam and fish ladder, which separates the River Tummel and Loch Faskally, to get the perfect view of waterside trees as they shed their leaves.

Each October Pitlochry also hosts the Enchanted Forest (www.pitlochry.org/whats_on/enchanted-forest.htm), a nightly event that sees the trees lit up to soaring music in the woods just outside town.

Now a council-owned nature reserve, Cammo was once one of Edinburgh's grandest and most private residences.

It is still home to the ruins of the estate, crumbling stone overgrown with ivy which adds a little magic to your walk.

The Hermitage at Dunkeld has everything you would want in an autumn woodland adventure.

The giant Douglas firs here are among the tallest trees in Britain and the thunderous Black Linn Falls are an amazing sight.

Keep a special look out for salmon leaping up the falls in autumn as they head to spawning grounds further along the river.

This isn't a specific woodland but an area as a whole which is particularly splendid for walking in at this time of year.

Royal Deeside, with centrepiece royal Balmoral Castle, is amongst the most beautiful places in Scotland.

The Cambus O' May forest has winding trails through Scots Pine while the Countesswells and Foggieton Forest's give you great views across rolling green farmland and majestic beech trees that were planted in 1870.

If you have any favourite autumn forest walks that you would like to share please send them in by emailing laura.piper@stv.tv