In an astonishing gardening feat, a 90 year old retired farmer has unearthed what is possibly the "biggest carrot ever," with a little assistance from a surprising ingredient: cow dung. Arthur Nicol from Aberdeenshire was merely seeking a carrot for his Sunday roast when he instead discovered a gargantuan root vegetable.

With the aid of his 32 year old granddaughter, Steph Nicol, the weight of the colossal carrot was revealed. It balanced the scale at an incredible 4lb 10.6oz, measuring 1ft in length with a substantial circumference of 19 inches at its broadest point.

This was the first time Arthur had ever laid eyes on a carrot so enormous.

Steph shared the story, saying: "He went out to get a carrot out of his garden for his Sunday lunch and pulled out that absolutely monster carrot that weighed just under five pounds."

She added, "He was so proud of it. He said he has been growing vegetables for as long as he can remember and he has never grown a carrot quite that size."

Highlighting the extraordinary size of the vegetable, Steph mentioned, "It is huge. It is almost like 16 carrots grown into one."

Despite his advanced age, Arthur remains involved with the family farm, previously managed jointly with his late wife, Ella. The 400-acre mixed farm, located at Westerord Skene near Westhill, is now under the ownership and management of Steph's parents, Derek and Lynn Nicol.

Steph explained that her grandfather remains an ardent gardener, cultivating a variety of fruits and vegetables such as beetroots and turnips. She stated, "He is a very keen gardener although he is going to be 91 in April he still grows all his own vegetables for his own consumption."

Arthur's vegetables are renowned for their impressive size and exceptional taste, with his homegrown produce being truly unbeatable.

Initially, he had considered eating the gigantic carrot but has since reconsidered due to its unusual shape. Steph revealed: "The carrot is still sitting in his kitchen but because of the shape of it he thinks it is going to be quite hard to cut up and peel."

Instead, the carrot will be repurposed, as Steph explained: "One of his friends has dogs and he is going to give it to them to cut up and put into dog food."

The reason behind Arthur's consistently larger-than-average carrots remains a mystery, even to him. Steph speculated: "He isn't sure why it's so big - maybe the cow manure he uses."

Undeterred, Arthur will undoubtedly continue to tend to his garden, ever vigilant for the next remarkable harvest. As Steph said, "I am sure he will be back into his garden looking out for more."