Ancient trees and sites to visit
Beauly Priory Elm, Inverness
he Beauly Elm is an ancient Wych (Scots) Elm, which is 800+ years old, and believed to be the oldest Elm in Europe. It can be found at the entrance to Beauly Priory in the centre of the Beauly Town Square conservation area. Sadly, it has been ravaged by Dutch elm disease in recent years, and now has less than 5% living material, but it is iconic within the town as a recognisable sculptural element, and is the last surviving elm that once formed part of an ancient avenue of Elms leading from the Priory to the town square because of its cultural heritage.
view details
Birnam Oak, Scotland
The Birnam Oak and its neighbour, the Birnam Sycamore, are thought to be the sole surviving trees of Birnam Wood.
view details
Black Wood of Rannoch, Scotland
The Black Wood of Rannoch contains some of the largest areas of ancient pine forest in Scotland. Some of the trees are thought to be hundreds of years old, and it is home to a rich variety of plants, insects, birds and animals.
view details
Cadzow / Chateau, Scotland
A handful of trees are accessible within the Country Park – follow the “Cadzow Oaks Trail” using trail signs, a map from the visitor centre or download Chatelherault Trails to the Past.
view details
Capon Tree, Jedburgh
The Capon Tree, a hollow English oak (Quercus robur), is one of the last survivors of the ancient Jed Forest. At around 1,000 years old, this celebrated tree has been a constant feature in the turbulent history of the border country.
view details
Dalkeith Old Oak Wood, Midlothian
Parkland oaks
view details
Fortingall Yew, Scotland
The Fortingall Yew is an ancient European yew (Taxus baccata) in the churchyard of the village of Fortingall in Perthshire, Scotland. It is known for being one of the oldest trees in Britain, with modern estimates of its age between 2,000 and 3,000 years.
view details
Great Yew of Ormiston, Scotland
This unique tree is a wonderful example of a layering tree, as it has ten major branches, some of them supported by props, and all subdivided.
view details
The Craigends Yew, Renfrewshire
The Craigends Yew is one of the largest and possibly oldest examples of a layering yew (Taxus baccata) in Scotland.
view details