Trees and thank you
Scots root for favourite after nature offered respite from lockdown
They offered shade, shelter and comfort in lockdown as we took long walks around leafy parks, woodlands and gardens.
Now after a record number of nominations, a competition to celebrate Scotland’s trees is about to reveal a favourite.
The Woodland Trust Scotland is collecting public votes for their Tree Of The Year competition which closes on September 24.
Director Carol Evans said: “We felt a definite lockdown effect in the competition this year, with twice the usual number of nominations. ‘There was a common theme to a lot of the trees and their stories – of tenacity and hanging on against the odds. There were a handful that had been discovered or were provoking particular affection during people’s daily walks. Everyone has taken solace from the nature on their doorsteps and it has been quite moving to see so many trees that became places to escape. Trees were there for us, as they always are when we need to boost our mental health and wellbeing.”
Nominations soared from 25 to 50 in the competition supported by the People’s Postcode Lottery where head of charities Laura Chow said: “The competition has unearthed some remarkable trees and demonstrates the strong ties and affection communities feel towards them, fostering a strong connection with nature. I am delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery have supported this celebration of the nation’s best-loved trees.”
The winning tree will receive a care package worth £1,000 for works to benefit its health, interpretation signage or community celebration.
Five trees are shortlisted from a bumper crop of 50. The Lord President’s Oak – nominated by Laura McNally of Forest And Land Scotland – is loved by those who find peace in the majesty of Culloden Forest near Inverness. The tree is named in honour of Lord Culloden, Duncan Forbes who, before his death in 1747, was Lord President of the Court of Session. It was planted when a stone, on which he would sit with his wife to admire the beauty of the Moray Firth, was moved to make way for the Highland Railway. It is on the path to the famous St Mary’s Clootie Well that played an important part in pagan celebration into the 20th Century.
The Survivor Tree, put forward by Fi Martynoga of Borders Forest Trust was once a solitary rowan clinging to a stream bank in the Carrifran Valley near Moffat and is among the first natural regeneration achieved there. Today it is surrounded by more than half a million native Scottish trees. It marks the 20-year journey to revive the wild heart of southern Scotland.
Here we highlight the other three finalists: The Climate Change Tree in Alloa, The Milarrochy Oak at Loch Lomond, and Queen Mary’s Thorn in Fife. Those behind their nomination say each is a symbol of survival and triumph in turbulent times, a metaphor for the current global situation and a beacon of hope for a greener future.
There was a common theme of tenacity in a lot of the trees