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This internationally important group of about 300 sessile oaks (Quercus petraea) includes some of the oldest and largest examples of the species in Scotland. They are thought to have been planted by King David I (1124 - 1153) in the mid-12th century, when he used nearby Cadzow Castle as a hunting base.
Mediaeval wood pasture
The ancient oaks might indeed be contemporary with King David I, which would rank them among the oldest broadleaved trees in Scotland. This surviving collection of veteran trees now represents a rare example of mediaeval wood pasture. Most of the oaks fall within a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of the unique habitat they provide for rare and endangered insects.
Living sculptures
The individual trees are particularly notable for their contorted trunks, which are heavily burred and have great girths. Having grown in an open situation and been subjected to centuries of grazing around them, they have assumed a variety of unusual shapes.
Each is a living sculpture with a unique signature of swellings, twists, ridges and cavities. Many trees are noticeably stag-headed, with an array of dead, sun-bleached branches protruding from the live crowns. This is a typical characteristic of veteran trees and part of their natural survival mechanism. As trees age and their trunks start to deteriorate, they conserve resources by dying back and forming new, more compact crowns.
Where to see the Cadzow Oaks:
Access to these trees is restricted, but three fine specimens stand in neighbouring Chatelherault Country Park and are accessible to the public. Chatelherault country Park is on the south east outskirts of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, and is well signposted off the A72 road. The oaks are sigposted from the visitor centre.
The Country Park is owned and managed by South Lanarkshire Council and free public access is available throughout the year.
Image: copyright Archie Miles
