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Detail of the Covenanters

Heritage Trees to R to Z


The Rannoch Crab

The Rannoch Crab

During the preparation for the latest edition of Heritage Trees of Scotland, Archie Miles and Jon Stokes were exploring along the southern edge of Loch Rannoch, looking for ancient Scots pines, when they discovered this delightful tree, growing close to the road along the southern edge of the loch.


The Rannoch Rowan

The Rannoch Rowan

Probably the loneliest tree in Britain is a rowan which stands in splendid isolation in the desolate wilderness of Rannoch Moor.


Rizzio's Chestnut

Rizzio's Chestnut

Melville Castle was frequented by Mary, Queen of Scots. During one of her visits, David Rizzio, her Italian secretary and close companion, is said to have planted a tree as a token of his love for her by the banks of the River North Esk.


The Royal Botanic Gardens Silver Birch

Silver Birch, Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh

This fantastically contorted silver birch grows beside the Caledonian Hall at the eastern end of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. This mature example is one of the oldest, largest and most beautiful birch trees in Scotland.


The Wallace Yew

The Wallace Yew

Of all the trees associated with Scotland’s popular hero, William Wallace (c.1270 - 1305), it is the old yew at Elderslie in Renfrewshire that is the most legitimate contender.


The Wishing Tree

The Wishing Tree

Now deceased, the Wishing Tree of Argyll was a lone, wind-blasted hawthorn growing in the wilds of Argyll. It was one of the few known ‘wishing trees’ in Scotland and its remains can still be seen.