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Visit the Oldest tree in Britain

By Jane Burrows 5th October 2015

The Fortingall Yew tree is said to be the oldest tree in Great Britain and is estimated to be between 1500 and 3000 years old. Modern experts estimate it to be around 2000 years old and it is thought that it may be parts of the remains of a post-Roman Christian site. Others have suggested it may be a 5000 year old tree! Whatever its age it still remains that it is one of the oldest trees in Europe and possibly the oldest in the UK.

The problem about trying to age the tree is that through natural decay it has lost the heartwood rings that would establish the true age of the ancient yew tree.

The yew tree has been cut, and even burnt in the past and it has the look of several smaller trees, however the main trunk is underground and all come from the same tree roots.

Whatever the age, we know it's very old and there is lots of details of its history in ancient documents to suggest that it was a very important part of life as far back as the Dark Ages, being a sacred place it was Christinaised already as a fully grown tree. Local legend has it that Pontius Pilate was born under the bough of the tree and played in it's shade as a child.

The Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh has taken clippings from the Yew tree and are creating a mile long Yew hedge in the gardens to preserve the DNA of the Taxas Baccata - as part of their Yew Conservation Hedge Project.

Located in the Fortingall churchyard in west Highland Perthshire, close to Kenmore and Aberfeldy, the Yew can be easily seen from the car park. So it's just a short drive out from Kinnaird to see a magnificent and ancient part of the wonderful Big Tree Country of Highland Perthshire.