Heritage trees with roots in history

TWO hundred years have passed by since the little boy clambered on to his tree-swing and pushed himself higher and higher.

The yew tree stood firm as the young Robert Louis Stevenson happily swung from its branches, absorbing the view of Colinton as it stretched before him.

Today, that same yew tree, in the grounds of Colinton Church Manse in Spylaw Street, is estimated to be 400 years old. It is possibly the oldest surviving tree in the city.

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Stevenson mentioned the tree and its swing - the metal brackets are still attached to one of its branches - in some of his poems, particularly in A Child’s Garden of Verses, written in 1885.

Now, in a bid to raise awareness of such fascinating examples of living history, Edinburgh City Council is planning to produce a list of heritage trees which will eventually form part of a tree trail - a guide for the public to some of the city’s oldest and most unusual trees.

The move comes as the city gears up for Treefest, a festival to celebrate trees, at Inverleith Park this weekend.

Tree and woodland consultant Donald Rodger, who carried out extensive research on the city’s trees in conjunction with the council, says it has been a lengthy process, but worth it.

"Some of the trees I knew about already, and many members of the public wrote in to tell us about others. The tree in Colinton is fantastic - and it’s wonderful that it has the links with such a great literary figure."

The tree trail, he adds, is a positive way of getting more people interested in the heritage of trees, and he believes it will make them more aware of a different side to Edinburgh’s history.

"Generally speaking, there’s a lot of interest in heritage trees and this brings the subject to life for a lot of people. It also increases their knowledge and awareness.

"In a built-up city like Edinburgh, it’s great to know that we have so many of these wonderful trees here. The value of this project is that it has highlighted some of the most important trees in Edinburgh."

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Fifty-two trees have so far been identified as heritage trees, either because they are of a certain age or stature, or because of their cultural or historical significance. Of them, some 25 - which are not on private land - have been chosen to feature on the trail, which will be launched during National Tree Week in November.

The list does not include trees based at the Royal Botanic Gardens or the ones which are part of the nature trail at Heriot-Watt University, but instead identifies trees which previously have not been recognised as being part of the city’s heritage.

One example is the original Corstorphine Sycamore in Dovecot Road, which is seen as being of major importance to the city’s heritage. The long-standing tree was destroyed by strong winds in 1998, but the trunk still stands - and is growing once again.

A story dating back to 1679, when Corstorphine was a small village, claims the tree is haunted. Lord James Bailey, who lived in Corstorphine Castle - which no longer exists - had an affair with his late wife’s niece, Christian Nimmo. Apparently he wanted to end their relationship and spoke ill of her in the local pub. She found out what he had been saying and sat under the tree one night waiting for him to leave the pub.

She challenged him and they had an argument. The story goes that she pulled the sword from his belt and killed him with it. She fled from the scene but was later found and executed in Edinburgh. Her ghost - a lady in a white dress - is said to haunt the tree.

Another tree linked to Robert Louis Stevenson is one which stands alongside The Hawes Inn in New Halls Road, South Queensferry. It’s believed that he wrote part of his well-known novel Kidnapped when he stayed in room 13 of the inn overlooking the ancient yew tree - which is estimated to be 220 years old.

There are other trees in Edinburgh which are linked to world-famous literary figures. The sycamore trees in Cameron Toll shopping centre at Liberton Road have been named the Conan Doyle Sycamores due to their links with author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The writer, who was born in Picardy Place in Edinburgh, spent his early life in the Capital and it’s reported that he lived in Liberton Bank House. The four sycamore trees lining the garden of the house were probably in existence at his time of residence.

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It is possible he played in the garden and climbed the trees, which are reckoned to be around 170 years old, as a child.

A tree which is a baby in comparison, at only 12 years old, is still steeped in history. The Sixpenny tree in Colinton replaced a famous tree that stood there before it. Today it’s situated on the small traffic island between Redford Road and Colinton Road.

The original tree - a lime tree - grew in the gardens of Colinton House, which is now Merchiston School.

The story goes that villagers danced around the tree during some special events holding a sixpence coin. A sixpence coin was planted with the sapling and then the tree was sold for the same sum to a blacksmith from the village.

Another story is that the tree was the meeting place for employees of the paper mills on the Water of Leith. The workmen came to the tree to make their payment of sixpence to pay their contribution to the Paper Makers’ Union, whose business was conducted there. The new tree was planted to keep the history alive.

Many trees on the list are traditional yews or oaks, but four trees still standing in Balerno’s Malleny Gardens have found their way on to the list.

The trees - called the four disciples - date back 400 years, when eight other trees of similar style and stature stood together, earning themselves the name of the 12 disciples. They were felled in 1961, and now only four remain. It’s thought they were planted around 1635 when nearby Malleny House was built for Sir James Murray. The trees are owned by the National Trust for Scotland.

Forestry Minister Allan Wilson said: "One of Scotland’s greatest claims to fame is its rich and diverse legacy of heritage trees. This encouragement to visitors to get back into the countryside promises to provide a real boost to Scotland’s rural economy as it seeks to recover from the effects of last year’s foot-and-mouth outbreak."

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In Scotland, as part of the Treefest celebration, the Forestry Commission is aiming to identify the 100 great trees of Scotland. As part of the Edinburgh Urban Forest project, and fulfilling an action identified in the Edinburgh Biodiversity Action plan, the council has compiled this list of Edinburgh’s heritage trees.

A spokesperson for the city council said: "We are hoping the tree trail will make people more aware of the tree heritage in the country. People are aware of heritage buildings, but not of the importance of heritage trees.

"We are also hoping more people will come forward to identify heritage trees after they hear about what’s going on."

Yew’ll love it

AXE-throwers from all over Scotland are to star at the Capital’s biggest-ever tree festival, organisers have revealed.

Dozens of foresters and saw-millers will be showing off their skills in the unusual sport at the unique event in Inverleith Park next Saturday to celebrate Edinburgh’s Treefest weekend.

More than 5000 visitors are also expected to flock to the well-known park to watch horse logging - horses pulling felled trees - and wood carving with chainsaws.

Tree surgeons will be on hand to help children rope-climb up a 12-foot sycamore tree to show how they remove branches.

The two-day event is organised by the resident Four Winds Inspiration Centre, the city council and the Forestry Commission.

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There will also be craft workshops including willow weaving, mosaics, wood turning, woodland puppets and pony rides around the park.

Councillor Steve Cardownie, city leisure leader, said the event was a great opportunity for people to discover the great outdoors and celebrate nature.

"The council looks after over 100 parks across the city, and is committed to preserving them for public enjoyment," he said.

"They provide the perfect setting for these types of events, which attract members of the community and visitors to the city alike to enjoy a family day out."

Carole Fraser, of the Four Winds Inspiration Centre, said she was thrilled to have such an "excellent" line-up for the festival.

"Edinburgh Treefest promises to be a fantastic family event - come and join us, it really is going to be a lot of fun."

James Kinch, chairman of Treefest’s Lothian committee, said: "We want people to come along over the weekend, have some fun and discover more about Scotland’s rich heritage of trees."

The free event will run from 11am until 5pm on Saturday, June 15, and Sunday, June 16, although there is a nominal fee for some activities.