Yew Trees – Ray Colliers Wildlife in the North

dundonnell yew treeYew trees are one of the oldest trees and they can be very imposing and even dramatic, yet we hardly ever notice them. This is partly because they are mainly found in churchyards or burial grounds and, in the north, the tree only has a scattered distribution. For example, they are absent from large parts of Caithness and Sutherland and the latest maps show only one site in the Western Isles and none in the Northern Isles. As for the rest of the Highlands there is still some debate as to whether the tree is native or introduced although, increasingly, the argument for it being native seems to be winning the day. What is certain is that it is one of the trees that is surrounded by folk lore and myths, perhaps even more so than most other trees.

One of the mysteries that surrounds the yew tree is its presence in churchyards. It was long assumed this was because it was planted there for various reasons such as keeping the poisonous branches away from stock and, a very important consideration, the trees were needed to make the famous longbows. There are problems about both these ideas. To start with it was often the case that the yew trees were there before the churches were even built. Yews are often over 2,000 years old so this is not surprising and the answer seems to be that the sites were the origin of another religious context. It seems likely that the ground was used for pagan worship before later religions built their own churches on or near the same site.

As for the yew tree’s use in making the traditional long-bows, there is no doubt it was by far the best timber to use. The timber of the yew could be cut so that it contained both sapwood, to give springiness, and heartwood, for the sheer strength. The problem was that there were just not enough yew trees to meet the increasing demands of the archers. So the problem was overcome by importing very large quantities of the timber from the Continent, mainly from Spain. There was an added bonus, which is rarely taken into consideration and easily overlooked, the seeds of the yew tree yielded a deadly poison and that was used to tip arrowheads.

So why this sudden interest in yew trees? The reason is that it seems almost a long standing tradition that the oldest tree in Britain, and possibly Europe, is the famous yew at Fortingall, a Perthshire village. It is estimated to be around 5,000 year old. Estimate is the key word as, because of the structure when they age, yew trees are very difficult to age accurately. The fact that it is the oldest yew has just been passed down through generations but now it appears to have a rival. The yew in question is estimated to be over 5,000 years old and it is in a churchyard, where else, in Defynnog in Wales. It has been stated by a “tree aging expert” that it is the oldest tree in Europe. So the scene is set for a battle between Scotland and Wales and no doubt the repercussions will be felt far and wide. As for the Highlands, if you want to see a yew tree that is a mere 2,000 year old then go to Dundonnell House, south west of Ullapool next time they open to the public and there is a magnificent yew I photographed. I prefer the one in the Highlands even if the age is only an estimate. The Dundonnell yew just has to be seen.

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