Birnam Oak

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The Birnam Oak

The Birnam Oak is an example of Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) at Birnam, Perth and Kinross, Scotland (grid reference

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NO032421). Sometimes known as Macbeth's oak, as it is a relic of Birnam Wood, mentioned in William Shakespeare's play, the tree is found in a strip of woodland on the south bank of the River Tay.[1] The trunk is 5.5 metres wide and its large spreading branches have latterly been supported on a number of struts to prevent them from collapsing under their own weight.[2] The exact age is unknown, but the girth suggests an age of around 600 years old which would mean it was already a mature tree at the time of Shakespeare's presumed visit to Perthshire in 1589.[3] The tree is listed by Forestry and Land Scotland as one of Scotland's most famous oak trees.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ Magnusson, Magnus (2000). Scotland: The Story of a Nation. HarperCollins.
  2. ^ Pakenham, Thomas (1997). Meetings with remarkable trees. London: Phoenix Illustrated.
  3. ^ Express, Britain. "The Birnam Oak, Dunkeld | History, Photos & Visiting Information". Britain Express. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
  4. ^ "Oak". Forestry and Land Scotland. Retrieved 2 September 2020.

Coordinates: 56°33′39″N 3°34′36″W / 56.5609°N 3.5766°W / 56.5609; -3.5766

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