Last Ent of Affric

Ancient elm in the Scottish Highlands
57°13′17″N 5°06′23″W / 57.22138°N 5.10640°W / 57.22138; -5.10640Girth3.8mWebsiteWoodland Trust - Ancient Tree Inventory

The Last Ent of Affric is an ancient elm in the Scottish Highlands,[1] designated a Tree of National Special Interest (TNSI)[2] by the Woodland Trust and named Scotland's Tree of the Year in 2019.[3][4] It is probably the last surviving tree of an ancient forest, and by virtue of its isolation has remained safe from Dutch elm disease.[2]

History and description

A close view of the trunk

The 'Last Ent of Affric' is a centuries-old[3] Wych elm (Ulmus glabra),[2] named in reference to the tree-creatures of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.[3] Giles Brockman of Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), who nominated the tree for the Tree of the Year Award 2019, said:

Given its location, its isolation - and its peculiar 'face' - it's very easy to imagine it as one of Tolkien's Ents standing sentinel over the rebirth of a new native woodland in Affric.[1]

It has a girth of 3.80m at a height of 1.50m.[2] It is located in Glean nan Ciche, a side spur off Glen Affric in the Highlands of Scotland.[3] The Last Ent's exact age is uncertain, but its diameter suggests it is many centuries old.[3] Given its unusual location, and isolation, it is supposed to be the single surviving tree of ancient forest.[3] Brockman said:

The Last Ent is growing on the rocky outflow of a mountain stream, not a place where you would choose to plant a tree, there being little soil under the moss that covers the rocks. So this must be a survivor of a forest long departed, a sentinel watching over the new native woodland growing on the slopes below.[3]

Discovery of owl pellets among the roots of the tree suggests that it is home to a roost of owls.[3]

Tree of the Year

In 2019, The Last Ent of Affric was named as Scotland's Tree of the Year, following nomination by Giles Brockman of Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS).[3] Brockman had launched a campaign to recognise the elm, which he described as "a hidden mystery of Glen Affric."[3] It was one of six finalists,[5] selected from public nominations, and subsequently won an online public vote.[1]

Following its becoming Tree of the Year, the Last Ent of Affric was adopted as a figurehead of efforts to fight Dutch elm disease.[4] Dr. Euan Bowditch, from the Wooded Landscapes Research Group at Inverness College UHI, noted the significance of educating the public on the ongoing presence of healthy elms - and the need to protect them - in the face of the Dutch elm disease threat.[4] He noted:

The public perception of elm is probably quite defeatist. Many people might not realise that healthy elms exist, grow and regenerate. I think it is important to emphasise that elms are not lost to our landscape.[4]

Dutch elm disease is spread by beetles, aided by the movement of infected wood.[4] As such, the campaign to halt its spread in Scotland and the Highlands focuses on limiting the movement of this wood, to protect remaining elms.[4]

See also

  • Dutch elm disease
  • Tree of the Year (United Kingdom)
  • Glen Affric

References

  1. ^ a b c "'Lord of the Rings' elm is Scotland's tree of the year". BBC News. 2019-10-22. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  2. ^ a b c d "Tree - Ancient Tree Inventory". ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Gieben, Bram. "The 'Last Ent of Affric' is Scotland's Tree of the Year 2019". Forestry and Land Scotland. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "'Last Ent of Affric' leads Dutch elm disease battle in Highlands". Forestry Journal. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  5. ^ "Scotland's tree of the year finalists revealed". BBC News. 2019-09-08. Retrieved 2021-05-15.

External links

  • The Last Ent of Affric at the Ancient Tree Inventory, Woodland Trust