Scotland's tree of the year contenders announced

Five contenders to be named Scotland's Tree of the Year have been announced.

The shortlist includes a hawthorn planted by Mary Queen of Scots and a "photographers' favourite" stunted oak tree.

The tree that wins the public vote - which has now started - will receive a care package worth £1,000.

That prize can be spent on works to benefit its health, interpretation signage or community celebration.

The finalists were chosen by a panel of judges who considered 50 trees - about double the usual number - nominated by the public.

Last year's winner was a lone elm, named in homage to JRR Tolkein's Lord of the Rings.

The 2019 finalists are:

This sycamore is situated at Gartmorn Dam near Alloa within a post-industrial landscape.

This tree flourishes on top of the eroding remains of the fossil fuel industry, surviving the changing climate around it.

Sherriffyards Colliery closed in 1921 and the site is now a country park and nature reserve.

The Climate Change Tree has subsided and re-grown from its exposed rootplate to create an extraordinary tangle which triumphs as the colliery spoil diminishes.

Duncan Forbes, Lord Culloden, (1685-1747) who was Lord President of the Court of Session, would take his wife Mary to sit on a large stone where they both admired the view of the Moray Firth.

That stone was moved to its present position in 1855 to make way for the Highland railway and it is thought this oak was planted at that time.

The oak is on the path to the famous St Mary's Clootie Well that played an important part in pagan celebration into the 20th Century.

Its quirky location guarding the way onto a bridge means the oak is known and loved by many who pass underneath as they enjoy Culloden forest near Inverness.

This tenacious tree clings to land at Loch Lomond near the village of Balmaha, in Scotland's first National Park and on the route of the famous West Highland Way.

Its contorted appearance and exposed roots, together with its scenic backdrop have made it a subject for countless photographers.

Queen Mary's thorn grows inside St Mary's Quad at the University of St Andrews and is almost certainly the oldest tree in the Fife town.

Mary Queen of Scots is thought to have planted the thorn in the 1560s on one of her regular visits to the town - making the tree not far off 500 years old - an exceptional age for a hawthorn.

Despite its grand old age, the tree still flowers and fruits every year, and is growing well.

The Quad is traditionally a busy place, with scholars from all over the world, as well as many tourists passing the thorn daily.

Twenty years ago, one lone rowan clinging to a stream bank in Carrifran Valley, inspired the Borders Forest Trust slogan: "Where one tree survives, a million trees will grow."

In 2020, that lone tree is surrounded by a little forest of its children - a product of some of the first natural regeneration the Trust achieved in the Carrifran Valley.

In addition to its offspring, the rowan tree now has over half a million other native Scottish trees for company.

It is a symbol of a journey to revive the wild heart of Southern Scotland - where it once dominated the view, soon it will be hidden from sight.

The competition is run by Woodland Trust and supported by the People's Postcode Lottery.

Carol Evans, Woodland Trust Scotland director, believes the coronavirus lockdown has had an effect on the competition - with twice as many nominations being submitted this year.

She said: "There was a common theme to a lot of the trees and their stories - of tenacity and hanging on against the odds.

"There were a handful of trees just outside the final six, which had been discovered or were provoking particular affection during people's daily walks.

"Everyone has taken solace from the nature on their doorstep and it has been quite moving to see so many trees that became places to escape, gyms and classrooms."

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