‘Magnificent’ ancient oak is 2024 tree of the year
1st November 2024
The SKIPINNISH OAK in Lochaber, Scotland has been named UK Tree of the Year after winning a public vote against 11 other contenders.
The “impressive specimen,” which is hidden away in a Skita spruce plantation at Achnacarry, supports an island of native ecosystems, including rare lichens such as the black-eyed Susan.
The tree has a girth of around 8m and is thought to be over 400 years old, but wasn’t known to modern tree experts until the Skipinnish ceilidh band played for a gathering of the Native Woodland Discussion Group at Fort William. George Anderson of Woodland Trust Scotland described the oak as “the tree that time forgot but the piper remembered”.
Dr Kate Lewthwaite from the Woodland Trust said the tree is a “magnificent example of natural heritage” and that this recognition “shines a light on the incredible biodiversity that our trees support.” The Skipinnish Oak took 21% of the votes in an online poll. The runners-up were the Darwin Oak in Shrewsbury, which secured a close second place with 20% of the votes, and the 1000-year-old Bowthorpe Oak in Lincolnshire came in third, with 14%.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/24686735.uk-tree-year-2024-skipinnish-oak-named-winner/