The Birnam Oak is an example of Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) at Birnam, Perth and Kinross, Scotland (grid reference 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 (18 ft) 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
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- ^ Magnusson, Magnus (2000). Scotland: The Story of a Nation. HarperCollins.
- ^ Pakenham, Thomas (1997). Meetings with remarkable trees. London: Phoenix Illustrated.
- ^ Express, Britain. "The Birnam Oak, Dunkeld | History, Photos & Visiting Information". Britain Express. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ "Oak". Forestry and Land Scotland. Retrieved 2 September 2020.